still so tempted with a Petrol 2010-2011 VRS - but still a bit off-put by this thread

 

I'd know even with warranty (I'm only looking at buying from a main dealer) - it would be on the back of my mind no matter the very slim chance of the failure occuring

 

would I be right in thinking that if I bought one - paid circa 600 and got the Tensionner part change - that'd be perma fixed so to speak ? even if maybe a waste of the 600 as chance the failure would never have happened anyway - but maybe worth it for the peace of mind (the VRS's are great value anyway)

 

get a VRS CR and slightly less performance

 

or get a Seat Cupra (which still uses the older Belt driven engine I believe)

 

cheers

 

If you are buying from a main dealer make sure its part of the deal that the tensioner is replaced with the latest version, thats what i did. I actually paid an extra £300 to have this work done but worth it for the peace of mind. 

 

I got mine at a really good price, hence why i contributed to having the tensioner (and guides and chain) replaced. Depending on your negotiation skills you maybe able to get it in with the price of the car! Keep an eye on the skoda used car website and if there's a TSI thats been around for a while the dealer will be desperate to get it sold so more chance of getting it included in the price. 

still so tempted with a Petrol 2010-2011 VRS - but still a bit off-put by this thread

 

I'd know even with warranty (I'm only looking at buying from a main dealer) - it would be on the back of my mind no matter the very slim chance of the failure occuring

 

would I be right in thinking that if I bought one - paid circa 600 and got the Tensionner part change - that'd be perma fixed so to speak ? even if maybe a waste of the 600 as chance the failure would never have happened anyway - but maybe worth it for the peace of mind (the VRS's are great value anyway)

 

get a VRS CR and slightly less performance

 

or get a Seat Cupra (which still uses the older Belt driven engine I believe)

 

cheers

 

Later tensioners still fail. Save the 600 quid and put it towards a decent warranty once any you get with the car expires. I bought a 3 year warranty for £960 that covers everything wear and tear, MOT failures, wiring faults, includes breakdown cover, etc.etc. Only thing not covered is trims. At least with that, anything that may go wrong is covered. The engine isn't the only expensive component.

At least suk are covering most of cost of failures unlike BMW on there 320d 177bhp e91 timing chain failures non serviceable item, fitted back of engine so no access unless engine out, loads of problems even been on watchdog

Exactly. Sense of proportion.

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Update. After a bit of chatting back and forth I've accepted a goodwill contribution of 70% towards the repair. I'm happy with this outcome and will be glad to get the car back. 

Thank you for the update. I could live with that outcome.

I have amended the entry for your car in the first post in this thread. Please let me know if it is incorrect.

Evening folks, hopefully off to look at a Octavia VRS estate on Saturday thats on a 08 plate 2.0 TFSI engine. Has 31k on the clock and just had a service 100 miles ago with the cambelt and water pump being done. Can you confirm for me please if this is likely to be a problematic engine or not. Unsure on engine code atm.

Is the TSI the same as the TFSI or not please and does this have the timing chain problem?

Many thanks in advance. Barney.

You are OK. The TSI engine with its timing chain is a different engine to the TFSI - which has a cambelt.

You are OK. The TSI engine with its timing chain is a different engine to the TFSI - which has a cambelt.

Lovely job cheers mate. Put my mind at rest now.

Hi all - first post here - sorry if it's a long one,  but am kind of worried!  Yesterday I bought a 2.0 FSI 2009 VRS with CCZ engine on it from a private seller - I'd read that the car was generally considered to be pretty robust and so was not overly worried buying it privately.  I'm not the sort to change cars that regularly, and was hoping to keep it for the next five years at least.

 

Just read this whole thread, and like a previous poster said, it's not very good psychologically!  I'm guessing that if the dreaded tensioner failure happened to me, I'd be left with no support from Skoda, as I bought privately.  My VRS was registered in September 2009, and with 35k miles on the clock it appears to make a likely candidate (relatively speaking).  Obviously its hard to get the risk in perspective without knowing the incidence rate, but if it happened I would be completely screwed, with no money for another car, and a few years of savings gone.  I also park it on a fairly steep hill, which has got me nervous about stretching the cam chain - will be sure to park it in neutral in future!

 

So... I'm wondering if I could get some sort of care package from Skoda that would cover the car.  Does anyone know if this is available for a privately bought car of this age?  The last service by the previous owner was not done at a Skoda place, as it was out of guarantee, which seemed fair enough when I was buying it.  I'm guessing Skoda may now not touch it?

 

If no cover is available I want to protect myself as best I can, and would pay £600 ish if this potential time bomb could be significantly reduced.  If anyone has got the tensioner and chain successfully replaced with the newest design, it would be great to know the details.  

 

Also, does anyone understand how the risks have been addressed in the third design of the tensioner, and whether it really is an improvement?

 

Cheers!

Hi all - first post here - sorry if it's a long one,  but am kind of worried!  Yesterday I bought a 2.0 FSI 2009 VRS with CCZ engine on it from a private seller - I'd read that the car was generally considered to be pretty robust and so was not overly worried buying it privately.  I'm not the sort to change cars that regularly, and was hoping to keep it for the next five years at least.

 

Just read this whole thread, and like a previous poster said, it's not very good psychologically!  I'm guessing that if the dreaded tensioner failure happened to me, I'd be left with no support from Skoda, as I bought privately.  My VRS was registered in September 2009, and with 35k miles on the clock it appears to make a likely candidate (relatively speaking).  Obviously its hard to get the risk in perspective without knowing the incidence rate, but if it happened I would be completely screwed, with no money for another car, and a few years of savings gone.  I also park it on a fairly steep hill, which has got me nervous about stretching the cam chain - will be sure to park it in neutral in future!

 

So... I'm wondering if I could get some sort of care package from Skoda that would cover the car.  Does anyone know if this is available for a privately bought car of this age?  The last service by the previous owner was not done at a Skoda place, as it was out of guarantee, which seemed fair enough when I was buying it.  I'm guessing Skoda may now not touch it?

 

If no cover is available I want to protect myself as best I can, and would pay £600 ish if this potential time bomb could be significantly reduced.  If anyone has got the tensioner and chain successfully replaced with the newest design, it would be great to know the details.  

 

Also, does anyone understand how the risks have been addressed in the third design of the tensioner, and whether it really is an improvement?

 

Cheers!

 

I don't think you'll get any kind of warranty from Skoda now, so you'd be looking at other providers.

 

You could get a quote on something like this: http://www.warrantywise.co.uk/0660-cover-level/

 

Getting the tensioner replaced isn't a difficult job, and any garage should be able to do it for you. However even the latest designs have yet to prove themselves. Personally I feel only options are either a warranty, or sell the car. I bought a warranty for mine, which obviously covers everything else too.

You should be able to buy a Skoda Approved Warranty through a dealer or, if eligible to join the CSMA, a near identical and much cheaper warranty through them. I purchased the former and, when the 2 year's cover is up, will probably get the tensioner and chain replaced. I would hope that VW have finally sorted the tensioner after 4 attempts, and the chain has been revised too.

If you do opt to have the tensioner replaced, have the job done by a Skoda dealer as the part will be covered by a 2 year warranty. The tensioner currently costs £38.40 and the chain £59.05.

I researched the most popular 3rd party warranties. They all include a small print exclusion referring to not covering an item that the manufacturer should reasonably have attended to prior to buying their warranty. I decided that I wasn't willing to risk such a warranty. Skoda UK won't sell you an extended warranty in your 3rd year of ownership. Only option for the non-risk-taker is to sell the car. I've just sold a brilliant 1.8tsi Octavia just as it's factory warranty was expiring, because of this issue. Sad, but happy with the replacement - a 1-year old low mileage Audi A4 Avant with 2.0 diesel engine. Audi UK sold me an extended 5 year warranty - no nonsense about having to buy it when new as Skoda say. Cost me £2000 less than a new 2014 Octavia Estate 2.0 diesel Elegance would have. So Skoda's extended warranty refusal plus refusal to issue a generic recall on this potentially disastrous fault have lost them a customer who had been with them for 14 years and 5 new car purchases from them in that time. I won't go back to Skoda - too many new Octavia owners having serious problems in the Mark III forum. The A4 is in a different league from the Octavia in both refinement and build quality. My firm opinion is that brand success has caused a complacency and subtle creep into declining build quality in Skoda. Maybe I'm wrong, but all good things come to an end.

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Edited 10 March, 201412 yr by Mafuta

I researched the most popular 3rd party warranties. They all include a small print exclusion referring to not covering an item that the manufacturer should reasonably have attended to prior to buying their warranty.

 

For the record, the Warranty Wise warranty does cover failure of the timing chain tensioner. The DSG mechatronic is covered too. Both of these are costly items that are known to fail. For that reason I got confirmation that they are covered, in an email from Warranty Wise before I bought the warranty. 

The 2.0/1.8TSI engines are fitted across the VAG range, including the current Audi A4, so the failure to recall isn't a Skoda-specific problem. And the Skoda Approved Extended Warranty, which is available to purchase after the manufacturer's warranty has expired, likewise covers timing chain tensioner failure since VAG have never accepted that it suffers from a design fault.

Two informative replies.

My dealer assured me that only 3rd party extended warranties were available unless bought when car was new (including the extended warranties they had to sell).

My loss of confidence in my Octavia was also due to having had to have both the aircon and satnav replaced in its 3rd year and just as the warranty was about to expire.

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Thanks for your responses guys.

 

Got a quote from Warranty Wise for around £800 / year, which is way beyond what I could afford, even if they agreed to cover this specific problem.

 

Have got quotes to replace the chain and tensioner (about £800 from Skoda, and about £500 from a local specialist).  Both of them say that this would give me cover from all consequential damage if the new tensioner failed within 2 years.

 

Maybe, if I can afford it, I may get this done at some point. Until then, I'm going to pretend that this thread doesn't exist!

Just get the skoda backed warranty for about £400 a year.

Just get the skoda backed warranty for about £400 a year.

 

Interesting!  Seems that different dealers have different views on whether Skoda can now provide a warranty for a 2009 car...  Did you have to negotiate this at all?  Does your Octy have a full Skoda service history?

I know its the audi site but they can quote you https://www.audiextendedwarranty.co.uk

Have you or family member ever been employed by the civil service? As this was a reasonable price.

http://www.csmaclub.co.uk/search.php?q=car+warranty

Interesting!  Seems that different dealers have different views on whether Skoda can now provide a warranty for a 2009 car...  Did you have to negotiate this at all?  Does your Octy have a full Skoda service history?

I found the variation in price huge, I got mine from SG Smiths Skoda - Croydon. I have FSH and owned from new but you can by a skoda "backed" warranty as long as there are no gaps in warranty cover. In the past I have got some off. It also includes RAC/Skoda breakdown.

I know its the audi site but they can quote you https://www.audiextendedwarranty.co.uk

For my 59 Elegance 1.8 DSG, audi quoted between £400 and £800 (approx), depending on current miles and miles per year and £ excess.  

Not had chance to update this since I had the car back a few weeks back.

 

In the end I paid £1095. I've had pretty much a new top end, new head, cams etc, new chains and tensioner. Skoda contributed 70% so the the total cost would have been around £3650. 

 

Car is driving well and I'm happy with the outcome and the support from Sinclair Swansea.

Thank you for that update.