My Octavia's 4th year service is coming up and i've just called a company to have it booked in for mid May. To date there have been no noticable problems, but I was told over the phone that after 75k or 4 years, it needs a new cam belt kit and water pump. My car has done 52k and is working fine right now. I've had it 2 years in June and done 25k since I have had it.

Service is £268.96

MOT is £54

Cam Belt Kit and water pump is £527.38

Does this sound right to you guys, cause I am pretty shocked to find out that 10% of the value of my car is gonna be forked out on a service? They even knocked £50 off to get it under £800 total to make it more "attractive". This is with a reputable VW / Skoda dealership. I know this is probably important and needs to be done to keep it going for another X years, but it's a massive cost for me for something I may not need to have done yet.

Auberne.

Edited 23 April, 201016 yr by Auberne

For a main dealer, dependent upon location, yes.

No doubt you could try haggleing them down or shopping around.

Try a couple of other dealers for prices and a recommended vag specialist in your area for a comparison price.

Skoda now state the cam belt should be changed after 4 years, whereas before they just stated the mileage.

Cam belt etc £ 330 , other prices ok

Cam belt etc £ 330 , other prices ok

If car is out of warranty why not get quotes from outwith dealer network? But NOT fast fit type places. You can tell them cause they wear biiig hats and horses are tied up outside.

Price still looks pretty ugly to me.

Edited 23 April, 201016 yr by loskie

My last service, MOT and cambelt change (car was 4 year old) was £500 from my local Skoda dealers. My local independent specialist quoted a similar price.

I went to a VW dealer last week with my 4 year old Polo GTI for the cambelt change - Camerons in Perth.

They had a special offer on cambelt kit change for £280, that price was offered before I could ask what was their best price, other dealers were at least £100 more.

I also wanted the water pump done as a precaution, although not recommended by VW, and they added on another £55.

Total I paid for cambelt, full kit and water pump £335.

I dont think you need to pay more than £350-£400.

Make sure you get the cambelt kit and NOT cambelt only.

Cheers.

My last service, MOT and cambelt change (car was 4 year old) was £500 from my local Skoda dealers. My local independent specialist quoted a similar price.

Did you have a gun in your hand at the time, that was cheap where in the world are you ?

Ive been quoted £480 inc vat for timing belt,water pump,mot,and air con recharge.This is from an independant dealer.Local stealer wanted £520 plus vat for timing belt water pump was extra.GITS.

My Octy had its 4 year service & MOT from a local Skoda dealer (North Staffs) recently for £692. If you don't have the cambelt changed it could well nullify any extended warranty cover as the car hasn't been serviced as required by Skoda!

It sounds a lot, but I've only needed 2 services from new (variable servicing regime and 35000 miles).

Chris

Edited 24 April, 201016 yr by CJJE

My Octy had its 4 year service & MOT from a local Skoda dealer (North Staffs) recently for £692. If you don't have the cambelt changed it could well nullify any extended warranty cover as the car hasn't been serviced as required by Skoda!

It sounds a lot, but I've only needed 2 services from new (variable servicing regime and 35000 miles).

Chris

So did that price include belt and braces

I can confirm that the timing belt replacement is recommended by all vag group vehicles at 4 years regardless of mileage. however the replacement of the coolant pump should only be considered if there is clear evidence that there is either excess wear or signs of leak from the overflow. A reputable dealer would advise you of this information. Less scrupulous ones would scare you in to changing the pump at every belt change.

Either way it is unlikely your car will require a coolant pump unless you want the belt and braces assurance that this would provide.

Ask the dealer to requote you without the coolant pump and ge them to reassure you they will inspect the coolant pump once its stripped down.

Also remember any work carried out by a Skoda main dealer comes with unlimited mileage parts and labour warranty against the parts and any consequential damage.

Piece of mind i would say...just gives you piece of mind and well worth the little extra bunce.

Hope this helps

Newbie

I got mine done at a seat dealer for £230 new belt and tension-er and metal water pump

I got mine done at a seat dealer for £230 new belt and tension-er and metal water pump

Nearly worth a trip up there to have it done ,Do you spell Estate,like that because it is the way Scots say it !!

I gave up with the main dealers for regular work as soon as my car came our of warranty - should have done it earlier. In comparison to other makes of main dealer franchises I believe Skoda offers fair prices; the problem is that they never once serviced my car properly. I have a 1.9PD with DSG and have had to fight for the correct content for each service. The great thing is that the customer service teams do not even listen to you as you read their own servicing schedules to them, responding with trite and unrelated garbage, and then you have to get Skoda UK to explain the requirement to them. I have used 3 main dealers in 5 years and I can't recommend any for routine work. I had the wrong oil, no fuel filter change, no DSG oil change and unreported damage to name the most notable failings. All 3 dealers had Skoda customer service excellence awards. This is my personal experience and not outrite condemnation of Skoda workshops as I actually believe the mechanics are very capable but hobbled by the business model thay have to work within.

I got my cambelt changed by a VAG specialist (JKM) for £330 using genuine parts and new waterpump. I looked at self help but it is clear that a cambelt change for a 1.9PD in an Octavia is a pig of a job. I then had my MOT done by Nationwide Autocentres who were running a £32.50 deal on the internet (good service and would go back there for an MOT). For my piece of mind I get any work that requires specialist tooling (DSG oil change) done by JKM who I have come to trust. I now carry out simple service work on the car myself and use the Main Dealer for diagnosic tasks only. I only use Skoda parts and usually get these from the local SEAT dealer as it is less of a hike and he is willing to haggle (ever tried that in a Skoda parts department). There is an obvious impact on resale value by not having a series of Skoda stamps but as pointed out the percentage costs against resale value for main dealer work is high.

Bottom line I would get the Cambelt and MOT done independantly and then decide how much the Skoda service stamp means to you. It is certainly not a mark of excellence to me but does at least indicate that the car was looked at in some way at regular intervals. If you do get the service done by Skoda look at the invoice carefully to ensure they have done the correct work.

I can confirm that the timing belt replacement is recommended by all vag group vehicles at 4 years regardless of mileage. however the replacement of the coolant pump should only be considered if there is clear evidence that there is either excess wear or signs of leak from the overflow. A reputable dealer would advise you of this information. Less scrupulous ones would scare you in to changing the pump at every belt change.

Either way it is unlikely your car will require a coolant pump unless you want the belt and braces assurance that this would provide.

Ask the dealer to requote you without the coolant pump and ge them to reassure you they will inspect the coolant pump once its stripped down.

Also remember any work carried out by a Skoda main dealer comes with unlimited mileage parts and labour warranty against the parts and any consequential damage.

Piece of mind i would say...just gives you piece of mind and well worth the little extra bunce.

Hope this helps

Newbie

Welcome to the forum.

Only my opinion, but a water pump replacement, whilst not a service item, is good practice because it will cost as much as a cam belt replacement if it goes and often the process of changing the belt will cause a leak anyway. Indeed, I have heard a seized water pump can bring down the belt with consequent massive collateral damage.

If I remember correctly, the Skoda warranty could be unlimited mileage (as you correctly point out) on new parts fitted, but it extends only to two years.

I appreciate your good faith in "confirming" that VAG recommend four year intervals between belt replacements but I would also appreciate knowing where that confirmation comes from. I am not saying a "newbie" isn't entitled to opinion, nor that someone with 200 post must always be believed, I just want to see the paperwork.

As far as I can remember my service book doesn't require four year intervals and a recent post suggests that a new car comes with a service book that doesn't either.

I know VAG can change their mind with experience but I still haven't received that info in a letter from SUK.

As for trusting a dealer on the matter? I would suggest anyone who trusts a dealer hasn't met enough of them yet

I have read elsewhere (USA VAG forum) that VW has been forced in a Class action suit to warranty ALL cam belts for the life of the car with the proviso that owners pay for a regular inspection.

I am inclined to believe that four-years-regardless may be wise but my thinking is that I have a collateral contract with Skoda and if they think they have supplied me a defective part (no longer as described, defective, not of merchantable quality, or not fit for purpose) then I should not have to pay for additional servicing costs to avoid damages cause by its failure.

I Have lost an engine through a cam belt failure in 1982 so I know the danger and cost but I did read the service book before I bought the latest car. What is there to stop Skoda changing the interval to three years one day?

Just an opinion and I am likely to change the belt in good time but I would really like to see it written down.

[edit for spelling]

Edited 25 April, 201016 yr by FriendlyFire

It is written down, when you have a service my dealer DM Keiths in Bradford on the bottom of the paper work says, i quote_ Skoda recommends that timing belts are now replaced every 4 years .

It is written down, when you have a service my dealer DM Keiths in Bradford on the bottom of the paper work says, i quote_ Skoda recommends that timing belts are now replaced every 4 years .

Hi

Fair enough, However, when you have a service at my dealer; SKODA Hobin of Manchester, it isn't written down. I have the paperwork in my hand.

I feel I must refer you to my previously recorded comment about trusting dealers

Indeed, now that I remember, I refer you to www.Skoda.ie on the subject of belts and pulleys where it states, inter alia, and I quote:

"We guarantee the quality of the materials used. For example, our precise production processes have enabled us to extend the interval for changing a timing belt on a Fabia with a 1.9 TDI PD/74kW engine from 90,000 km to 120,000 km."

Full text here

That is just an example that would not apply to all belts, engines and models, but it doesn't say anything about four years when you might think it would.

By the way, same text available on the international skoda site but strangely not the .co.uk site. Need I say more

Edited 25 April, 201016 yr by FriendlyFire

Snap i went to get paperwork out to , can you hear it rustle?

Snap i went to get paperwork out to , can you hear it rustle?

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

Seriously, all good fun here