Hi all,

Just picked up my car today from an independent dealer. Paid £300 for 4 glow plugs and an injector wiring loom. This solved the misfire problem I was having earlier. They are telling me that my cambelt requires urgent attention! The car is a 2001 Fabia, 1.9 TDI ATD engine has done 83K and when I look through the service book (I am the 3rd owner and only bought the car 7 months ago from a Skoda dealership) the tooth belt was never changed but everyone is saying that you have to change the cam belt every 60K. I am confused! Does that mean the previous owners never changed the belt? or was it just changed at 60K as not a part of service? The car was serviced and MOT'd just before I bought it by Skoda. The car had 78K on the clock so I assumed I don't need to worry about the cambelt until 90k.

Please help I am really confused. The independent dealer is asking 450 for cambelt and water pump. Is this reasonable is I have to do it? Should I got and ask someone else to look at the belt before I make a decision to change or not?

Looking forward to any advice.

Thanks.

If there is nothing in the service book or any receipts to prove the cambelt has been done then you need to get it done ASAP before it snaps and lands you with a very large bill.

The cambelt is 60k/4 years which ever comes first.

Shame you didn't relise about the belt when you were buying the car as you could have negotiated it to be done in the deal.

Price wise £450 is maybe a bit on the high side, try and find a VW specialist in your area that will do cheaper than a dealer

Genuine belt kit & waterpump is about £130 and that includes the £30 surcharge till you return your old waterpump

Not sure what labour will be but thats what i paid for mine and will be doing it next weekend...Only done 47k but i like everything to be done from day one

Thanks for getting back guys!

The car was 9 years old and has done 78K before I bought it 7 months ago, I just assumed the 2 previous owners could not just risk it like that and the belt was done at least once like it is supposed to be 60K or 4 years whichever comes first, right?

I emailed the manager who sold us the car about this whole thing. It is a real shame because I paid a little more for the car compared to going private because it was an approved used Skoda, I assumed I am getting something which should not cause me too much trouble in the near future...heh. Today it was £300 for glow plugs and injector loom and now nearly £500 for cambelt and water pump! Not cool!

I thought all approved Skoda's came with a 1 year warranty?

When i viewed one at Lincoln that was part of the deal

I would find another garage even if its an independant as £400 for labour seems overpriced

Thanks for getting back guys!

The car was 9 years old and has done 78K before I bought it 7 months ago, I just assumed the 2 previous owners could not just risk it like that and the belt was done at least once like it is supposed to be 60K or 4 years whichever comes first, right?

I emailed the manager who sold us the car about this whole thing. It is a real shame because I paid a little more for the car compared to going private because it was an approved used Skoda, I assumed I am getting something which should not cause me too much trouble in the near future...heh. Today it was £300 for glow plugs and injector loom and now nearly £500 for cambelt and water pump! Not cool!

Your Approved used Skoda should have a 1 year warranty that would cover your glow plugs and injector loom , I would contact the Skoda garage you bought your car from and ask them about the cambelt as there may be a computerised service record of this being done

Your Approved used Skoda should have a 1 year warranty that would cover your glow plugs and injector loom , I would contact the Skoda garage you bought your car from and ask them about the cambelt as there may be a computerised service record of this being done

I got my cambelt changed at my local franchised VW dealer, as part of my 60K service (4 years) the cost was only £299 as they opperate a fixed menue pricing for most vag group cars. this was cheaper than my local independant specialist!

If the cambelt needs doing then definitely find an independent VAG specialist in your area. Just had mine done yesterday and with water pump replacement and labour was £270. You definitely need to shop around for the best price and get service recommendations from people in your area on this forum. Bit worrying though if a Skoda dealer sold you a car with that mileage and no cambelt replacement done. I would call them out on it for sure.

Don't pay £450 mate - you should be able to get it done for a little over half that if you shop around. Alex Lawrie here in Liverpool offered to do mine for £220 - I admittedly get discount with them because my brother used to work for them but even without the discount it would only have been around £260, almost £200 less than your quote.

I thought all approved Skoda's came with a 1 year warranty?

When i viewed one at Lincoln that was part of the deal

Your Approved used Skoda should have a 1 year warranty that would cover your glow plugs and injector loom , I would contact the Skoda garage you bought your car from and ask them about the cambelt as there may be a computerised service record of this being done

Incorrect! Even though cars might appear via the Skoda website as Approved Used Cars from Skoda Dealers the 12 month warranty that the website definitely advises applies doesn't always!!!

My dealer gave me a limited 3 month warranty and when I complained to Skoda they refused to accept that the website was wrong and refused to alter it to elucidate.

Caveat Emptor !!!

I did email the manager about the cambelt. I am hoping they will be helpful. I don't think my car came with a warranty so I am guessing no point trying to ask them to pay for glow plugs and the loom but the cambelt I think they should at least explain. According to their stamp in my service book I should be all good until 88K and they must have inspected the belt as a part of a service right? They serviced and MOT'd it for me just before I bought the car. So if I would not have the misfire problem I would not have even known about the state its in. Very irresponsible of them to say the least!

In the meantime while getting my front tyres changed at a local garage recently I enquired about the cambelt job. They told me I could probably get the parts for around £100 and they'd charge me £120 labour. So yeah, a major improvement on the nearly £500 quote.

Would anyone advise on where to order the parts?

Thanks again everyone for your comments!

Incorrect! Even though cars might appear via the Skoda website as Approved Used Cars from Skoda Dealers the 12 month warranty that the website definitely advises applies doesn't always!!!

If the manufacturer makes a claim about a product that the retailer may reasonably be expected to be aware of (this includes web sites), then the retailer is bound by that claim. Might be an interesting one to have a chat with CAB about.