Hi I'm a newbie who has just taken delivery of a brand new octavia se connect which I am having big problems with. After picking up the car last Friday I returned it to the dealer the following Monday complaining of a loud engine knock when accelerating. I was initially advised that it could possibly be due to a bad batch of diesel and they advised that I run the tank down and refill with non-supermarket fuel. The knock was still as loud as ever after around 100 miles on the new fuel and the car went back to the garage on Thursday last week for investigation. I received a call from the service manager on Friday to advise me that after seeking advice from Skoda engine techs based at HQ the problem was most likely to be a faulty bottom end bearing on the crankshaft or camshaft(pardon my ignorance as I know nothing about car engines!) however, they could not say for sure until they stripped it down today. I was informed that if the problem was as serious as they believed the preferred remedy would be to replace the entire engine under warranty rather than rebuild/repair the existing one. Naturally I'm in total shock that my brand new car potentially needs a new engine after owning it for less than a week. I called back today for an update and was told that bottom end problems have been ruled out however they have found shards of metal in the engine oil and there is a bit of play on one of the pistons. The service manager told me they have a new engine on order so they are fairly certain that replacing it is the way forward however I am far from happy that I have just spent 14 grand on a new car which needs a new engine already. Has anybody on here had similar issues? Does anybody think I would have good reason to demand that the car be replaced with a new vehicle of the same spec? Should the dealer be my first port of call regarding a swap or should I go direct to skoda? Obviously I have lost all faith in the car and I don't want lumbered with a potential nightmare for the next few years. I feel that if skoda are as good on customer service as they claim the fairest thing to do would be to offer me a swap given the fact that this engine fault probably existed right from the cars' birth. If anybody has any similar experiences I'd appreciate if you could share with me and hopefully give me a few tips on how to resolve this situation

I'm assuming the car has covered 300 miles ? For me I would let them fit a new engine and then push for some free services and let them have the hassel of updating the log book. For me I'd be happy they are replacing the engine without question, providing you have a similar car on loan while yours is in for repair I don't see a problem. For all you know the replacement car might have already had a new engine, you just don't/wouldn't know.

Sounds like a manufacturing fault. No car company in the world is going to guarantee a zero failure rate.

Getting a new engine dropped in the car is probably going to be a lot quicker than waiting for another car of the same spec to be made / appear. You will still have the full warranty so there shouldn't a problem.

I can understand your dissappointment at having your new car go faulty so soon after delivery, however as Skoda are in the throws of replacing the complete engine how would that be different from changing the car in relation to your problem?

If they intended to strip down the original engine and replace the damaged parts I think you'd have a strong case, but as they're replacing the engine the cause of the problem will remain contained in the origial engine and you have in theory the samre chance of a reocurrance in a hnew car as in the new engine.

Looking at some of the other posts with problems others have that are not so easy to identify you appear to actually be lucky (- don't laugh!) as they seem to have both identified what needs to be done and are putting the wheels in motion to rectify the problem. It may be worth writing to both the dealer and Skoda UK accepting their offer to replace the engine on the condition that this solves the problem and that if it doesn't you'll expect a new replacement and asking for confirmation that they will acept this condition. That way you get your car fixed quickly and have a fall back if things don't work out?

Going for another car will take a lot longer too for probably no benefit as you'll upset both the dealer and Skoda. allowing them to replace the engine could work out to your advantage in the long term, if you're unfortunate to have anything else go wrong as you won't be seen as being Mr Awkward.

Let us know how you get on please and hope this helps.

It's not a reflection on the long term reliability of the engine. It sounds like a failure on the little end of one of the con rods. This type of failure never happens to engines these days due to wear and tear....so it won't happen again and it's not a weak point in the engine.....it's a manufacturing defect.

VAG must build many thousands of these engines every month. Very occasionally one will come out of the factory with a manufacturing defect such as this. I don't know if you can insist on another new car, as by replacing the engine Skoda are fulfilling their warranty.

You've been exceptionally unlucky to suffer this. Don't let it cloud your feelings about the car.

Find out where the shards made it.

If they got into the main oil feed, then IMHO push for the turbo to be checked or replaced. The oil is the bearing in the turbo, so metal shards are bad news.

Find out where the shards made it.

If they got into the main oil feed, then IMHO push for the turbo to be checked or replaced. The oil is the bearing in the turbo, so metal shards are bad news.

No need. Skoda have agreed to replace the engine. No doubt to mitigate against the kind of secondary damage you mention.

No need. Skoda have agreed to replace the engine. No doubt to mitigate against the kind of secondary damage you mention.

Will they replace the whole engine or are bits like the turbo carried across to save money?

Hi I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealer with regards to a forward plan. By coincidence I got a call from skoda UK today asking if I was satisfied with the courtesy car the dealer provided me with. I told them that the after sales service I have received so far has been fantastic, however, I filled them in on the issues I am having with my new car and they have decided to contact the dealer on my behalf for an update. I cannot fault skoda or the dealer. Just peeved I've landed myself with a lemon. Does anyone know if the resale value of the car would be affected by this engine change? That's assuming I decided to part ex at this skoda dealer a few years down the line?

Hi I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealer with regards to a forward plan. By coincidence I got a call from skoda UK today asking if I was satisfied with the courtesy car the dealer provided me with. I told them that the after sales service I have received so far has been fantastic, however, I filled them in on the issues I am having with my new car and they have decided to contact the dealer on my behalf for an update. I cannot fault skoda or the dealer. Just peeved I've landed myself with a lemon. Does anyone know if the resale value of the car would be affected by this engine change? That's assuming I decided to part ex at this skoda dealer a few years down the line?

As I was in the motor retail trade many years ago, I have to say that I feel they are dealing with your case very well. Please don't, as has been said, let this episode cloud your opinion of the marque. The car will be OK once the new lump is in and Skodas are, these days, very solid and reliable.

Pete

While having your new car taken apart days after ownership is not ideal, it does sound as though the replacement engine sounds the best solution.

To try and take ownership of the situation again and to explain your extreme disappointment and inconvenience that this has caused it requires a goodwill payment from Skoda/dealer imo. I would ask them to extend the 3 year warranty to 5 years - if you have not already paid for this.

This means you will have confidence if you keep the car for a good number of years and if you decide to sell privately/trade-in then you have a good selling point.

If Skoda/dealer are confident about the repair then the extra 2 years should be a no cost option for them - win, win.

Hope it works out to your satisfaction.

PS I spent nearly £16k on my Polo GTI brand new, few months after ownership front spring broke, was not impressed in the slightest!!! but these things happen.

Edited 27 November, 201213 yr by BA Baracus

Pete I was a happy owner of a 1.6tdi se for nearly 3years previous to taking ownership of the new car so I hold the skoda marque in high regard. That's the main reason I came back and bought another one. All I wanted was another few ?ears of stress-free motoring. Like I said previous I cannot fault the dealer as I have been well treated and kept updated at all times. If I'm being honest i know I won't get a replacement car out of this but I felt it was only right that I express my dissatisfaction to skoda with regards to the quality of this particular car and hopefully they'll offer me something by way of a goodwill gesture

Believe this or not but this could improve your position rather than make it worse if you have any more problems. My wife had a Fiesta that kept cutting out which ford could't fix. in the end they gave us the full purchase price off another car which we wouldn't have got normally, so this failure could improve your situation if you have any more problems. as others suggested you may be able to get an extended warrenty from skoda uk, even if it's just to cover the engine failure and and associated problems, but from my experience Skoda do their best, which is more than can be said for many other manufacturers.

hope it works out for you

No need. Skoda have agreed to replace the engine. No doubt to mitigate against the kind of secondary damage you mention.

Will they replace the whole engine or are bits like the turbo carried across to save money?

Exactly that, the turbo isn't part of the engine, it's an ancillary, so find out if they're going to change the lot or just the engine.

If the latter, then push for the lot or I'd consider rejection.

The dealer will not be able to order another replacement car, since production of the Octavia MK2 is being phased out. Only cars already ordered or in stock are available now, so if you reject the only option if you want another Octavia is to take someone elses cancelled order or a standard car in stock with no extras.

You cannot reject a car straight away, since the dealer needs to be given a reasonable allowance to make good the original vehicle, and they seems to be doing all the right things currently. An engine swap is the current best outcome, and I believe they are complete including all ancillaries.

I would get this one sorted, and then push for some form of compensation from Skoda UK.

The dealer will not be able to order another replacement car, since production of the Octavia MK2 is being phased out. Only cars already ordered or in stock are available now, so if you reject the only option if you want another Octavia is to take someone elses cancelled order or a standard car in stock with no extras.

You cannot reject a car straight away, since the dealer needs to be given a reasonable allowance to make good the original vehicle, and they seems to be doing all the right things currently. An engine swap is the current best outcome, and I believe they are complete including all ancillaries.

I would get this one sorted, and then push for some form of compensation from Skoda UK.

You're fully within your rights to reject a vehicle as you could argue that the engine swap has affected the value of the car (no longer original engine number) and may have other effects.

I do however agree that if the ancillaries are being swapped over too, then the repair is the right path to take if you want your car as it stands.

In your position I would simply reject the car. End of.

The motor trade are no different to any other retail organisation, being bound by Consumer Law.

I would expect a brand new engine.....sourced direct from Skoda.....to have all ancillaries already fitted.

But it's worth asking the question.

Personally I would be more than happy with the engine swap, your car back in a short time. reject it & what do you get next, they arent being made so you may have to comprimise on spec or colour to take a dealer stock ordered car & wait while all thats sorted out.

It sounds to me as though the dealer & Skoda are doing the correct thing in fixing the car & looking after you.

Edited 27 November, 201213 yr by Stuart_J

Ask for a new car , you never know if the same car comes up with some other issue . I think it would be worth a wait for replacement car .

Tricky one this. My Octavia before last was helpfully filled with petrol by the salesman when I picked it up. Unfortunately it was a 2.0TDI! So, having convinced my wife that Skoda was the way to go, I managed 2 miles out of the showroom before it failed - on the way to go on holiday. It being new, I thought it could be air in the fuel or something, so tried 10+ times to restart it.

Once the salesman fessed up (his face was a picture - he still had the receipt), my first instinct was to reject the car outright as ruined. Eventually the dealership flushed and replaced the whole fuelling system (pumps, injectors, filters, etc) and most importantly offered an extra year on the warrenty.

That was enough for me - I didn't have any problems with the car in 30,000 miles, but everytime there was an issue (seemed to use more fuel than any other 2.0TDI on the forum) I always suspected that the incident had an effect. Certainly took the shine off the experience, and was eventually glad to part with the car. I was somewhat more on the case with the current one.

I think I would be happy with a full engine change - although I would ask to witness and confirm it was all new parts etc.

Edited 27 November, 201213 yr by London Les

This is a hard one. keep/ get rid. if they change all the parts that vave oil going through them like the turbo, oil coolers and any other parts that do, then i think i would allow the engine change. just make sure all the pipes and cables go back in the correct place and the garage deals with the V5 to get the engine number changed. One thing you will have to ask, is the engine brand new or a factory recon. if it's a recon walk away, if they says its a new engine ask to see it in the box it comes in to check.

Just had it confirmed they have ordered a new engine. It will not be a re-con however the service manager is not sure if it comes with all ancillaries like turbo etc as he has never had to drop a brand new engine in a new car. On the downside he has no idea on lead-time at the moment for the new engine as there are no spares available in the uk. I'll be lucky to see it before Xmas by the looks of things. I'm glad they seem to be doing the right thing by me but at the same time I'll always have some doubt in my mind that any future problems may be a result of this major surgery the car is about to undergo. It's a tricky one but don't think I have the strength to deal with going through the hassle of rejecting the vehicle. If I decide to keep it I'll need assurances re. Complete replacement of affected ancillaries etc

If you bought a tv from Currys and it was faulty, you would take it back to the shop and require replacement or full refund. Consumer Law avails you of these remedies.

The same law applies to the purchase of a new car.

The longer you delay, the more difficult it will be to apply your rights under Consumer Law. If in doubt, get some legal advice post haste.

In order to reject a vehicle it must be deemed to be unfit for purpose. In order for it to be deemed as such, the consumer must allow the retailer/manufacturer reasonable time and attempts to repair/replace the fault.

It seems that in the OP's case, both the dealer & Skoda UK are doing everything that they can in order to rectify the problem - they have identified the fault and are replacing the engine. In the meantime you have an equivalent vehicle to use.

As for actually rejecting a vehicle as being unfit for purpose, I'm currently in the process of trying to do this and am being met with obstructions every which way I turn.