It's gone.....

[djj777]

Just going back to the OP's list of problems my 2011 Octavia 1.6tdi has had the same cold start rattle and hesitation from new when you hit traffic from cold, which I do every night from work unfortuantely. The problem is that its occurs irregularly, some night's its fine, others it will be rattly and hestitate. Disappears however as soon as the temp gauge hits normal. Been back to the dealer but he was unable to replicate the fault and no fault codes were showing. Thought it might be tied into when its thinking of doing a regen but can't be sure. Interesting to see I'm not alone anyway!

[Wardy]

Apologies - i didnt read your post carefully enough. I missed the bit about removing the undefloor storage area. Never tried this. My bad.

Yep, you missed the crucial bit out

You need to create the space for the wheel first.

[Chrispy]

Just going back to the OP's list of problems my 2011 Octavia 1.6tdi has had the same cold start rattle and hesitation from new when you hit traffic from cold, which I do every night from work unfortuantely. The problem is that its occurs irregularly, some night's its fine, others it will be rattly and hestitate. Disappears however as soon as the temp gauge hits normal. Been back to the dealer but he was unable to replicate the fault and no fault codes were showing. Thought it might be tied into when its thinking of doing a regen but can't be sure. Interesting to see I'm not alone anyway!

It's a weird one that. I could never figure it out - most of the time it tended to happen in warm weather where the car spent a lot of time warming up in traffic after setting off from work. If the roads were clear and the car was "driven" it wouldn't do it. If it did do it then sometimes even at full temp it wouldn't go away till thrashed. No fault codes. :(

[djj777]

Yep, mine's just the same. In the mornings I have a clear run to the M62 but apart from the normal initial cold start rattle its fine. Runs smoothly and quietly. Its at night when I'm out of the car park into a queue that it occasionally does it. Guess I'll have to live with it and see if it "develops" in dealerspeak.

[Chappers.]

Not looking for agreement. I owned a E91 BMW touring before my skoda. The space saver does not fit under the boot floor. BMW dealer even agreed with this as he told me to put it in the boot. Your dad must be a "special build" or petrol BMW's have different underfloors. Workmate had a 320d saloon and he had same problem as did friend with 318d saloon and neighbour with 335d saloon. Im pretty sure we didnt all imagine it.

Apologies - i didnt read your post carefully enough. I missed the bit about removing the undefloor storage area. Never tried this. My bad.

I've come from a 120i BMW with 18" wheels & runflats - and teh ride on the Octy is much more compliant - probably down to the fact that it has normal tyres on it. The run-flats BMW insist on fitting are aweful in this country and beyond just uncomfortable at times. The lack of a spare wheel was also a constant source of concern for me when we were on a decent journey - the maximum distance on a "flat" runflat according to the handbook is 50 miles at a maximum of 50mph - as it's been said earlier that is not a lot of use if you still have 100 miles to drive and its 11pm on a dark wet rainy night! (Also problems exacerbated by BMW having unusual sizes for their tyres - the front tyres for mine were almost impossible to source in the UK). The 1 series has absolutely no capacity for any kind of spare wheel unless you put it in the boot - which would take up all the mediocre space that was there in the first place. Immediately under the boot floor lived the battery an ICE unit and no other space at all.

I know the Octy comes with a tin of tyre gunk as standard, but I managed to negotiate a spare wheel as part of the deal and am a lot happier.

As for the OP's experience with his Octy, it does sound like you were very unfortunate and were the owner of a bit of a pup of a car. I've driven "x" thousands of miles in Octavias over the years and while some have been troublesome, many were good cars. I hope that you will be happy with your choice of replacement - we tried a Focus briefly but tbh never even bothered asking for a test drive - but it is all down to personal choice.

[sbt]

Mucho Jealous Chrispy lol, i know what you mean with the chassis twisting and door seals etc twisting... i cleaned the car on sunday and noticed this

seem part of the door is rubbing against the sill and if you look closer you can see the rubber seals rubbing into the paintwork.

i know this is an old post but this is exactly what is happening to my car . its an 08 tdi vrs estate i have only had 11 days and i am not at all inspired by its quality so far . i am honestly kicking myself for selling my audi a4 cant see me keeping this much longer . i did loads of research before buying it and was led to believe the quality is far better than it actually is i am honestly gutted about buying this it is a total let down

[Guest]

i know this is an old post but this is exactly what is happening to my car . its an 08 tdi vrs estate i have only had 11 days and i am not at all inspired by its quality so far . i am honestly kicking myself for selling my audi a4 cant see me keeping this much longer . i did loads of research before buying it and was led to believe the quality is far better than it actually is i am honestly gutted about buying this it is a total let down

I had 3 octy vRS's in 6 years with no material quality issues.

[silver1011]

The door seal is the main barrier between the interior and exterior on the Octavia and in fact most other modern cars.

If grit is caught on the seal and is then trapped between it and the paintwork it will erode the paint and will eventually corrode if not spotted and cured.

The doors will move slightly on any car as you drive along, build quality / chassis strength is irrelevant.

Both my Octavia's are showing slight deterioration of the paint under the seals on both rear doors. When I wash or dry the car I always open the doors and give the aperture and seal a quick wipe. The rust pictured above has been left for some time and could have easily been prevented long before it got that bad.

I’ve seen damage like that from slamming the door on a seat belt buckle too.

Edited 2 January, 2013 by silver1011

[Wardy]

I would treat the rust, and apply some paint and lacquer. That from a touch-up stick would be fine.

Then keep an eye on it. From the info given, I wouldn't jump straight to a build quality issue - as already said, it's in a position where friction between two surfaces could occur.

If you're a new owner to the car, it's even more difficult to work out how it's happened.

[zacherynuk]

lemon car is a lemon. I feel sorry for the next poor sod.. :(

[pipsyp]

Feel bad for you but everyone ends up with a bit of a pup now and again, regardless of the manufacturer. Actually sounds more like to me that youve had a terrible dealer experience and thats tainted your view of Skoda as a brand.

I think Fords are good cars but they've never been for me. Have driven a few over the years (mainly Mondeos and Focuses) and whilst they have driven well they've just seemed so bland and also quite tinny. Still think i'd rather have a FL MK2 Octavia over a new Focus.

Work colleague used to sware by Toyotas. Had an old shape Avensis for quite some time and only went wrong once but was something serious mechanically. Then bought another much later Avensis that did nothing but break, very quickly swapped it for an Auris that was in the dealers more than in his possession.

Just bad luck i think but goes to show even the most reliable brands arent what they seem

Edited 2 January, 2013 by pipsyp

[sbt]

its nothing to do with the dealers the first time i went near one was today to see if this paint problem is covered under warranty i have got to go tomorrow for a paint thickness test so we will see what comes of that i think my problem is my last 8 cars was all audis 5 a4.s 2 a6.s and 1 a3 and i dont care what anyone says skodas are not a patch on audi quality . but that said they are considerably cheaper my skoda was £6450 the equivalent audi same year and milage would of been a 9 grand plus car so i understand savings have to be made and yes i should of kept the one i had but hindsight is a wonderful thing. i am waiting on the v5 to come back from the dvla then it is being sold . mechanically its great very quick very stable and full main dealer service history maxidot 18" alloys with new tyres and in racing blue but its just not for me . but one thing as come out of it i have found a cracking forum and will be back here skoda owner or not

[sbt]

hi all its good news on the paint thickness test its all original paintwork . i have to wait for my v5 to come back from dvla then the dealers can go ahead with the warranty claim so we will see what the outcome is

Edited 3 January, 2013 by sbt

[Chrispy]

Well, it's been a few months now and I thought I might as well add a few notes seeing as this thread has been resurrected.

Overall the car is great - the ride and handling combination never cease to put a smile on my face (Ford have this nailed - listen up VAG) and the car is far far quieter at speed than the Octy was. I can actually hear my music clearly now on the motorway whereas in the Octy you had to turn it right up and it was never right, regardless of the types of tyre I tried.

The levels of kit are still fab and most of the toys get used regularly. The only thing I've not used is the self park because I never really need to parallel park and I don't trust it. Built in sat nav is handy and the Sony head unit is excellent. The only thing that did puzzle me was the lack of beep when the washer fluid is low - it just dries up to a trickle, that's the first you hear of it. :(

Reliability wise it's been so so - once I had the buttons repaired on the steering wheel (bought the car with those faulty - my fault) the PAS itself decided to freak out now and then and fail when moving. Ford reflashed the PAS ECU and it's been fine since. I think I might have a dodgy tyre or a wheel bearing though now (N/S front) as it goes "wha wha wha" when going round roundabouts so going to get that looked at soon. I won't be using Polar Ford again though - they are so bad it's laughable.

The main let down is the engine. For a 1.6 it's not all that bad - quite nippy for round town etc but show it an open road or a motorway and the lack of torque is evident and it doesn't pull hard at higher revs. Getting late 40's to the gallon out of it most weeks which is nothing like the 67mpg they claim but I'm not prepared to sit at 50mph to get that. If I'm forced to slow down, it will do very good mpg but that's not real world driving for me as I tend to use motorways and 70+ mph.

Build wise, it's again not bad at all. The doors are obviously thinner than the Octy was but they still shut with a reassuring "thump" and the boot is far nicer to close. The Octy always felt flimsy in this regard and the rust on the seams due to the design was always a pain.

I do miss the Octy now and then - miss the power, rear leg room and the boot space but that's about it. On a twisty road the Octavia would be hard pressed to leave a Focus (if it had a bigger engine than this puny thing).

I don't think all Skoda's are bad as we still have the Fabia which is still going strong at 92k. It's chipped too and stupidly fast compared to the Focus but it's like driving a bathtub - there's no feel, the steering is too light, it wallows all over the place and you end up deaf with back ache when you get out. The wife loves the power in the Fabia but enjoys driving the Focus more.

[silver1011]

Glad to hear its still going strong, some of the quality issues are worrying, hopefully they all show their faces before the warranty expires.

To be fair to the Focus, Octavia's without headlight washers also give no warning before running out of screenwash.

Polar is now Stoneacre here in York, they are rubbish too.

Get yourself to Lawtons of Tadcaster, it's only 21 miles / 30 minutes from you and they are a small family run Ford franchise and very, very good.

Edited 3 January, 2013 by silver1011

[vrs777]

Biggest complaint with the Octavia is NVH, far far too harsh on normal UK roads, too loud and like you commented when at motorway speed you need to shout. Tyres don't make a difference either after trying 3 types.

Now i've had a go in an XF and it's like a library compared to the Octavia, but the XF isn't really any quieter than the Astra H we run too at motorway speeds. Fair enough the XF is more refined getting to that speed but once there the Astra is just as quiet. The Octavia on the other hand is like going back 20 years to the days of no sound deadning.

I do like the Focus but it's the plastics inside and the general finish of some of the switch gear and small details that put me off, especially the door cards which I assume Ford purchsed the plastics from the Council recycling facility.

I'm sooo stuck what kind of car to go for next, don't think VAG stuff is that good anymore tbh. VX do some nice stuff but engine wise are quite limited - I like petrol.

Mercs/Jags are for old men (I am fairly old but not that old)

So I think i'm going BMW, the ones i've owned have had issues (they rust) but the actual engineering behind them I think is better than the equiv VAG. If you've ever worked on one you will now what I mean, things are just better thought out. But then they have the issue with this ****ty M-Sport suspension, even the SE models ride too firm.

Good luck with your Focus, it's nice that someone is honest to post up faults with a new car, many people would just post the better bits.

[Wardy]

Shouting at motorway speed? Either your motorway speed is much higher than mine, or there's something else wrong

I agree, NVH isn't probably the Octy's strong but I've been in far worse. That's generally where the premium brands gain an advantage.

[sh4rpsh00ter]

Great topic and v interesting reading. I'm on my second Octy Diesel vRS and a DSG this time which I cant believe I hadnt discovered sooner!! As for The focus, i've had numerous 1.6-2.0 diesels in both the current shape and the previous. The current shape one is a revelation to drive on a twisty road as the chassis is great and inspires confidence. Definiately one that VAG could learn from. The engines however are poor in comparison to the VAG and BMW equivalent. A good spell in the 116d will show how economical this class of engine should be (but after all it is a 2.0L - looks like they're cheating!). The VAG 1.6D offering is also much more economical (in Seat Leon) than the Focus and feels more responsive/quicker.

As for seating, I personally can never get comfy in the Focus but I know other people who say that about BMW, VW, Audi, Skoda etc etc!

Gadget wise, the Focus comes with lots in it but it isn't often the best quality. The current Focus Bluetooth music streaming quality is really poor, but the sound system in general is on a par to the Octy (however the new Blackline is much better than the 59 Plate??? - something to do with the Amundsen??)

As for reliability i've had 3 Focus' (2 current and 1 previous shape) breakdown on me and a Seat Leon 1.6D once. All new-ish hire cars (within 2 years old) as well. The Octy or previous Fabia have never ever faltered with minor visits to the dealership for the infamous 'whistling' on both Octy's, loose stiching on my steering wheel (last octy) and a rattle on the drivers door trim on the new Blackline which has been sorted out today.

Perfect customer service from Sales, Service and Bodyshop Repairs (after some numpty bumped into the back of me) from Skoda (much better than BMW/Mini).

Sorry for War & Peace

PS The Focus in Black with that wheel combo looks ACE, shame Black's a bar steward to keep looking 100%!!

Edited 3 January, 2013 by sh4rpsh00ter

[littleade]

Also, how is it Skoda do well on JD Power and Which surveys if the dealer network is this bad? Gotta say too, the fit and finish on the Ford is a lot better than the Octy from what I've seen so far. Shut the boot and it's "whump" not "clunk". No foam visible around the isofix bars on the rear seats like the Octy had, no screw heads visible between the rear seats and the C pillars. Also I think the sills are made of something stronger than cheese - had to make trolley jack adapters out of hockey pucks for the Octy as the sills just folded if you dared to jack them up.

One other thing too - the Focus doesn't twist like the Octy did. Go over speed humps at an angle for example and the door seals would creak as the chassis twisted. Not great. :(

On the JD powers thing I think you've been unlucky to some extent, a poor example and a rubbish dealer, so I'm not surprised you're going elsewhere. Might be the average Skoda owners expectations are not that high, so that's reflected in the survey results.

Best of luck with your new car

[Chrispy]

The Focus isn't all peaches and cream as I say - it has had issues and I agree the quality of the plastics inside does leave a bit to be desired but my main aim was a change from VAG after the Octy II. I don't think Skoda are a bad brand per se as the Fabia I was excellent and I've still got a soft spot for the Yeti (from certain angles) but the Octy II I think was an opportunity for them to cut corners a bit. 2 year old cars should not rust like that.....or have steering racks fail......or have the paint fall off the wheels.....

When it came to the dealer they were really no better or worse than anywhere else, it was just that I was there almost weekly with something else going wrong, and then they started to get sloppy, handing me my car back half re-assembled. That really got my goat.

Ford dealer wise, Polar were terrible, abysmal showers of human excrement - their attitude and ineptitude seemingly knew no bounds hence I will not go back there for anything other than parts. Stoneacre in York haven't been bad to be fair - communicative and fairly on the ball but will try the one in Tad next time.

[vrs777]

Shouting at motorway speed? Either your motorway speed is much higher than mine, or there's something else wrong

I agree, NVH isn't probably the Octy's strong but I've been in far worse. That's generally where the premium brands gain an advantage.

Shouting was a bit extreme, but yeah at 70mph it's ok but any higher on anything other than super smooth tarmac it's rubbish. And no nothing else is wrong - tyres wear very even, tracks straight and wind noise is good. Try going an indicated 80mph (so still no really speeding) on the M42 near the NEC (the one with concreate road surface), the noise in the Octavia is sooo much louder than a comparable Hatch. I'm sure it's to do with the size of the boot and lack of sound deadning panels applied to the floor pan (and boot floor).

[blueR36]

maybe the rubbers that your rear springs sit in are knackered so transfer noise into cabin

[Wardy]

I know where you're coming from - I love that stretch of the M42 too!

Think you've got a point about the shape and design. I've added soundproofing to the boot area, the underside of the boot carpet and around the spare wheel well. Not that expensive as long as you don't go for the high-end stuff (that I've not seen make a noticeable difference to warrant the price, unless you're running high-end ICE).

You could probably do it with about £30ish worth of the adhesive sound deadening rolls.

[vrs777]

I know where you're coming from - I love that stretch of the M42 too!

Think you've got a point about the shape and design. I've added soundproofing to the boot area, the underside of the boot carpet and around the spare wheel well. Not that expensive as long as you don't go for the high-end stuff (that I've not seen make a noticeable difference to warrant the price, unless you're running high-end ICE).

You could probably do it with about £30ish worth of the adhesive sound deadening rolls.

This is what I'm going to do, the stick on pads and some sound deadning mats under the carpet and under the rear seats/wheel arches.

TBH when its on smooth tarmac it's quiet but slightly rough roads it's very poor.

[vrs777]

maybe the rubbers that your rear springs sit in are knackered so transfer noise into cabin

What rubbers are these? I assume just the rubber cups for the springs?

The car isn't too bad upto 60mph but after that the noise is soo much higher than other cars I've used regular ie.

V.V.Quiet: BMW 7 series 57 plate

V.Quiet: Jag XF 09 plate

Quiet: Astra H 56 plate, Alfa 159 58 plate

OK: BMW 3 series 58 plate

The Octavia rates Poor compared to any of these. I think some car are generally noisy though because if you've been in a BMW X5 (new shape) they ain't briliant, quite creaky trim over poor roads and not that quiet on unbroken pot holed roads.

Edited 4 January, 2013 by vrs777