Have suffered from this before on the Fabia II but last night was ridiculous. Couldn't open one rear door at all and the other only after a mammoth tug. Once inside and driving, rear electric windows inoperative and impossible to open either rear door from the inside.

You would think this car was designed in China rather than eastern Europe.

Have to be happy that mine (obviously a I not II ) has never done this, even in the severe temps we had last winter.

Have suffered from this before on the Fabia II but last night was ridiculous. Couldn't open one rear door at all and the other only after a mammoth tug. Once inside and driving, rear electric windows inoperative and impossible to open either rear door from the inside.

You would think this car was designed in China rather than eastern Europe.

This problem isn't isolated to the Furby. I'm lucky enough to have a Yeti and a VRS - the rear doors on the Yeti have frozen every day this week, the windows frozen shut too. It is cold though, minus 5 this morning. The VRS? - don't know, it's been tucked up safely in the garage since the white stuff arrived!

Saw a post on this subject on the forum last year and followed the advice. Spray some silicone spray (the stuff which waterproofs jackets, tents and such like) on the seals where they meet with the metal of the door framse. Worked a treat for me last night. Hope this helps.

Saw a post on this subject on the forum last year and followed the advice. Spray some silicone spray (the stuff which waterproofs jackets, tents and such like) on the seals where they meet with the metal of the door framse. Worked a treat for me last night. Hope this helps.

Vaseline is also good for this...impreza & mx5 (pillarless windows) ownership found this little tip useful

Doors frozen shut are far from a Skoda problem. Check out the BMW forums and see the same there also ripped and torn door seals. It's more to do with how you look after your car. I just took delivery of mine, freezing conditions, The car was a block of ice and the first thing I did was to do all the door and hatch seals with Autoglym bumper care. We've had the worst freeze I can remember for ages and all doors are operating perfectly. There are many products suitable to treat door seals with and all will help to prolong the life of the seals year round whilst preventing freezing.

It's more to do with how you look after your car

Didn't say anything in the manual about having to "service" or "lubricate" the door seals. And its dead obvious to use bumper polish to rub on seals - yeah.

Its not actually the rubber door seals that's the problem - it the felt strips that are saturated every time it rains or snows that Skoda put on to seal the tops of the unusually designed doors. And the frozen electric windows? On a one year old low mileage car.......hmmm. I've have many cars in my life and some have been driven through Siberian style winters in eastern Europe and I've never had a problem opening a door.

Saw a post on this subject on the forum last year and followed the advice. Spray some silicone spray (the stuff which waterproofs jackets, tents and such like) on the seals where they meet with the metal of the door framse. Worked a treat for me last night. Hope this helps.

Same here. I get mine from work buts its widely available. A quick squirt and wipe it around the seals and felts. Its also good to put a little on the window side runners. Makes the electric windows a lot smoother and faster. Th electric windows usually jam at the rubber edging between the window frames at the door when it freezes. Not much you can do about that apart from keeping a handy anti-freeze spray (or isopropanol which is less gooey and evaporates away to nothing)

I had to use anti freeze to open a plane door day before yesterday. 4 million quids worth of aeroplane also doesnt buy you a frost free door....... quick squirt of silicone and its all sorted. We also put low temp grease on emergency exit seals as they tend to freeze in as well.

One thing I dont like about the Mk II Fabia is that if you have a rear window not completely shut tight the felt part acts as a wick which can allow a LOT of water ingress. It doesnt take much for it to happen. It can actually look closed but lets the water in unless its fully 'home'

Didn't say anything in the manual about having to "service" or "lubricate" the door seals. And its dead obvious to use bumper polish to rub on seals - yeah.

It's one of the 'common sense' things you do if it's needed! The manufacturers can't actually think for you like some people seem to think they should do. In Siberia depending on when and where you go, it's so cold that water vapour hardly exists in the air, and the environment is very dry...but cold. So freezing doors are less likely.

It's one of the 'common sense' things you do if it's needed! The manufacturers can't actually think for you like some people seem to think they should do. In Siberia depending on when and where you go, it's so cold that water vapour hardly exists in the air, and the environment is very dry...but cold. So freezing doors are less likely.

Don't forget the John Cleese quote "The British keep a £15,00 car on the drive and £500 of rubbish in the garage".

I hope this helps to cheer you up on a cold winter morning.

Tony

It's one of the 'common sense' things you do if it's needed! The manufacturers can't actually think for you like some people seem to think they should do. In Siberia depending on when and where you go, it's so cold that water vapour hardly exists in the air, and the environment is very dry...but cold. So freezing doors are less likely.

That's a good contribution from someone who's "aged 9 mentally" Lol. But I couldn't help but smile at the remark "the manual doesn't tell me to do it"!! Reminds me of the American story of the guy who engaged Cruise Control on his camper van then jumped into the back to make a cup of tea. Then complaining the manual never said this would be dangerous!! But to be fair experience does tell you to protect the seals against frost. It's NOT a Skoda thing and it's most unfair to point to this as a manufacturing fault. The wipers will also freeze to the screen resulting in damage if operated before they are freed off Diesel has been known to freeze in the lines etc., it would not be difficult to compile a long list all common to Skoda and equally common to every other make too.

Don't be Daft!...Talk about teaching Grandma how to suck eggs.

If the rubber seals were the problem I wouldn't have an issue. Its the choice of of those felt strips around the door - they are a water sponge. Its not a manufacturing fault - its a design fault.

I suppose I also need to grease the hinges, smear the brake pipes, blow out the dust from the brake drums as part of my monthly ritual.

I can assure you lot that most drivers do not make (nor have to make) a habit out of spraying/polishing/rubbing door or boot seals.

In 40 years of driving, I've seen every kind of winter you lot can imagine (including the wrong/right type of snow or ice) and NEVER had a problem opening a car door.

Don't be Daft!...Talk about teaching Grandma how to suck eggs.

If the rubber seals were the problem I wouldn't have an issue. Its the choice of of those felt strips around the door - they are a water sponge. Its not a manufacturing fault - its a design fault.

I suppose I also need to grease the hinges, smear the brake pipes, blow out the dust from the brake drums as part of my monthly ritual.

I can assure you lot that most drivers do not make (nor have to make) a habit out of spraying/polishing/rubbing door or boot seals.

In 40 years of driving, I've seen every kind of winter you lot can imagine (including the wrong/right type of snow or ice) and NEVER had a problem opening a car door.

Is there anything at all you like about your Fabia? You criticise so much. I don't see others having the same problems. I mean to expect ABS to perform in snow, to expect summer tyres to double up as winter tyres and to expect your doors not to freeze( felt strips are commonly used on car doors. It does appear you have fallen out with the brand which is a shame as you will never be happy with the car. In 50 years of driving I have indeed experienced frozen doors plus all the other problems you seem to be having but I have learned and now take steps to prevent these happening where I can. I do hope you don't fall out with what is really a great little car.

Is there anything at all you like about your Fabia?

Yes, the clip on the windscreen.

to expect ABS to perform in snow, to expect summer tyres to double up as winter tyres and to expect your doors not to freeze

Sounds just like my Alhambra

I sometimes wonder if Briskoda is infiltrated with undercover SUK marketing men. It seems every criticism, no matter how small is pounced on and the perpetrator made a pariah.

In 50 years of driving I have indeed experienced frozen doors plus all the other problems you seem to be having

I concur with Horkin. Although my experience isn't perhaps quite as varied (11.5 years for me), I have myself experienced frozen doors and windows in just about every car I've had at some point. I can't comment on the Mk2 as I haven't yet taken delivery of mine but I'm sure I'll have the same problems with freezing as I've had with other cars.

It's a case of basic physics or more specifically the physical properties of water and its effects in various forms, especially ice. Two surfaces that are bonded together by frozen water, in any shape or form, are always going to produce quite some resistance when separated and that's not a design flaw by any stretch of the imagination.

If anyone is daft enough to try licking a frozen metal pole for instance (representing the relatively warm moist rubber against the frozen metal surface of the car door,) you'll find that your tongue ends up being as good as welded solid to the pole with separation being nigh on impossible. Is this a design flaw? I think not.

Yes, the clip on the windscreen.

Sounds just like my Alhambra

I sometimes wonder if Briskoda is infiltrated with undercover SUK marketing men. It seems every criticism, no matter how small is pounced on and the perpetrator made a pariah.

Took me a while to realise you are just a wind up merchant but 327,000 post on Google on how to stop car doors sticking in freezing conditions plus detailing sites awash with suggestions for products to prevent this issue, and you want us all to believe it's just your little Skoda thats the cause of it all. Shame on you!! :p

Is there anything at all you like about your Fabia? You criticise so much. I don't see others having the same problems. I mean to expect ABS to perform in snow, to expect summer tyres to double up as winter tyres and to expect your doors not to freeze( felt strips are commonly used on car doors. It does appear you have fallen out with the brand which is a shame as you will never be happy with the car. In 50 years of driving I have indeed experienced frozen doors plus all the other problems you seem to be having but I have learned and now take steps to prevent these happening where I can. I do hope you don't fall out with what is really a great little car.

I fully agree horkin. Our resident moaner is sometimes a little unrealistic in his expectations (take a look a some of his posts!!). But he's a jolly nice guy I'm sure. He's had forty years of driving experience...but I don't actually see any evidence of that in his posts. As you suggest horkin, he could well just be a wind up merchant, as his main contribution in his posts is to tear SUK, the Skoda Fabia, and SUK dealers to bits, then frequently attack anyone who disagrees with him. No offence Xman...we need people with the alternative view. Oh...I want my 'ranting' status back Xman. You demoted me to 'preacher' earlier! Chill man...you are not a periah, we all have respect for each other on here, we all learn stuff.

Nowhere have I ever criticised SUK dealers - mine are a nice bunch (they could be cheaper though)

SUK mmm..... I dont think I've said much against them either.

Skoda Fabia - I love my sons Mk1 - my Mk2 is a just a car - no more, no less. Better than a Corsa, but thats not saying much. Daughter moaned last night about putting in £40 of petrol when its done only 250 miles since I last filled it. Never mind dear, that nice chap with the Estate assures me it'll all be better in another 20,000 miles......

Edited 29 November, 201015 yr by xman

Nowhere have I ever criticised SUK dealers - mine are a nice bunch (they could be cheaper though)

SUK mmm..... I dont think I've said much against them either.

Skoda Fabia - I love my sons Mk1 - my Mk2 is a just a car - no more, no less. Better than a Corsa, but thats not saying much. Daughter moaned last night about putting in £40 of petrol when its done only 250 miles since I last filled it. Never mind dear, that nice chap with the Estate assures me it'll all be better in another 20,000 miles......

Is that the TSI she has?

Is that the TSI she has?

1.2 70bhp

1.2 70bhp

Difficult to say how good or bad that consumption figure is without knowing how it's driven and on what sort of roads. Petrol engines do run in more quickly than diesels but it may be ok, or not! Is the car fairly new?

Difficult to say how good or bad that consumption figure is without knowing how it's driven and on what sort of roads. Petrol engines do run in more quickly than diesels but it may be ok, or not! Is the car fairly new?

I'm not falling for that one ...not being drawn into another lecture debate........

Edited 29 November, 201015 yr by xman

Skoda Fabia - I love my sons Mk1 - my Mk2 is a just a car - no more, no less. Better than a Corsa, but thats not saying much.

I agree with you about the Mk1, being on my second. The Mk2 is not a bad car, but I think is not unreasonable to expect that most aspects of a new model should be better than the model it replaces. Some things are better but, for me, the pros do not outweigh the cons. I am closely monitoring how the Fabia Mk2 develops because I would like to stick with Skoda. With a few tweaks here and there, I would go for it.

Re doors icing up: this has never happened to me in 8 years of Fabia Mk1 driving or in about 16 years of Golf driving. It did happen in the 70s and early 80s on an old Mini and an old Audi 80.

I'm not falling for that one ...not being drawn into another lecture debate........

Nice one!

I'm not falling for that one ...not being drawn into another lecture debate........

Oh go on......

I will say one thing. I prefer the look of the Mk 1. I have had two of them (we still have the 1.4 mpi).

It just looks better to me. I like the fact also that the dash doesnt reflect in the windscreen and the petrol gauge has a needle !!!

I bought the Mk II as you cant buy a new mk 1 anymore. I really liked my old 1.2 HTP and it got 48-50 mpg every day. Sadly the engine was giving me grief and I jumped at the no VAT offer along with a PD diesel that actually does make book figures.

To me my mk II is just a car. I like the practicality and cheap running costs. The Mk II is a change, not an improvement.

I am currently abroad working in 30 degree heat. I can announce my doors opened freely despite the possible warpage caused by extreme heat.........its a Chevrolet something or other.

Edited 29 November, 201015 yr by raisbeck