Skoda's superb reliability gone

[Kev627]

Last week I visited Gretna in Scotland 260 miles north of my house and 24 hours before I was due to drive home in my 04 Fabia a loud metalic grinding noise started coming from the front of the car accompanied with a vibration felt through the steering wheel. My Dad has spent more than 30 years in the motor trade and after he drove the car 50 yards he told me there is something seriously wrong with the car.

I called out the RAC and spent an hour waiting for them cursing the supposedly excellent reliability of modern Skodas and wondering how I was going to be getting home the following day with my wife and 2 month old baby. The RAC man arrived I explained the problem to him and he took the car for a test drive, he drove 20 yards, turned round came back, jacked the car up and pointed to a very small stone caught between the brake disc and caliper of my front right wheel. A few jabs with a screw driver and the stone was out, when I asked if any damage might have been caused I was told the brake disc will have done a lot more damage to the stone! He said 90% of the cars he's attended with vibration felt through the front wheel have a stone caught somewhere on the front brakes.

I guess this is also an apology to the Skoda community for saying such nasty things about Skodas in general while I waited for the RAC man and to reassure people that things ain't always as bad as they seem.

[missp]

I had something similar... bugged the life outta me for a good few days. Fabia's just keep going

[Guest BigJase88]

im 7 miles north of gretna at annan :8

[SideshowBob]

For what it's worth, I once had a Boxster tiptronic go almost brake-free while approaching the new chicane at oulton park, at just over 100mph. Turned out to be gravel in the caliper or sensor because someone in the previous session had gone for a detour through the gravel trap!

Scary when it happened but it's amazing how much the gears will slow you when you need it.