Ive just bought an 03 octavia with 52k on the clock with fsh one owner etc... But ive noticedits had a recon gearbox on it, are these a common problem ? It also has a towbar fitted which is annoying, so maybe it has been towing a big load :/

Welcome.

That is a very low mileage for a diesel of that age.....

Unless it has been mapped, the boxes are generally fairly strong, at least the 5speed is - I guess yours might be the 6 speed L&K as it is the 130. Mine (110) is up to 196k miles.

I dont think its been mapped. It was one old man who owned the car before me. I mainly chose this car because of the mileage but i paid 3495. Yes its the 6 speed box. I rang the people that reconditioned the gearbox and they said that 2nd gear is brand new, but this gear can sometimes feel a bit 'cruncy' when the cars cold. This is a bit frustrating due to the mileage and good general reliability of skodas