Superb build Quality

[Urban-Kodiaq]

Is it just me or are newer (2011-2012) models built to lower quality standards?

Is anyone else finding many faults, problems with build quality etc

or are you only meant to purchase skoda basic trim models and go to quality brands for top of the range models?

[kilworth]

What issues are you relating too ? I have changed from BMW and Audi to skoda . So far I feel the skoda has the edge for spec but my last Audi was better composed on the road .also I covered 274 k in 3 yrs in the Audi and it never missed a beat , concerned the skoda will struggle , I think u can feel where the money is saved sometimes in the skoda , but then am I expecting too much to compare the superb to a bmw or Audi ?

[Urban-Kodiaq]

Issues concerning most of the built quality of the parts used in manufacture not the high equipment spec which seems to sell the skoda cars and the reason for purchasing but if the car spends more time being repaired than driving then there is no saving compared with other brands.

The long list of build quality issues i have experienced has resulted in the car being replaced by skoda under rejection due to the car not being fit for purpose due to number of faults and time spent off the road.

The replacement car has now started to develop similar build quality faults.

Hence if this is the quality now at 6 months old how will the quality last long term?

Do VAG have different quality controls that see Audi recieve grade A parts, Skoda grade B parts?

Thought i read some where that skoda was up staging Audi in europe and skodas quality may have to come down to separate the two brands.

Is this the case or is it the fact that the build times are becoming so long due to demand that standards have dropped to speed up production?

Or are skoda trying to push owners to jump from skoda up to Audi or is the skoda quality just lower than other brands as a budget brand with a shorter design life compared to other comparable brands that carry 5 or 7 years warranty.

Trying to guage the level of other owners experience of quality and faults with newer models rather than price and equipment spec which wins hands down and can not fault.

Trying to decide whether to leave the skoda ownership after 8 months and sell the second car disappointed or keep trying to get the car fixed if nobody else is experiencing any problems with reliability!

Be interesting to see how many replies / comments are added to this post to see if there are any general tread with faults to build up a kind of owners list of most common faults!!!!!!!!!!!

[mandp]

Only had mine for a couple of months from new. Apart from rock hard/uncomfortable seats...no problems yet.

[Danny 57]

Had mine for 5 months now ith no problems.

What are your problems?

[Cemesis]

Mine is about 4.5 months old. It's been back to the dealer a total of 5 times to fix a variety of issues.

Grinding drivers window (fixed after one visit)

Faulty Nav (fixed after 3 visits)

Creaking clutch pedal (unresolved after 5 visits)

The seat is the most uncomfortable I've ever experienced. The 'carpet', is shocking and there are still rattles from the dash.

In some ways (like economy), the car is brilliant but it's getting difficult to live with the faults. I'll be calling Skoda UK again when I get home to ask them how they are going to resolve the remaining clutch issue as dealer visits do not seem to be the answer.

[Albervin]

I have a 5 year warranty on my car so would expect Skoda to have confidence in the vehicle. There is a perception here in Australia that the build quality is actually superior to VW (comparing Superb to Passat). There is no doubt the paint and leather are not up to the standard of my previous Audi but everything else (including the carpets) is certainly on par or better than the Audi or the BMW 3 series I owned. After 7 months the only "problems" I have had was the Columbus froze in the 1st week (fixed in 5 minutes), the tow bar power point was poorly attached (fixed in 10 minutes) and the dealer fitted window tint had a flaw (fixed in 40 minutes). I am not sure whether I have a problem with headlights turning off on auto setting or I just need to read the manual.. Overall I would give a score of 8 1/2 out of 10 at the moment but if I could get better fuel consumption AND use the power of the V6 I would give it a 9+.

[Coops]

This is my third Skoda - 2x Octavias and now a Superb.

Both Octavia's covered in excess of 120k and the only problematic items replaced were air con compressor pumps. After the second Octy, I switched to an Audi A4, which IMO was better put together than the Octy.

Having now got the Superb, I feel the build quality is on par with the Audi. I've only had one issue regarding the paint on the rear bumper but that was sorted under warranty.

Everything else on the car is ok, even the seats!

[Urban-Kodiaq]

Be good to hear as many more issues as possible from any other members how ever minor or major!

Beginning to already discover that there appears to be some common issues

1. Build issue with drivers seats having had one fail myself and told it was a production line fault. (or are there a batch of faulty seats out there with the wrong grade on foam!)

2. Design of condenser / pollen filter causing water ingress into car seems to be common also with Audi from others at work with Audi's. (Do not park under trees in autum)

Build quality problems with first superb were:-

• TPM error
  
• Indicator error
  
• Electric earths
  
• New dash / instrument panel
  
• Rear bumper fitting
  
• Reversing sensor error
  
• Rear light covers
  
• Sat nav software
  
• SD card not working
  
• Drivers seat base failure
  
• Drivers seat back fault
  
• Drivers seat lumber motor
  
• Water leak carpets and sound proofing all replaced.
  
• Rust inside car
  
• Trim replaced
  
• Fuel pump
  
• Turning lights
  

Second superb

• Drivers seat back
  
• Possible fuel pump
  
• Tailgate rust
  

Bought a skoda based on owners reviews and friends but all on older skodas 2001-2008 octavias not superbs.

My experience of the superb so far based on the build quality is that it has developed more faults than all the other cars i have ever owned together over nearly 25 years of motoring and driving probably about 400,000 miles in total.

Other car makes were, Jaguar, ford, Mazda, Toyota, Vauxhall, MG, Rover

[Dj Mastergrind]

Be good to hear as many more issues as possible from any other members how ever minor or major!

Beginning to already discover that there appears to be some common issues

1. Build issue with drivers seats having had one fail myself and told it was a production line fault. (or are there a batch of faulty seats out there with the wrong grade on foam!)

2. Design of condenser / pollen filter causing water ingress into car seems to be common also with Audi from others at work with Audi's. (Do not park under trees in autum)

Build quality problems with first superb were:-

• TPM error
  
• Indicator error
  
• Electric earths
  
• New dash / instrument panel
  
• Rear bumper fitting
  
• Reversing sensor error
  
• Rear light covers
  
• Sat nav software
  
• SD card not working
  
• Drivers seat base failure
  
• Drivers seat back fault
  
• Drivers seat lumber motor
  
• Water leak carpets and sound proofing all replaced.
  
• Rust inside car
  
• Trim replaced
  
• Fuel pump
  
• Turning lights
  

Second superb

• Drivers seat back
  
• Possible fuel pump
  
• Tailgate rust
  

Bought a skoda based on owners reviews and friends but all on older skodas 2001-2008 octavias not superbs.

My experience of the superb so far based on the build quality is that it has developed more faults than all the other cars i have ever owned together over nearly 25 years of motoring and driving probably about 400,000 miles in total.

Other car makes were, Jaguar, ford, Mazda, Toyota, Vauxhall, MG, Rover

With that list of faults I really understand if youre tired of your car. And yes, I agree that the Superb seems to lack a bit of build quality. Here´s my list of faults on my 2012 model:

• Memory of electric drivers seat stopped working (New software, seems to work better)
  
• Also had the ghost reclining function of the passenger seat
  
• Mirrors wont fold from time to time (Skoda has no solution)
  
• Drivers mirror sometimes goes past normal position when folding out and points forward. Have to stick my hand out the window and hold it until the electric motor stops. (Skoda has no idea about it and has only happened when really cold outside)
  
• Soundsystem gave vibrations in doors (They did some more soundproofing, now the back doors vibrate)
  
• Car didnt start when -30 C outside. (Skoda said the battery wasnt connected properly)
  
• Power transistor failure (Skoda changed this on warranty)
  

Well I think that was all. A friend of mine who also has a Superb have had the mirrors fault as well. Also problem with the Webasto which didnt work under 0 C. And about 8 more problems. He is convinced that his next car wont be a Superb. Mostly because of the way Skoda handles the problems.

I also heard this week that a company next to us has gotten 4 Superbs but they only had them for about two weeks. Every single car had Webasto and some sort of mirror problem.

Then we have this interesting article in a Swedish newspaper. Normally I dont read this newspaper because its more like a gossip-paper than a real newspaper. However, this article is very interesting because some of the problems are similar to mine. In total he has had around 30 different problems, gearbox, mirror, strange sounds etc. (Its in Swedish though)

http://www.aftonblad...icle14974870.ab

Well, all this I wrote is very negative but I still wanna say that I really like the car. Mostly of the time its alright and its a joy to drive. I had a Audi A4 TDI Quattro with sport suspension when my Skoda was in for rear bumper repair. The Audi is much better looking and was really fun in roundabouts and turns but its was so small inside and hard to ride in. It was so nice getting the Superb back.

Still I dont know if I would choose another Superb in two years when its time to change my car...

Edited 16 September, 2012 by Dj Mastergrind

[Urban-Kodiaq]

Interesting that even with faulty cars owners still want to keep their cars like myself.

Is this because Skoda is the only option if you want a 4x4 estate car with a high spec

what else is there except VAG alternatives.

Could only find subrau legacy, volvo v70, vauxhall insigna, Jag x-type old,

not much competition with no 4x4 cars from BMW, mercedes, lexus, jaguar.

Notice peugeot 508 rhx and citreon DS5 Hybrid might be the way to go as new competition once tried and test in the real world as a new technology but thought these brands already have poor reliability.

While i try to continue getting my superb sorted as its a great car if i can get everything sorted.

Would like other members to keep posting all faults with their superb's so i can see what else is likely to go wrong.

If i need to go back to skoda would be great to have i list of any common faults i could use and would probably be a great source of info for anybody looking at a second hand superb as a check list.

At least the skoda dealership has outstanding customer support.

[Sw1]

My 170 4x4 Elegance has been pretty much fault free apart from the following things, the car is now 18 months old but nothing major.

• Strange auto reclining passenger seat (I have just lived with this, it appears to have dissapeared after the last service so I think there was a software update.
  
• Button on hand brake has gotten stuck a number of times meaning I couldn't put the handbrake on(this was fixed
  
• Reversing dipping mirror doesn't appear to work, it's all quite random.
  

Quality wise I think the leather is quite poor, it seems to be ageing fast. I use leather cleaner on it once a month to try and keep it in good condition. Also the loud speaker system is rubbish, I don't have it loud but you can here is distort badly.

I am concerned about all the talk on the Columbus failing though, I'm still debating if I will keep the Superb and pay it off next year.

Edited 16 September, 2012 by Sw1

[Tankdave]

I think you need to go compare it to a Ford and cheer yourself up.

It's understandable that an Audi has a better build quality, it should do for the money. I agree the leather is not top-notch and the carpet is cr*ppy but my Superb is the best put together car I've ever owned.

I don't think the quality is too far behind Audi but it's better than a Passat IMHO. If you want and expect Audi A6 build quality, dig deep and go get one? I for one, will keep my Superb and relish in the fact that it's **** loads less money than a car I would like but I can't actually afford.

I might also point out, that NOBODY has ever been less than impressed when taken for a spin.

[Sw1]

Yep, I'm not debating the way it's put together, mine was built in the Audi plant as its 4x4 and I've never had any serious issues. Certainly far lead them my last bmw.

I was just replying to the thread reference issues, as I stated I've been lucky to have only minor niggling issues.

Recently I went with the wife to look at s mazda cx5, the quality in that was awful and I was glad to get back in the Superb. The kids sportage she purchased in the end is better but still not up with the superb

I do wonder what the leather will look like though when the car is 3 years old. Apart from the driver seat the rest of the interior is very tidy, like new. I think the cream color won't look as bad if you can keep it clean

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Sw1]

Apologies for spelling, using my phone with Swype keyboard.....

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[ruffday]

Well I have only had my Superb for 2 weeks and I am very happy with it.

I have had 4 Octavias and had very few issues with any of them.

I would say my last one was the worst be nothing more than normal wear and tear considering its use.

I had both front struts replaced at around 45,000 and it had a seat base at around 55.000 a coolant pipe at around 65,000.

The car is not quite 2 years old yet and has 98,000 miles on the clock.

I drive 50,000 miles a year and I do drive the cars hard and fast and I spend 5-6 hours a day behind the wheel.

I think you have been unluck or just too picky all manufacters have some issues even Audi and BMW I ran a 1 Series BMW for 2 years and it was Ok but not great and that had 2 seat bases ans a seat back as well as a frame it went onto someone else in the company and at 103,000 the engine self destructed.

Im very happy with Skoda as they are a lot of car for the money but if you want slighty better quality and lower spec for lots more monet then buy an Audi.

[ruffday]

Quality wise I think the leather is quite poor, it seems to be ageing fast. I use leather cleaner on it once a month to try and keep it in good condition.

Maybe you should try using a Leather conditioner as well as the cleaner may be drying it out too much.

Connelly do them and they used to supply Jaguar so it should be easy to get hold of.

[LewisT]

Well I had a whole host of problems with my last car, which was a Honda Civic (2007). I switched to the Superb in December 2011 and since then I have racked up 15,000 miles.

The only complaint is that it is dull to drive. Other than that it has been great with 0 faults or problems. The dullness is parly my fault as I purchased the 1.6 tdi (I should have known better!).

I just thought I would add a positive to this thread. You always see bad comments about cars, but less good. My Civic was a dog - a propper friday afternoon car, but other people had 0 problems with theirs (although there are some well reported faults with that generation Civic).

[Sprightlybob]

I've owned my Superb Elegance nearly three years and have 42,000km on the clock. Issues (shared by many) are few and include:

..parking brake sticks on release - dealer's advice very handy "don't use it!!""

..driver's seat memory lost (next service for another re-boot)

..pax rear window opens when driving - fixed on warranty

..outside mirrors have mind of their own - fixed twice on warranty

..alarm went off at night in closed garage - fixed on warranty

..leather seats very hard - I'm used to it now and wife never noticed.

Beautiful car to drive on freeway - just purchased a 60,000 additional warranty from an insurance company so will keep my superb Superb

[Dj Mastergrind]

I think you have been unluck or just too picky all manufacters have some issues even Audi and BMW I ran a 1 Series BMW for 2 years and it was Ok but not great and that had 2 seat bases ans a seat back as well as a frame it went onto someone else in the company and at 103,000 the engine self destructed.

I beg to differ. There are too many with the same faults just to be unlucky. And picky? No, I have had several new cars. A Fiat Bravo, a Saab 9-3, a Toyota Prius and a BMW 320d a couple of years ago. And none of them have had the same amounts of problems. Even the Fiat (and this was over 10 years ago) had only one fault. The rear wiper stopped working.

The quality isnt on top when it comes to the Superb. And I refuse to accept it as "its cheaper than an Audi". Well, it still costed around 30000 quid. Its not an Lada Niva...

Skickat från min LT26i via Tapatalk 2

[pmk76]

Air con compressor replaced under warranty.

[stevehg]

Would like other members to keep posting all faults with their superb's so i can see what else is likely to go wrong..

Well, that's a positive attitude ;)

[ex750]

Economy maybe 10% lower than I'd hoped for (but it'll still take a couple of years before I'm out of pocket considering the price of this car versus a diesel version), and,

Drivers Side front foglight misted up after water ingress behind faulty seal (dealer replaced whole unit under warranty).

That's it, so a big thumbs up from me :love:

[CombatWombat]

Looking at Superb-ki 's original list of problems, most of these seem to be electrical faults. I am happy to be corrected, aren't these electronic modules made in the same factories that supply all the other 'golf-derived VAG platform' cars?

Although we think of these parts as being lovingly installed in a Skoda factory, their reliability is ultimately down to the standards and designs at Bosch, Siemens, Valeo, Becker etc. at their plants in Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland etc. So to a great entent this is a criticism of German electronic design , done to a particular price point.

And the drivetrains are likely all made in a central VAG location for the whole group, so yhey're not 'Skoda-special'. So if you like these, it's a compliment to German mechanical engineering!

Trim and body panels aside, are there any unique-fit parts in a Skoda? The trim and panels are locally made, I'm sure. Not much else is.

Also, what is 'build quality'? Is it soft-touch dashboards and good panel fit (e.g. as defined by Auto Express), or is it 'my car never goes wrong because it's so thoughtfully designed'? Or both.

Regards etc.

[stevehg]

I beg to differ. There are too many with the same faults just to be unlucky.

I thinks the point being made by original poster is that your "too many" isn't reflected by the responses on here. Online forums naturally attract a higher proportion of owners that have issues as they search out forums to try and find solutions, problems behind symptoms and other owners who have had similar issues. Yet given this neither you or topic starter are getting a flood of responses with similar issues.

So to answer the original question regarding build quality of recent MY's, going by responses so far, there doesn't seem to be a widespread issue. There's no doubt that you and Superb-ki (especially with 1st car) have experienced issues, but going by responses to this thread and history of forum posts the Superb does not appear to have major reliability or build quality issues.

This is just my personal opinion based on a neutral look at the facts.

Cheers

Steve