Hi All,

Can someone help me out? My 56 Plate Octavia Vrs timing belt has just failed causing major damage to the head and pistons! Been told by my local garage it will cost 2k to fix eeekkkk!!! The thing is the four year service was done by the same garage last December with 30k on the clock! I was NOT informed by my garage(skoda franchise) that the timing belt needed changing, 2 weeks ago and with 40k on the clock she let go! Surely the garage had a duty of care to tell me about the timing belt change and time of service?

I want them to pay for some of the bill!!!!

This is my first time posting so be gentle!

Regards,

Baz!

Advisory items like telling you the belt is due renewal is only a courtesy thing.. It's not the garages fault you haven't bothered to stick to the manufacturers recommended servicing schedule.

It will tell you in the service book that the belt should be changed every 4 years regardless of how many miles it's done

Thanks Tom for the reply!!

But my service book does not say anything about changing the timing belt at 4 years or 60000 miles! I have since spoken to Skoda UK and they have advised the franchise garages around the country to change them at the 4 year service! But my garage failed to do so! I have been quoted at £1650 for the repairs and hopefully skoda will take some responsibility for this!!

P.S

Anybody that is thinking about skipping the timing belt change after 4 years dont regardless of low milage!!!!!

Regards,

Baz!!!

Skoda won't but I'd be asking the dealer why they didn't advise it!

It might be cheaper in your case to find a second hand engine to chuck in there rather than pulling the existing one apart to repair it

As Tom says and Techie implies, it is actually your responsibility to check what the service schedule is, but I would be asking why a garage with prior knowledge of the car didn't advise that the cambelt was due.

Certainly I don't see SUK having any moral or legal responsibility here.

If it's a Tfsi there is a new engine for sale here

I Started a Thread on this Issue a while back. It doesn't say in the Service book when the timing belt should be changed.

How are you supposed to know when things need doing.

I'm not sure you can blame Skoda, Ignorance is no excuse at the end of the day.

If on the other hand you asked, and paid for a 4 year service, and they should have replaced it but didn't, maybe you can get something. When they serviced it did you ask for a 4 year service, or a 30k mile service?

There's some high-horse action going on in this thread, FWIW in the service manual of a 56 reg vRS it DOESN'T say the cambelt should be changed at 4 years, as Skoda only officially changed their mind on this circa 2008.

As the garage the OP used is a Skoda franchise, they should've known and should've advised him it was due. If they didn't it's a failing on their part, but getting them to admit that might be a problem.

On any receipts I've had from my Skoda dealer there's a space at the bottom for advisory notes.

I'd say you have something of a case against them. I think you'd need to give them the chance to sort the problem out before taking the car elsewhere. At least until the point they firmly decline your offer.

Getting work done at a good independent will certainly be cheaper.

J.

I'm not sure you can blame Skoda, Ignorance is no excuse at the end of the day.

If on the other hand you asked, and paid for a 4 year service, and they should have replaced it but didn't, maybe you can get something. When they serviced it did you ask for a 4 year service, or a 30k mile service?

The fourth annual service (or any other service) does not include a cambelt change. The design service life of the cambelt is based on mileage only.

Only VAG dealers in the UK advise customers to change the cambelt at 4-year intervals. There is no technical reason for this and this advice is optional.

The design service life of the cambelt is based on mileage only.

That's very interesting. Why is it that every recommendation I've ever seen (various marque manuals, and non-marque specific manuals shown to me by garage owners) gives age/mileage recommendations (sometimes differing sets for "normal" and "heavy" usage) then?

That's very interesting. Why is it that every recommendation I've ever seen (various marque manuals, and non-marque specific manuals shown to me by garage owners) gives age/mileage recommendations (sometimes differing sets for "normal" and "heavy" usage) then?

Many other marques do give both, but VAG do not - except in the UK. Most other marques have time-based intervals longer than 4 years. IIRC, Toyota are at least 6 years.

The 4-year change advice is not based on any technical reason, but to address the issue of goodwill being strictly limited to 4 years in the UK. It stems from a question raised by the Seat dealer network - "If there's go goodwill on cambelt changes after four years, what do we tell our customers?"

You should note that a dealer cambelt change is not guaranteed for 4 years, so if the belt goes 2+ years later, you are on your own.

Many other marques do give both, but VAG do not - except in the UK. Most other marques have time-based intervals longer than 4 years. IIRC, Toyota are at least 6 years.

The 4-year change advice is not based on any technical reason, but to address the issue of goodwill being strictly limited to 4 years in the UK. It stems from a question raised by the Seat dealer network - "If there's go goodwill on cambelt changes after four years, what do we tell our customers?"

You should note that a dealer cambelt change is not guaranteed for 4 years, so if the belt goes 2+ years later, you are on your own.

If you can point to any law that prohibits sellers, importers or manufacturers from making goodwill payments on items over 4 years old, go ahead.

If you can point to any law that prohibits sellers, importers or manufacturers from making goodwill payments on items over 4 years old, go ahead.

What I meant was that VAG UK strictly limit goodwill payments on cars older than 4 years. There is no law that prohibits them from making goodwill payments on items over 4 years old - they have made a business decision not to.

If the car has full Skoda history and you wasn't advised about belt change at 40k service then i would be asking then what there going to do about fixing it or how much there paying especially as there seems a little confusion as to when it should be changed

Dream on!

Did you purchase the car from new? If not, how long have you had it?

Thanks for all the advise guys!!!

What this thread proves to me is that there is a hell of a lot of uncertainty!!

Skoda UK has paid for all the parts (skimmed head,valves,etc).

Local Skoda francise paid for all labour RESULT!!!!

I had to pay for timing belt and labour which I originally would have anyway.

Skoda UK has said that its them who have put out the 4 year timing belt change out to francises in UK and Skoda Europe are still 60,000 miles!

Regards,

Bazzabhoy!!!

That's great news. I have to say that I thought SUK would try to have it both ways - have dealers advise a four year change, but wash their hands when they failed to advise.

I see the local dealer was on the hook for the additional labour, so I guess SUK held them partly responsible for not giving the 4-year change advise. Very interesting.

As a matter of interest, what did they charge you for the belt change?

As a matter of interest if they had said you might like to change the belt at 30k/ 4 yrs old (when you sent the car for servicing) and the cost of the service would be an additional £400 what would you have done??

Another for you to bear in mind is that it is suggested the brake fluid is changed every 2 years, but I have never had this included in the 2nd or 4th yr service without specifically asking for it myself. Probably because the quote for a service would then be too high?? Would be interesting if the brakes failed if you could claim of Skoda for not performing what is a stated requirement when you have sent the car in for a full 2nd year /20,000 mile service??

A not too bad result for you in the end, though a belt should last a lot longer than 4 years.

Thats a good result.

That's great news. I have to say that I thought SUK would try to have it both ways - have dealers advise a four year change, but wash their hands when they failed to advise.

I see the local dealer was on the hook for the additional labour, so I guess SUK held them partly responsible for not giving the 4-year change advise. Very interesting.

As a matter of interest, what did they charge you for the belt change?