VAG 170 PS Diesel Injector Failures - VOSA action

[jfarhead]

@partyboy1101, I haven't been able to so far... tell me if you manage to get anywhere though and I'll try your route...

[scottpcs]

One of the injectors failed on my Octavia vRS just Friday. Very disconcerting as I had my wife and 2 very young sons in the back. It was dark, late and raining hard on a remote country road near my wife's parents' house.

Had an independent do a fault analysis with his computer and it is confirmed to be one of the injectors so I'm having the car recovered to my local Skoda dealer tomorrow morning.

Having read through this thread and particularly the last part about VAG replacing failed injectors, how should I be approaching my dealer on getting this fixed? I'd be pushing for all 4 injectors to be replaced as one tends to follow the next when you get one failure.

I just can't afford to be spending upwards of £1000 on a repair, especially as the car is only 8 or 9 months out of warranty. The car has always been dealer serviced and I've given my local a good bit of business in the last few years - I only bought my 3rd Skoda from them in January of this year!

[scottpcs]

*UPDATE*

Had my car towed to the nearest Skoda dealer which was Startin Skoda in Worcester. I didn't need to say anything - they already had the service 'disreport' bulletin from Skoda in front of them detailing this exact problem.

The bulletin came through around a couple of weeks ago they tell me and it's for all affected engines from 2007, specifically targeting the fuel injectors as being the problem along with the fault codes produced by the computer.

I'm not counting my chickens just yet but the bulletin offers to cover 'up to' 100% of the repair bill as goodwill. The service manager didn't seem to think I'd have a problem in this case as the car has been fully dealer serviced since new and that the injector(s) will be covered under this service bulletin.

Once I get the car back, hopefully tomorrow, I'll let you know the final outcome and whether it will have cost me anything. Sounds like my luck may just be in for this problem but I'm erring on the side of caution until I get the car back.

[Tech1e]

*UPDATE*

Had my car towed to the nearest Skoda dealer which was Startin Skoda in Worcester. I didn't need to say anything - they already had the service 'disreport' bulletin from Skoda in front of them detailing this exact problem.

The bulletin came through around a couple of weeks ago they tell me and it's for all affected engines from 2007, specifically targeting the fuel injectors as being the problem along with the fault codes produced by the computer.

I'm not counting my chickens just yet but the bulletin offers to cover 'up to' 100% of the repair bill as goodwill. The service manager didn't seem to think I'd have a problem in this case as the car has been fully dealer serviced since new and that the injector(s) will be covered under this service bulletin.

Once I get the car back, hopefully tomorrow, I'll let you know the final outcome and whether it will have cost me anything. Sounds like my luck may just be in for this problem but I'm erring on the side of caution until I get the car back.

I shall keep an eye on it for you, it's on the ramp next to me.

[suk]

So is there any limit on milage? I.e anthing past 100k aint covered???

[pist0nbr0ke]

So is there any limit on milage? I.e anthing past 100k aint covered???

I'd be very interested to know if there is a mileage limit too. (There shouldn't be!)

Also, can anyone confirm if the dealers in Ireland have heard about this???

[jfarhead]

Still trying to reclaim the cost of the initial replacement at the moment. There is more hope now than months ago when they just told me to go away eh...

There is now a Facebook page set up by the Australian guys to get more non-forum people to join the debate on the problem.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/VW-AUDI-Skoda-Seat-Pd170-TDI-Injector-Failure/156033921135623

Please spread the word and "like" the page so that we can get more people involved who may not be part of any of the forums!

[Davey_vRS]

My car is on a 56 plate, December 06. Am I likely to get an injector problem? I had a slight judder at traffic lights last week and then when I stopped at another set a few mile down the road it cut out. Started again no problem and had no problems since

[scottpcs]

I got my car back yesterday after a failure of injector number 2 according to the workshop report. The car is running fine now and there appears to be no adverse after-effects of the injector failure.

Top marks to Startin Skoda of Worcester - excellent service in all respects. Not a penny to pay for the repair as it would appear that Skoda covered it under the service bulletin.

All I can tell you from what I could gather in the service report is that all cars from 2007 with this engine and this particular fault should be covered and that Skoda will pay 'up to' 100% of the repair cost. Particular fault codes are also listed in the bulletin which the car's computer should report in the event of a fuel injector failure. The only stipulation is that the car has to have been serviced and on time - this means serviced ANYWHERE and not just main dealer serviced which is an unusual exception in these circumstances. This part didn't apply to me as the car has been dealer serviced from new anyway and they had no problem verifying this.

There didn't appear to be a mileage limit on affected engines but as I didn't see the report personally I can't verify this. My car has only done 43.5k and is just over 3.5 years old.

Only the failed injector was replaced on this occasion but with the guarantee that if the car suffers subsequent failures of the fuel injectors then Skoda will cover it. The guy on the service desk advised that in all cases to his knowledge only one injector had failed and that I'd have to be 'extremely unlucky' to have another injector fail. At £500 a go it's understandable to an extent but equally disappointing why Skoda would be reluctant to change all 4 injectors when only one of them had failed.

I can't advise on cars from any other year apart from 2007 but my advice would be to question your dealer about this service bulletin if it isn't brought to your attention beforehand.

A great deal of inconvenience on the problem itself but I can't recommend Startin Skoda enough based on this experience with them, well done gentlemen.

Edited 29 June, 2011 by scottpcs

[Tech1e]

Glad we could help, I shall pass on your thanks to everyone.

[Davey_vRS]

Tech1e; Is my car prone to this do you know? Read post above thanks

[jfarhead]

Audi are calling people who have raised the issue with them and are offering to refund costs incurred for injector changes and they are also advising the cars be taken in for all the injectors to be swapped for the new double insulated ones. I got called today and my receipts get sent out tomorrow, I will forward details of the vehicle so that replacments can be arranged as well.

I would have though all of yours should have been swapped. If you have one of the old injectors, you are still exposed to the problem, they need to be replaced.

VOSA have said there is a shortage of these injectors and VAG know admit there is a fault. Time will tell once the injector stocks are replenished whether a recall will happen or not.

Register your concerns with Skoda and ask them if they will be following the same path, they seem to be taking responsibility now and I don't think they will make a fuss. Audi seem to be helping slowly which is a step in the right direction.

Davey_vRS, not ignoring you, I just don't know what injectors would be in yours, sorry!

[onmeheadson]

My car is on a 56 plate, December 06. Am I likely to get an injector problem? I had a slight judder at traffic lights last week and then when I stopped at another set a few mile down the road it cut out. Started again no problem and had no problems since

Hi, my car is exactly the same age as yours (dec 06) and yes both cars use the siemens piezo injectors and are therefore at risk of injector failure. I'd be interested to know what the failure rate % is but I guess we'll never find that out.

[Davey_vRS]

Has been worrying me a bit today after reading this.. Hopefully Skoda will be as helpful as everyone else is and replace them if they fail!

[jfarhead]

The whole point of raising this with VOSA on safety grounds is to get them replaced BEFORE failure, not IF they fail. I'd make sure both VOSA and Skoda are aware you are concerned or have had a fault, so your details are in their paperwork somewhere, that way if you're not keen on chasing up for details and are concerened about an immediate swap, at least you can get a call or letter asking you to come in IF they go down the Audi route as well.

By the way, thanks to everyone on this forum that spread the word, send in their forms to VOSA, chased Skoda, and kept the topic alive. With one report being filed per day to VOSA, they had overwhelming evidence from everyone's experiences and details to take the case to VAG and force these measures through.

[partyboy1101]

After another chase to Skoda customer services I have had a call back to confirm that they will refund the cost of parts and labour for the three failed injectors....fitted by an independant. They've also asked me to book in to a local Skoda garage to have the 4th replaced!! Result!

[Squiffyp]

I submitted a complaint to VOSA, but have not been in direct touch with Skoda UK.

So bit of a surprise when someone from their customer services called me yesterday to discuss my car. They asked what happened, what had been replaced and what costs I'd had. I told him I'd had at least one injector replaced, and holding an extended warranty I only had to pay the costs of the wiring loom.

Anyway he said they'd speak to the dealers to confirm exactly what had been replaced and he'd get back to me.

Which he did this morning. He confirmed I'd actually had two of the injectors replaced. And that Skoda UK had arranged with my dealer for the other two to be replaced, and for the costs of the wiring loom to be reimbursed.

It has taken some time, but I'm very happy with this outcome.

[Davey_vRS]

I think I will call into customer services today and ask them about this see what they have to sayi

[Davey_vRS]

Just rang alex lawrie up and the guy just told me it's only injectors that fail or that bring fault codes up to be replaced. I said about people on here having there's replaced before hand so they don't fail and those who have had 1 or 2 replaced but are having the others done as a precaution. Hes asked for my details so he can look into it and get back to me, fingers crossed!

[Davey_vRS]

It's a no go for me, skoda will only replace faulty or failed injectors. Will not replace them if in working order

[Squiffyp]

It's a no go for me, skoda will only replace faulty or failed injectors. Will not replace them if in working order

Hmmm, not sure why that would be.

What did he say about my case, where a car which had already suffered failed injectors and was having the others done as a precaution?

Incidentally I didn't ask for it - the guy from Skoda UK offered it before I could!

[Davey_vRS]

He didn't say anything bud, all he said was if my car throws any lights on relating to the injectors it would be replaced on 'good will' were they will pay a certain percentage or in some cases all of it.

Apparently the woman at skoda said, by any chance he wouldn't of got this information from the forums would he? It's a big pain, mostly people ranting..

I'm not surprised people are ranting! The cost of them is ridiculous!

[jfarhead]

They are only saying this temporarily because they don't have enough injectors to go round at the moment. The bottom line is that VAG admitted these ones are faulty, and VOSA's job is to make sure you are safe, that means your injectors will have to be replaced. VOSA are still in talks with VAG, they will not let go of the issue as they have to address your exact case, ie finally replacing ones that have not YET failed with ones that WILL NOT fail... (at least not with this known problem)...

It's moving in the right direction though, a hell of a lot better than when I made that first phone call in September and the guy told me "wear and tear"... psh

[Davey_vRS]

Thanks for info bud you wouldn't have a contact number for who I need to talk to at VOSA would you?

[jfarhead]

Email: [email protected]

One of their staff will pick it up and look into your case. We have Audi guys without failures concerned too, but as I said on the other forums, I think VAG have a priority list of most affected vehicles to go through first, and once stocks are up maybe we will be looking at them calling everyone else up. We'll need to wait for VOSA to carry on with the talks, they've been very good to get to this stage for us!