Hi all. Can anyone help me out. Joined the forum as like the look of the octavia 2 and thinking of buying one. the problem i have is that the octavia i am looking at is a 56plate 2.0 tdi pd elegance estate with leather trim and 79000 miles which is slightly above average for the age of the car but not taxied.

my dilema is the price the dealer wants £6495 for it.

So the questions are ; is this a good price for the mileage spec etc. and what should i look out for. it is listed as full history but i have heard that the cambelt should be changed around 80000. not sure if has been done.

all advice appreciated.

thanks all.

Hi all. Can anyone help me out. Joined the forum as like the look of the octavia 2 and thinking of buying one. the problem i have is that the octavia i am looking at is a 56plate 2.0 tdi pd elegance estate with leather trim and 79000 miles which is slightly above average for the age of the car but not taxied.

my dilema is the price the dealer wants £6495 for it.

So the questions are ; is this a good price for the mileage spec etc. and what should i look out for. it is listed as full history but i have heard that the cambelt should be changed around 80000. not sure if has been done.

all advice appreciated.

thanks all.

That price seems a little high, in fact quite a bit high. My 05 2.0TDi Elegance with 103k is worth just over 4k on the forecourt, though that's without leather.

If the cambelt hasnt been changed or they can't prove it has, get them to knock £400 off as that's dealer rates for a new cambelt, or get them to do it (depends on the garage, if you trust them not to just say they've done it and throw you a cambelt from the bin as proof)

Find out if the turbo has been replaced, listen out for a loud whistle or whine. the PD130 turbo has a shelf live, average seems around 75k but some fail around 30k and some, like mine, go past the 100k mark.

Then again, some people don't have the problem at all.

I was in the same position as you 3 years ago, got myself an 05 of the same car, read up on it, didn't find any issues, then when I started having the turbo issues I suddenly found all the forum posts about it!

Anyway, don't let it put you off, best car I've owned bar none, I just need to find the best way to get my turbo replaced

That price seems a little high, in fact quite a bit high. My 05 2.0TDi Elegance with 103k is worth just over 4k on the forecourt, though that's without leather.

If the cambelt hasnt been changed or they can't prove it has, get them to knock £400 off as that's dealer rates for a new cambelt, or get them to do it (depends on the garage, if you trust them not to just say they've done it and throw you a cambelt from the bin as proof)

Find out if the turbo has been replaced, listen out for a loud whistle or whine. the PD130 turbo has a shelf live, average seems around 75k but some fail around 30k and some, like mine, go past the 100k mark.

Then again, some people don't have the problem at all.

I was in the same position as you 3 years ago, got myself an 05 of the same car, read up on it, didn't find any issues, then when I started having the turbo issues I suddenly found all the forum posts about it!

Anyway, don't let it put you off, best car I've owned bar none, I just need to find the best way to get my turbo replaced

thanks for the reply. thats not much lifespan for a turbo. my 406 hdi 110 still has the same turbo and clutch with 166000 miles. maybe is the variable servicing causing probs with long life oil. think if i take the plunge will need to think about more regular oil changes. 10k or so maybe.

ps the model mentioned is the pd 140 does that make a difference.

Edited 24 August, 201114 yr by ribz

thanks for the reply. thats not much lifespan for a turbo. my 406 hdi 110 still has the same turbo and clutch with 166000 miles. maybe is the variable servicing causing probs with long life oil. think if i take the plunge will need to think about more regular oil changes. 10k or so maybe.

You won't regret it, the car is excellent.

I would try and drag the price down, quote some prices for similar cars on autotrader or something.

There's a 2008 Octy 1.8TSI Elegance with 62k miles on the clock for sale near me for £7995, an extra grand for a car 2 years younger, less mileage and a more expensive engine? they're definitely asking way too much.

Mine was 3 years old when I got it, same mileage and it was £6750, knocked them down to £6300. Yours is 5 years old and they're charging more. I know the used car market is a bit up in the air, but it should be cheaper if anything.

Though the one you're looking at is an estate, so add £500 to the price as mine is a hatch.

Edited 24 August, 201114 yr by Antimus

maybe is the variable servicing causing probs with long life oil. think if i take the plunge will need to think about more regular oil changes. 10k or so maybe.

Much more likely to be the way the turbo is treated, many will not let it warm up fully (oil takes longer to reach optimum temperature than coolant does) and they then don't then let them cool down before turning off either - both of these methods will shorten a turbo's life.

SUK also recommend the cambelt be changed every 4 years, irrespective of whether the car has reached the mileage for a belt to be changed - so it is overdue.

You won't regret it, the car is excellent.

I would try and drag the price down, quote some prices for similar cars on autotrader or something.

There's a 2008 Octy 1.8TSI Elegance with 62k miles on the clock for sale near me for £7995, an extra grand for a car 2 years younger, less mileage and a more expensive engine? they're definitely asking way too much.

Mine was 3 years old when I got it, same mileage and it was £6750, knocked them down to £6300. Yours is 5 years old and they're charging more. I know the used car market is a bit up in the air, but it should be cheaper if anything.

Though the one you're looking at is an estate, so add £500 to the price as mine is a hatch.

there is another one i could look at but is a private sale. 1.9 tdi pd 105bhp dsg with 52000 hatch. but not sure on the dsg as economy is worse and more expensive things to go wrong. he wants 6200 for it same age. thoughts?

there is another one i could look at but is a private sale. 1.9 tdi pd 105bhp dsg with 52000 hatch. but not sure on the dsg as economy is worse and more expensive things to go wrong. he wants 6200 for it same age. thoughts?

Eh, I had a 1.9 Seat Leon, same engine, it's a lot more rumbly than the 2.0. Personally I'd prefer the 2 litre, but the 1.9 was still going until 2009 so some people must have liked it.

DSG is a cracking auto box though by all accounts.

Shame you're not getting anyone else's opinions on this, guess I'm the only one shirking off at work!

Eh, I had a 1.9 Seat Leon, same engine, it's a lot more rumbly than the 2.0. Personally I'd prefer the 2 litre, but the 1.9 was still going until 2009 so some people must have liked it.

DSG is a cracking auto box though by all accounts.

Shame you're not getting anyone else's opinions on this, guess I'm the only one shirking off at work!

dont mind the rumbly bit lol. used to drive superb tdi pd 100 as taxi and loved the rumble that came from it. only thing putting me off is the fact that private sale so no dealer back up or warranty. and there is the short life of turbo but with a bit of care am sure can make it last longer than that lol. dont worry about the work thing have been off since accident in 2010 lol. hence why can afford one now insurance is great when not your fault.

£6.5k is the cheapest on autotrader at the moment for an Elegance Estate with less than 80K - this one has cloth seats as well (this was within 100 miles of Lancaster) so the price is not far off for your area of the country. (there are just two a couple of hundred pounds cheaper nationwide)

As for a DSG box, you really need to drive one to decide, I personally was not impressed enough (on a new demonstrator Superb (2010) to order it on my car - it was jerky going into 1st and reverse) if you do decide on DSG then IMO it would be foolish not to have a warranty that covered the box, mechatronic faliures are not rare on these boxes and will cost the owner about £1.500 to fix!!

I also do not do much start stop driving in towns, if i did they I may of considered one.

On a 4 year old VAG car I would demand the cambelt was changed in the price of the car.

£6.5k is the cheapest on autotrader at the moment for an Elegance Estate with less than 80K - this one has cloth seats as well (this was within 100 miles of Lancaster) so the price is not far off for your area of the country. (there are just two a couple of hundred pounds cheaper nationwide)

As for a DSG box, you really need to drive one to decide, I personally was not impressed enough (on a new demonstrator Superb (2010) to order it on my car - it was jerky going into 1st and reverse) if you do decide on DSG then IMO it would be foolish not to have a warranty that covered the box, mechatronic faliures are not rare on these boxes and will cost the owner about £1.500 to fix!!

I also do not do much start stop driving in towns, if i did they I may of considered one.

On a 4 year old VAG car I would demand the cambelt was changed in the price of the car.

thanks for the research there appreciate it. so price is about right and better if can get some knocked off lol. only thing putting me off an otherwise great car now is the stories of oil pump and turbo failure. is this as common as forums suggest. can it be avoided. i know how to treat a turbo for long life but oil pump?

oil pump and turbo failure. is this as common as forums suggest. can it be avoided. i know how to treat a turbo for long life but oil pump?

One thing to consider with forums is they will highlight any common faults present in the cars, there are "only" 74,871 Briskoda members worldwide (mostly in the UK mind) Skoda probable sell more Octavia's than that per year(?) so we are just a small percentage of owners, you don't get many people writing on the 'net saying how wonderful their car is compared to the amount that are complaining about them (and EVERY marque has it's faults)

I have not heard about 2.0PD oil pump problems in an Octavia (in the Superb, Passat and Audi's where the engine is mounted longitudally [as opposed to the Octavia's transverse engine] the oil pump problem is rife and well documented.

I have not heard about 2.0PD oil pump problems in an Octavia (in the Superb, Passat and Audi's where the engine is mounted longitudally [as opposed to the Octavia's transverse engine] the oil pump problem is rife and well documented.

This was discussed on the Superb I forum a while ago and by spending some time on Etka cross-referencing parts I think I pretty much isolated the oil pump problem to 2.0 engines with balancer shafts ie those in the Passat, Superb, A4 & A6. Its duff balancer shafts on those cars which kill the oil pump drive, rather than being mounted longitudinally as such. (The Passat's was tranverse by that stage anyway.)

Ironically the Octavia 2.0 PD escapes this problem (as do the Golf, A3, Leon) simply because, being cheaper cars, VAG didn't deem them worthy enough to have an engine with a balancer shaft. Instead the 2.0 TDi PD engines in Octavias have an oil pump setup very like the 1.9 PD, which doesn't fail.

Unfortunately certain forums seem to be spreading rumours that the problem affects all 2.0 PD engines - it doesn't.

This was discussed on the Superb I forum a while ago and by spending some time on Etka cross-referencing parts I think I pretty much isolated the oil pump problem to 2.0 engines with balancer shafts ie those in the Passat, Superb, A4 & A6. Its duff balancer shafts on those cars which kill the oil pump drive, rather than being mounted longitudinally as such. (The Passat's was tranverse by that stage anyway.)

Ironically the Octavia 2.0 PD escapes this problem (as do the Golf, A3, Leon) simply because, being cheaper cars, VAG didn't deem them worthy enough to have an engine with a balancer shaft. Instead the 2.0 TDi PD engines in Octavias have an oil pump setup very like the 1.9 PD, which doesn't fail.

Unfortunately certain forums seem to be spreading rumours that the problem affects all 2.0 PD engines - it doesn't.

hi all thanks for the replies really appreciate them all. makes it easier to decide if to buy the ocy. will keep you posted on how it turns out. hopefully should have her in a couple of weeks if all goes well. thanks again.

thanks for the reply. thats not much lifespan for a turbo. my 406 hdi 110 still has the same turbo and clutch with 166000 miles. maybe is the variable servicing causing probs with long life oil. think if i take the plunge will need to think about more regular oil changes. 10k or so maybe.

ps the model mentioned is the pd 140 does that make a difference.

Your suspects on turbo failures could be correct. Never save on the oil quality and change oil ideally at 10-15k even if long life.

I would add that changing the air filter more frequently than what Skoda services actually recommend would be a good idea (at every oil change rather than every 40k)and after all is only 15 quids and very easy diy.

Finally it will help if after every long run the engine is not switched off straight away when you stop the car, just let the engine run for a minute or two.