Its a car with moving parts, things wear out, if you buy a car and expect it to last forever with the exception of servicing parts then you need to take a step back. Do you buy a house and expect the roof to last for every?

Yes things do wear out but not after three years and ONLY 25,000 miles. What part of this do you not understand?

No one is expecting automotive immortality but simply reasonable service life and to be frank if I start to tot up all the bits that have gone wrong with the Skodas I've had then they have not been great cars to own.

Sure most of these items were fixed under warranty and without protest but really none of them should have happened so soon after the car was manufactured and don't get me started on the four year/60k cambelt change fiasco which is costing owners collectively massively.

Edited 16 July, 201015 yr by GREZA

Ah, you see, the reason for buying the Skoda headlight adaptors is that they clip to the front of the headlight housing rather than sticking to the lens, which is a small but significant difference that most owners don't realise until AFTER they try to remove their stick-on ones! We mock what we don't understand...

And, yes, I do choose my words to have a desired effect, and you're right I don't know for certain that you haven't suffered from either of the alternative misfortunes I suggested, but then if I were to go onto fora relating to them, I would be forgiven for thinking EVERYONE had suffered from them which is what you're implying is true.

As I said at the beginning, Skodas are fairly cheap cars, so to expect faultless performance from engine, chassis, suspension, electrics, transmission and all the other parts really is expecting too much - IMO you are going to extraordinary lengths to garner sympathy for needing to perform a maintenance task that's going to cost, what? Less than a hundred quid? It really isn't a hill of beans compared to what you reckon the car is worth.

One thing I will say is that as a moderator, I'm not supposed to let threads turn into sprawling circular arguments, and so on that basis you've heard everything I have to say and I won't be posting here again. I'm sorry you feel so aggrieved, I really am, but I honestly think you should either take it like a man and move on, or get rid of the car and see what fault you can find with your next manufacturer of choice in the upper-budget sector.

Yes things do wear out but not after three years and ONLY 25,000 miles. What part of this do you not understand?

The part in which you say its a common fault. Its made of rubber and could perish over time not usuage. Have you owned the car from new (sorry if you've mention that and I've not seen it) if it wasnt how "nice" was the previous owner?

Completely untrue, I do not expect to start changing anything other than normal service parts on a car at 25,000miles and that is not an unreasonable expectation.Secondly, we have already locked horns Irvtheswerv on the subject of the current market price for vRS SEs. I have evidenced what is being asked for low mileage examples. In contrast though you haver made several opinionated assertions you have singularly failed to provide any evidence to back these up, namely examples of several dealers selling vRS SEs for £8k (I think that was your spurious claim). Your suggestion of search autotrader does not wash.

Hilarious. In this thread you claim a 3 yr old 25,000 mile VRS SE is virtually new by modern standards. In the other thread a 3yr old 50,000 mile example is discarded as being high mileage and over the hill. I substantiated my claim, but the cars priced at their true value have sold or you've chosen to ignore their existence (no surprise there).

I'm still trying to decide whether you're just trying to wind us up, or are genuinely clueless. But I've a fair idea which.

Edited 16 July, 201015 yr by Irvtheswerv

Hilarious. In this thread you claim a 3 yr old 25,000 mile VRS SE is virtually new by modern standards. In the other thread a 3yr old 50,000 mile example is discarded as being high mileage and over the hill. I substantiated my claim, but the cars priced at their true value have sold or you've chosen to ignore their existence (no surprise there).

I'm still trying to decide whether you're just trying to wind us up, or are genuinely clueless. But I've a fair idea which.

I've a fair idea about your conceit and ability to twist the facts, 50k is not the same as 25k miles its is twice the amount of use. There is therefore a material difference in the two cars and hence their value, even if you have insufficient functioning neurons to comprehend that.

Despite your frequent by unsubstantiated claims, you have not evidenced one single example of a vRS SE with a low mileage for sale at a dealer for £8k on any of the threads we have debated this point. Until you do I cannot take anything you say with any seriousness.

140k and no issues here, HTH

140k and no issues here, HTH

Thanks, the whole point of this thread was to get posts to see who has and who hasn't had this issue.

No one is expecting automotive immortality but simply reasonable service life and to be frank if I start to tot up all the bits that have gone wrong with the Skodas I've had then they have not been great cars to own.

in 3 years, 2 fabia's, the only issue i've had was a Lambda sensor. A bit irritating but there you go.

and don't get me started on the four year/60k cambelt change fiasco which is costing owners collectively massively.

Sorry but i'm going to have to, as it undermines your entire argument. Cam belts - like the engine mounts - are made from rubber. Unfortunately, rubber WILL perish with age, without taking into account actual miles driven. The same can be said for tyres.

For me 'reasonable' is related not to time but to use in 99% of cases. If a car sits in a garage, is started and run periodically but goes no where, time is largely irrelevant (perhaps tyres, battery, a/c charge are the exception).

Tyres = rubber. Engine mount = rubber. I can see a pattern here….

I resist buying Japanese not least because of the barbarous way in which that nation behaved during WWII, but it does seem that if monotonous reliability is what is desired, there is little option but to do so

Yep, my grandfather (ex-commando) is exactly the same. But how does that match with....

As an ex Rover driver…

No atrocities in the British Empire, what?

some years ago I had a Mercedes

umm…I’m not even going to go there.

This could be the same for virtually all motor manufacturing countries. I don’t recall many swiss car makers.

you sir, may be misguided - you may be a troll for all I know. But I believe you are in the wrong with this.

PL

For the record, Fabia vRS, 54k miles, No problems.

Oh btw, Skoda made tanks in WWII and i'm pretty sure some of those were probably used in crimes against civilians. Maybe not on the scale of Unit 731, but don't let that undermine your self-satisfaction in avoiding buying Japanese.

Oh btw, Skoda made tanks in WWII and i'm pretty sure some of those were probably used in crimes against civilians. Maybe not on the scale of Unit 731, but don't let that undermine your self-satisfaction in avoiding buying Japanese.

Perhaps you should ask your ex-commando grandfather how the Japanese treated prisoners of war, even if they were lucky enough not to be summarily executed by decapitation. Then you might understand why there remains an inertia in some who know their history, to buy their products. I suggest you avail yourself of a copy of the 'World at War' DVD series even though this is a very sanitized account of what they did.

Greza = trolling = http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=trolling

Greza = trolling = http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=trolling

I started this thread hoping to ignite an intelligent debate concerning what I believe is an issue of premature wear with some (not all) engine top mounts. There is after all a TSB 'fix' for issues with this component.

Sadly instead it seems to have degenerated into inane character assassination of myself for daring to suggest that there might be an issue with this component.

I believe my argument has been both reasoned and reasonable.

However, that has not stopped the 'infants' on this forum from debasing any intelligent debate to the level of the school playground which they evidently inhabit most of the time.

Edited 16 July, 201015 yr by GREZA

For reference - the prevoius Polo (like mine below) seems to have a small problem with a few having the engine mount on the cambelt side falling apart. As in the rubber sperating from the metal or something. Not too sure of the mileage it tends to kick in at, but mine at 75k and 10 years old is going well (I hope!).

Edited 16 July, 201015 yr by TriggerFish

Perhaps you should ask your ex-commando grandfather how the Japanese treated prisoners of war, even if they were lucky enough not to be summarily executed by decapitation. Then you might understand why there remains an inertia in some who know their history, to buy their products. I suggest you avail yourself of a copy of the 'World at War' DVD series even though this is a very sanitized account of what they did.

Perhaps it is not your place to be suggesting that I should go ask my Grandfather to relive horrific experiences he witnessed. He has already been through the stories once with me, i'm not about to ask him to do it again.

My point was; I understand your reasoning (as I understand his) - but surely it is an abhorrent hypocrisy to refuse to buy Japanese because of their war record, yet buy German, because the percieved wisdom was that they were the best made cars at the time? Hardly the best war record either. In fact, I believe you are current driving in a vehicle whose (manufacturers) ownership lineage can be traced back to a rather pivotal figure in 20th century Europe. Needless to say i'm sure you bought VAG because of their excellent reputation for build-quality; maybe you should ignore other people's advice more regularly (ie in the manner you are with this thread.)

I am not a history scholar. I do have access to information from other sources than "World at War".

PL

You make a valid point about buying German, though I don't think they ever degenerated to the levels of the Japanese forces when it came to the general treatment of prisoners of war.

The other crimes that they committed under the Nazi regime were no less abhorrent, so yes you might well accuse me of a degree of hypocrisy in that respect and it is perhaps that internal battle that I still wrestle with.

Many Jews will never step into a German made car let alone buy one and they have to be respected for that.

They prefer to drive Swedish but then you could say the Nobel were behind much of modern warfare and as such perhaps the Swedes should be boycotted too.

The argument is a difficult one to draw a line around.

IMO, if you're basing your car on the war actions of a country - you'd pretty much have to build every part of it yourself to advoid buying off a country with a war crime etc under its belt.

IMO, if you're basing your car on the war actions of a country - you'd pretty much have to build every part of it yourself to advoid buying off a country with a war crime etc under its belt.

Agreed if you take the argument to its full conclusion.

Agreed.

On topic, I don't necessarily agree with your argument, I do however understand where you are coming from. I don't believe it is a major issue, but it's like most things in life, people don't make a song and dance (or a thread for that matter!) when things are going as expected. Its only when things are wrong that they voice an opinion.

It may be worth closing this thread, and starting a new one, with a poll just asking people to vote yes or no as to whether they've had this problem.

anyway, good luck with the car

To revert to the part in question the latest incarnation of the engine top mount (Part no. 6Q0 199555BA) is unavailable in the UK at present.

As an ex Rover driver I recall all the moaning that went on about cars being off the road for weeks because of spare part issues.

Surely Skoda, as a company still manufacturing cars, should be able to satisfy demand for a part quickly or at least you would think so won't you?

i bought 6Q0 199555BA engine mount lastweek from Skoda

This like most other expensive parts are not stock and do need ordering in and arrives in 2 days or so.

I didn't realise there was a shortage of this part as the posts seem to suggest.

Edited 16 July, 201015 yr by newskoda

All this talk of not buying Japanese seems a bit elitist. If you buy a VW or SKoda is that equally bad because Hitler helped pioneer VW (the people's car)

I'm sure if you look around your house, garage and even place of work you will find many components either being made in Japan or designed by them.

All this talk of not buying Japanese seems a bit elitist. If you buy a VW or SKoda is that equally bad because Hitler helped pioneer VW (the people's car)

I'm sure if you look around your house, garage and even place of work you will find many components either being made in Japan or designed by them.

Inevitably you are correct, the hi-fi, a camera etc etc. but when it comes to the second largest item by cost that most of us ever buy perhaps these considerations come more into relief, or then again perhaps not.

I was just trying to work out how many ex combatants of the Japanese imperial army are employed by Toyota or Mitsibushi? I don't suppose there are many working in Swindon at Honda or Nissan in Sunderland.

Edited 17 July, 201015 yr by PD75

I was just trying to work out how many ex combatants of the Japanese imperial army are employed by Toyota or Mitsibushi? I don't suppose there are many working in Swindon at Honda or Nissan in Sunderland.

Fair point too, but of course the net profits made by Honda, Nissan & Toyota in the UK will be repatriated back to Japan by way of transfer pricing techniques. So the best that can be said for them is that they provide some UK jobs and work for some local component manufacturers, but probably declare a very low net profit figure so are unlikely to pay much corporation tax but of course do benefit from time to time from government grants etc.

Having said that I am tempted to buy a British built 'Japanese' model for the very reason that its manufacture has helped a fellow Brit put food on his family's table.

Buying wholly foreign made cars simply sends wealth abroad as is evidenced by the lamentable state of this country's balance of trade figures that show we continue to haemorrhage our national wealth month on month. A state of affairs that cannot go on indefinately.

In the national interest we should all now try to buy British made items especially if they are big ticket items such as cars.

Edited 18 July, 201015 yr by GREZA