My Fabia vRS broke down 100 miles from home in Oswestry on Monday. The power steering was intermittently heavy and I didn't want to risk driving home so I dropped it off at Furrows Skoda there. I also asked them to look at the window problem I've reported elsewhere here:- driver's door not working in auto, passenger door intermittent and not working from drivers side.

They've today advised it will cost £423 to replace the steering angle sensor and a window motor. They've ordered the parts in readiness.

Since the car's stuck up there and I can't do the work myself in any case, would anyone care to comment whether that's reasonable? Since the failure of the angle sensor appears to be common fault should I be asking for a Skoda "goodwill" payment to aid the finances?

Considering this bill plus £182 recently spent on gaitors plus £200+ on suspension bushes I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that the car's got to go!

Addendum - 62,000 miles by the way...

Edited 10 February, 201016 yr by DRJ

Steering angle sensor is probably £80 for the part and they might charge at most 1 hour to fit that, so say £140. (at top end!) No idea on the window motor thing, but that kind of work is often labour intensive. Be interested to hear what just changing the angle sensor will cost, in parts & labour.

Thanks - well the cost has now gone up to £698.

They've decided it's not the steering angle sensor that's faulty, but rather a leaking seal on the steering rack, which can only be dealt with by replacement of the rack.

They offered a non-Skoda one for (parts cost) £423+vat or a genuine Skoda one for £602+vat. I've gone with the cheaper option.

Work being carried out today or Monday (the window's already been done) so I'll post further information after I've paid the bill on Monday evening.

My rack leaks a bit too, but its so slight all I need to do is top up the PAS reservoir with fluid about once every 6 months - losing roughly 200ml in that time.

My rack leaks a bit too, but its so slight all I need to do is top up the PAS reservoir with fluid about once every 6 months - losing roughly 200ml in that time.

Is that not an MOT fail Jason?

Mines been MoT'ed while leaking slightly before (fixed now). Either it's not too bad, or the car is caked in filth so it's hidden.

But yeah, think a bad leak will fail them as we weren't sure if mine would get through.

Price for the rack sounds pricey, paid £500 for a brand new Skoda unit.

Mines been MoT'ed while leaking slightly before (fixed now). Either it's not too bad, or the car is caked in filth so it's hidden.

But yeah, think a bad leak will fail them as we weren't sure if mine would get through.

Price for the rack sounds pricey, paid £500 for a brand new Skoda unit.

Aye £670 quid fitted for a genuine part , I paid a few years ago.

I've now had the car back - breakdown:

Rack - non-Skoda - £215

Sensor - £97.04

Oil - £6.80

Labour - 2.5 hours at £75/hour = £187.50

Total = £506.34 + vat = £594.95

HOWEVER...

I'd reported the window problem to them in writing thus:

I didn’t mention this earlier today but I suggest while you have the car you look at something not so serious, which I had been leaving since it initially happened about two weeks ago. There is a problem with the electric windows - on 25 January 2010 I found that none of the three window switches was working. I first checked the fuses to find there were two fuses, one for each window (46+58), and both were OK.

I then realised that when mending the washers a week or so previous (a joint had popped apart owing to icing up) I used the "Convenience operation of windows" feature - i.e. "Turn the key in the lock of the driver door into the closed position and hold it there until all of the windows are closed" to operate the washer stalk from the bonnet area (though I cannot say whether the new problem was connected to my using the “convenience function†thus).

I thus tried opening the windows using the reverse of that procedure - but no luck. Then I put the key in the ignition and found the following changes:

a] the drivers door window was now dropping and rising using the switch on drivers door - but not operating in auto mode

b] the passenger door window was entirely inoperative using the drivers door switch

c] the passenger door window was now dropping and rising using the switch on the passenger door

I then found the section on "Operational problems - Automatic closing or opening does not operate" which states:

"If the battery of the car has been disconnected and then reconnected [it hadn't], the automatic closing and opening function does not operate. The system must be reactivated. Proceed as follows in order to re-establish the function

~ Turn the key in the lock of the driver door into the closing position and hold it there until all of the windows are closed.

~ Release the key.

~ Insert the key again and turn it to the closing position for about 3 seconds."

However that didn't do anything, whether I tried it with the windows initially open or closed. And now I’ve found the passenger door window has again stopped working on its own switch, but the drivers windows is still going up and down manually. I’ve also tried what others have suggested – holding the switches in the “up†position after they’ve closed for a few seconds.

Any ideas please as to how to get the window switches all working again properly – is this a tweak to the car’s software settings? Or something more serious? An earthing problem perhaps?

They diagnosed the windows as a failed passenger door motor - and when they phoned me to advise that I mentioned I was surprised that was the case since both windows clearly had a problem. Anyway they replaced it - but when I picked the car up neither window was working! I left it with them but sent a letter stating:

I was dismayed, after having driven out of your compound on Saturday and decided I was happy with the steering, to try the electric windows only to find them totally dead! Whilst I can believe they were working when tested earlier, clearly the base cause of the problem hasn't yet been determined. The car is now in a WORSE condition in this respect than when I brought it in - since the drivers door window was at that time working. Please note from the detailed description of the problem related in my previous letter, that clearly there is an intermittent problem with the windows since sometimes they're working and sometimes they're not. I do hope that your diagnosis of the problem didn't merely consist of trying the switches and pronouncing the passenger door motor faulty since the window wasn't then operating - note it certainly had a day or two previously. I indeed suggested that it might be an "earthing problem" owing to the intermittent operation.

I would like your categorical assurance that the removed passenger door motor was in fact faulty, and that should include retriving the part and demonstrating its failings to me; if you are unable to effect that, I request the removed part is handed over to me so I can personally test it.

Please note that since the car is now drivable - and since I have to have it back on Monday afternoon in order to drive back down to Gloucester for work on Tuesday - if you cannot affect a full repair on Monday and assure me that the problem is fully cured I will have to take the car back as it is and arrange for my local garage to investigate the windows further.

Please note no further chargeable works are to be carried out to the windows without consulting me first, since it appears costs may already have been amassed unnecessarily in incorrect diagnosis and/or needless replacement. A detailed separate invoice will be necessary for this element of the works to cover legitimate works.

Needless to say they investigated and found the motor they'd replaced was working perfectly, so refitted it and gave up... At least they didn't charge a penny for this element of the works! And the windows were fully working when it was returned to me,