Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum and am looking for some help/advice.

I have been told that my Fabia (engine code BUD) requires a new engine due to cylinder bore wear. The cars mileage is just under 14K and the car is 3yrs 6months old (so outside warranty).

The fault was discovered after we got an intermittent engine warning light and tried to book the car in to be checked. The garage was busy on the day we tried but they ran through some questions and as the car was running ok advised us to use it as little as possible (which we obviously already do) and be careful. We booked it in as soon as possible allowing for family circumsatnces and garage availabilty so the date was 2 weeks after our initial visit the car did no more than 30 miles in this period.

The car was last serviced in May 2010 (7.9K miles) and MOT'd MAY 2011 (11.9k Miles). We were about 6 months late on the service due in 2011 and due to that Skoda will only meet half the repair costs leaving us with a hefty bill.

Oil usage was not excessive and the oil warning light was not lit after ignition.

Does anyone on this forum feel that Skoda's stance on this is fair? I want to try to see why its felt that I am at fault for this issue as to my mind an engine should not have this kind of damage at 14K miles.

Just to clarify.....

Is this a main skoda dealer that the car has been into that is suggesting a replacement engine????

Have you put in writing to Skoda UK your situation???

Has all the servicing been done by Skoda dealers???

Have you owned the car from new????

If the servicing that has been done to the car is all that you have listed in your post then AGE not MILAGE can cause problems......oil should be changed every 10,000miles...OR every 1year........

What was the warning light fault code etc on the first visit??????

Just to clarify.....

Is this a main skoda dealer that the car has been into that is suggesting a replacement engine????

Yes this is a main skoda Dealer

Have you put in writing to Skoda UK your situation???

It has not been put in writing but Skoda UK were contacted yes and did make an offer that still leaves us with 50% of the cars resale value to pay and we simply don't have that kind of money available.

Has all the servicing been done by Skoda dealers???

Yes it has

Have you owned the car from new????

Yes we have and it has no modifications added.

If the servicing that has been done to the car is all that you have listed in your post then AGE not MILAGE can cause problems......oil should be changed every 10,000miles...OR every 1year........

This is understood and it was only 6 months overdue its second service and had only done 5k miles since its major service it did also pass an MOT at the time it was due its minor service and was at that time scanned for faults and had none nor was any advisory note issued at that time.

What was the warning light fault code etc on the first visit??????

They did not scan for a fault as they said they were too busy they ran through a list of questions which we answered and they advised us to take it carefully and bring it in as soon as possible which we did.

Thanks for replying I have answered the questions you raised above.

Given all the facts it appears to me at least that there must have been some underlying fault in the engine as you might reasonably expect one to last longer than 14K (3.6 Yrs).

Firstly welcome to this forum.

Secondly please note you've posted this in the Mark 1 Fabia forum whereas I presume your car is a Mark 2.

Thirdly I deduce the following:

Car bought in July 2008 (since it's 3 years 6 months old)

Car minor serviced in between then and May 2010

Car major serviced in May 2010 at 7.9k

Car MOTed in May 2011 at 11.9k

Car serviced in November 2011 ("We were about 6 months late on the service due in 2011")

Now on just under 14k.

If the servicing regime for a Mark 2 is like the Mark 1 then it should have a major service once a year.

Whilst I agree it seems odd for an engine to have worn out at that mielage, it's also true that you haven't followed the recommended service schedule. If on fixed term servicing it should have had major services in July 2009, July 2010 and July 2011.

The early MOT suggests the car might actually have been bought in May 2008 so change July to May if so.

If on variable servicing then I still don't understand why the last service was six months late - usually the allowable leeway is only about 1 month.

In that context I think Skoda's offer is actually generous - they didn't have to offer you anything.

Has the initial diagnosis now been confirmed as definite by the garage? Has it been fault code scanned? I think you possibly need a second opinion.

Edited 21 January, 201214 yr by DRJ

Write to skoda hq

Hi All,

Thanks for the welcome and the replies.

The car ia a fabia mark I (the Bohemia model) it was bought in May 2008 (as far as I recall and we were told it was the 2007 model I just re-checked the documents so it is 3yrs 8 months old).

It had a major service in May 2010 (according to the bill we have)

The reason we were late on the minor service was purely due to a lack of money to pay for it and it was checked (at least visually) by the skoda dealer.

I have seen the engine now and cylinder 1 is a mess so the engine is very broken. Many cars on the roads these days miss services that does not mean the engine should become beyond repair in such a short time.

Yes we made a mistake in missing the service but is that really likely to be the sole cause of such an engine failure?

Hmmm.... Not the first Mark 1 Fabia we know of registered seemingly long after its construction date. The Mark 2 Fabia was launched at the Geneva show in March 2007, and I understood the vRS SE runout models were the last ones made around that time. What I'm not so sure about is whether that applied to the estate as well or whether that switched slightly later (Google's let me down on that one) - certainly the Mark 2 brochure I downloaded on 8 May 2007 (annoying missing its covers so I don't know the publish date) doesn't show an estate. Very curiously Skoda were still quoting Mark 1 prices (for both estate AND hatch) in their Mark 2 brochure dated 04/08 ("Effective 1st April - 30th June 2008") which suggests there were large stocks of old models "left over".

So do we have a possibility here that the car you have was standing around for over a year not being run - and it's possible the seeds of the engine failure you've now suffered were planted during that time?

At least having personally examined the engine you know the dealer's not trying to pull a fast one.

However, bearing in mind that it IS out of warranty anyway by eight months, even if you could prove it had been serviced on schedule Skoda doesn't have any obligation to do anything and hence offering to pay half is in that sense generous.

The only way out of this as I can see - unless you can speak with someone at Skoda UK directly (which I believe is not an easy task) - is to get an inspection from an independent engineer whose report just might sway the balance - but it's risky and you'd be left with a bigger bill if he doesn't find anything that will lead to Skoda increasing their offer.

In six years of being on this forum I can't remember anyone with a similar experience to yours which could have been examined for precedence.

EDIT - you're mistaken in my view about the "major service" / "minor service" as far as I'm reading what you're writing. A minor service is only applicable for cars travelling 20k miles per annum - it's an oil change service. A car travelling less than 10k per year requires an "Annual Inspection service" every year - at least that's what I'd regard as a "major service" - though admittedly some of those have more operations included than others.

Edited 22 January, 201214 yr by DRJ

Yes we made a mistake in missing the service but is that really likely to be the sole cause of such an engine failure?

Almost certainly not, but it's a condition of warranty and of post-warranty 'goodwill' fixes.

I have been advised that as this is not a claim under warranty (as it has expired) then I am not contractually at least obliged to have carried out all the services to schedule. I did contact the Institute of automotive engineers and have been informed by my firms legal team that there is a good change under SOGA that this may be covered as the car is less than 6 years old.

I really do not want to go down this path but simply cannot afford to pay what is being asked, we can get about half of what they want but they rejected that.

It also seems that my home legal cover (from the time of purchase) covers me for the legal costs (excluding the excess). Almost everyone I have spoken to seems to think we have a strong case. To be honest the worst thing for me is that I really liked the car and this experience has damaged mine and my friends and families image of Skoda. Which is in itself a real shame as having researched this a great deal I have opinions from the RAC and AA that new Skoda's are in fact very reliable and they were genuinely shocked by what has happened to this car.

I don't disagree with the first sentence - but then I still maintain since it's out of warranty, Skoda are going a long way to compensate you already - and I'm sure they could counter your statement with the proof that it's not been serviced in accordance with their recommendations.

Let us know the results of the SOGA litigation - for which I would still imagine you'll need an independent engineer's report as I suggested earlier, since aren't you going to have to prove that the fault was present when you bought the car and not something that was the result of normal driving subsequently? After all this isn't a common issue with Fabias that can be deduced as generally faulty manufacture.

Good Luck!

As an aside can I please suggest when you post such a query you give all the pertinent facts - at present additional information keeps coming out...

I don't disagree with the first sentence - but then I still maintain since it's out of warranty, Skoda are going a long way to compensate you already - and I'm sure they could counter your statement with the proof that it's not been serviced in accordance with their recommendations.

Let us know the results of the SOGA litigation - for which I would still imagine you'll need an independent engineer's report as I suggested earlier, since aren't you going to have to prove that the fault was present when you bought the car and not something that was the result of normal driving subsequently? After all this isn't a common issue with Fabias that can be deduced as generally faulty manufacture.

Good Luck!

As an aside can I please suggest when you post such a query you give all the pertinent facts - at present additional information keeps coming out...

Thanks David,

This case is new for me and I am finding out things as I research it. I am not a mechanic or legal boffin and could really do without all this. I appreciate Skoda have made an offer the problem for me is I simply cant afford it and will end up losing the car altogether as a write off if that figure remains the same.

What I did find on my research is that issues with piston rings have been reported a number of times on the 1.4 engine that is the same as the one in my car. As I said I am not a mechanic and don't know if this could cause this issue or not. I am really now in the hands of others I will let people here know what happens.

Edited 22 January, 201214 yr by jeddak141

What I did find on my research is that issues with piston rings have been reported a number of times on the 1.4 engine that is the same as the one in my car. As I said I am not a mechanic and don't know if this could cause this issue or not. I am really now in the hands of others I will let people here know what happens.

That fault is well known and as mentioned in the link it is mainly due to people running (constantly) it on 95ron fuel and only doing short journeys in the car....also skimping on the oil quality/changes and servicing does not help!.....

That fault is well known and as mentioned in the link it is mainly due to people running (constantly) it on 95ron fuel and only doing short journeys in the car....also skimping on the oil quality/changes and servicing does not help!.....

Good point well made

Mind you we did get it serviced and MOT'd at the main dealer so did not skimp on that, we just had a very bad year last year as a lot of people did and could not afford the service at that time.

You may be able to find a second hand engine and a back street garage can repair it for less than you're currently potentially having to pay - but it would be a hassle.

You may be able to find a second hand engine and a back street garage can repair it for less than you're currently potentially having to pay - but it would be a hassle.

I am reliably informed that claiming under SOGA although likely to succeed will leave me without the car for a few months as a minimum. So it seems Skoda will win by attrition. Cant say I am happy about it at all to be honest and although I dont blame the local dealer and I know all car makers will have a few lemons, the taste so to speak is sour and I very much doubt I will ever buy a skoda again.

At least I got some money off but needing a new engine every 14K makes me feel the old jokes such as "Why do skoda's have heated rear windows? To keep your hands warm while your pushing them" still seem to be valid.

I very much doubt I will ever buy a skoda again.

At least I got some money off but needing a new engine every 14K makes me feel the old jokes such as "Why do skoda's have heated rear windows? To keep your hands warm while your pushing them" still seem to be valid.

Well Said!

Hi All,

Thought I would update people on the cause of the engine damage (which has now been found).

The cause was a faulty injector which was putting in way too much fuel. The injectors on this car are not part of the engine warning system and so no warning lights were lit. The car also passed the MOT emmissions test just 6 months before the engine failed (and incidentally when the service was due) and it is the opinion of the dealer that at that time the injecor could not have been faulty.

So for something that was clearly not the fault of the end user we have had to pay a large bill to get the car repaired.

I dont think I am willing to leave it at this and may still seek redress through other channels. I will post any further updates on how that goes.

Thanks for the update. To be honest many expensive problems with cars are "not the fault of the end user" - I had to have a new steering rack on my 2004vRS, which even going with an aftermarket part was over £600 - a Skoda part would have been around £800. I got rid of my Freelander when the warranty expired and I was faced with the risk of the dodgy gearbox going - at a parts cost of over £3k!

Since the problem in your case only relates to one cylinder, is it impossible these days to have either a rebore or a new cylinder liner (if it has the latter which I doubt since I've not heard it talked about)? It was certainly common years ago to have a rebore and fit oversized rings, but I suppose built-in obsolescence and "tighter" engineering has ruled that out nowadays? I can't imagine an ordinary Skoda dealer would want the trouble - but others might be able to oblige? Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Yes, you do indeed have six years to claim against the manufacturer for a faulty product, regardless of what your warranty may imply.

If you go through the process of claiming in a careful and logical manner against VAG you should be successful. A member of my family has just received a 70% payment for her engine repair on a low mileage 24K Polo which is just under six years old. If you are in the AA or similar, you could try contacting them for their technical department's assistance with the matter, or an independent motor vehicle engineer.

Good luck.

Thanks for the replies.

I will be writing to VAG and will see what comes back from that. A cylinder rebore was ruled out as this is not done anymore by main dealers, I did not fancy trying to get that done especially as I am sure it would also affect the insurance (as even the new engine has done that).

On the plus side the car is nice and clean now

Those engines cannot be rebored sadly, its an all aluminium casting with steel liners staked in, it has an open deck design too so the wall of the liner core is all of 6mm thick, you cannot remove the crankshaft from those engines without damaging the main bearing web pedestals so it's throw away job, those engines are common as muck though, so you'd be able to pick up one from a breakers yard for approx £300 ish I say. It is quite unusual for those injectors to bust though, they use a top feed webber injector and they are normally highly reliable, just sounds like rotten bad luck to me. Hope you get it sorted mate.

This saga continues although now I feel the dealer may be at fault.

The car runs fine now but the radio will not come out of SAFE mode (its a skoda symphony). The dealer has checked the code I used and it is the same as the one they have. They hooked it up to their tool which connects to the web and that confirmed we have the correct header unit code, however the radio will not accept the code and remains defiantly in SAFE mode.

The dealer is now trying to claim I may need to buy a new radio. This is entirely ridiculous as the radio was working perfectly when it went to them, they have changed the engine which required the battery to be disconnected (the first time this car has had the battery disconnected) and this has to be the reason the radio needs the code.

I have researched this issue a little and found that the ECU stores the number and the radio compares the numbers, as the dealer, the website and my documentation shows that we have the correct number for the header unit then it must be the ECU that has an incorrect number in it. I also noted that there seems to be a sequence that must be followed for the "comfort" settings to be stored and the battery must be connected while the radio is off and no key in the ignition. I suspect the dealer did not follow this process which has now led to this state of affairs. The dealer seems totally unable to get the radio out of safe mode. To my mind at least that casts quite a doubt on the proficiency of this dealer.

TLDR: Radio stuck in SAFE mode dealer confirms code is correct yet radio will not work anyone have any ideas?

When I replaced my battery recently I was expecting the radio to work - the manual states:

Your car radio is equipped with an

appliance-specific security code. The

security code need only be entered

when the radio is used for the first time

in the vehicle. After the first input of the

code number, the radio "gets to knowâ€

its vehicle. Accordingly, it is not necessary

to enter the code number after an

interruption of vehicle voltage either.

The radio automatically checks the

vehicle’s data when turned on after the

ignition has been switched on. It is only

necessary to enter the code number if

it becomes apparent that the radio is in

another vehicle.

However I DID have to enter the code - which fortunately was in the manual and worked first time.

The manual also states:

Incorrect code number

If you enter the wrong code number inadvertently,

the message "SAFE†flashes in

the display. After a few seconds the message

"1000†will appear. Enter the security

code number again as described. If an

incorrect code is confirmed again, the

appliance will be barred for about an

hour.

After approximately one hour, whereby

the appliance must have been left on for

this time, the code number can be entered

again as described in the above.

This cycle continues until the right code

number is entered.

Perhaps this hasn't been followed exactly? Note the radio needs to be left on. Maybe it's a case of the wrong code having been entered but the one-hour period hasn't been allowed - and it's as simple as leaving the radio on for an hour before trying again?

Also you/they could try http://car-radio-unlock.blogspot.com/2011/05/skoda-symphony-code.html

Hi DRJ,

Thanks for the response. I did follow those steps and left the radio on, also the dealer entered the code as well (the code that they got from the website when they connected the car in the garage). When this did not work they contacted Skoda UK who advised to disconnect from the battery for 1 hour then reconnect and try again. This also has not worked.

What I am certain of is the radio was working correctly when it went into the dealer for the engine repair, the only reason it will go to SAFE mode is disconnection of the battery which only the dealer has done, I have never needed to do this since owing the car from new. So there is no way they are getting more money out of me to correct this problem.

I will let you know what happens next. Needless to say my confidence in this dealer is very low indeed.