Hi,

I'm having some problems with my Fabia VRS after picking up last week.

I bought the car from a franchised Honda garage in Bedfordshire whilst visiting my parents. On the test drive I noticed a squeak, pointed this out and was told it would be fixed before collection. Whilst driving home the squeak returned and I also noticed that the headlight bulb had gone. On Sunday eve the day after I picked the car up the engine warning light came on. I rang the garage I bought it from on Monday and was told to book my car into a local Ford garage as it is part of the same 'group'.

Although the squeak got worse throughout the week, on Thursday when I took the car in it had rained and the squeak had pretty much gone. I tried to explain this when I got there but the mechanic seemed more concerned about not having the right diagnostic equipment to find out what's up. I was given a filthy courtesy car which they tried to charge me for and left it with them not exactly feeling optimistic.

Had a call yesterday saying evening saying "Skoda is done, pick it up tomorrow morning because we need our courtesy car back". When I got there this morning I was told that the engine light was just a faulty temp sensor and that they could not find a squeak. By the time I got home it was squeaking as bad as ever...

I don't know what to do now, neither garage seems to want to give me the time of day since they have already made their sale and I have no faith that they will ever do more than the very minimum just to get rid of me until the 3 month warranty runs out

Edited 9 March, 201313 yr by liam84

The squeaking is probably nothing to worry about but it shouldn't be doing it so i'd speak to dealer principal..... no joy trading standards.

Keep on at the dealer, and if you get no joy then mention trading standards, my last car was bought from a dealer and was nothing but trouble and after 4 month I managed to get all my money back, that's when I bought the skoda :-)

They have a duty of care for 6 month, they either have to fix it or give you your cash back.

Some of the posts above are frankly silly. The op admits he has been unable to demonstrate the squeak to the dealer yet people are already mentioning trading standards, with few if any relevant details being posted about the actual fault.

Under the SOGA the car has to be of reasonable quality relative to the amount paid. If it's a dash squeak it's probably not unreasonable, if the pads are down to bare metal then it is, as you're the only person to have heard this squeak could you provide some basic info about it? Is it inside the car or outside? Does it increase in frequency when cornering/braking etc? A bit like the dealer if you can't tell us it's very difficult to help and I'd hate to get a call from trading standards for not being much use at helping people on a forum

I'm not trying to pee in anyone's cornflakes here but it seems like everyone is jumping ahead without any real justification.

Oh and I hate Tapatalk for editing posts. It's useless.

Edited 9 March, 201313 yr by Avalon

Some of the posts above are frankly silly. The op admits he has been unable to demonstrate the squeak to the dealer yet people are already mentioning trading standards

You are right, firing in with Trading standards is the wrong way to go about it.

I think we were just trying to cut a long story short.

The squeak will most likely be your console bushes, instead of running around and getting to no where, buy a bottle of clear grease, and give a garage £10 to get it on a ramp and spray the console bushes. And the bulb will cost £2 from any motor factors.

SOGA is useless on wear and tear, you'll go to TS, they will say write a letter, you won't get any were with a letter, they will say go to a small claims court, dealer will say its a used car, with x amount of mileage, at x price, wear and tear, car was fit for purpose, it doesn't affect the safety of the car, and 99% would have a fresh MOT.

Should you prove the car is unroadworthy, you will get somewhere, if not, good luck trying.

http://www.tradingst...DV0003-1011.txt

all your rights etc are in there ^^

Edited 9 March, 201313 yr by Holmesie

The squeak is external and most noticeable at low speeds when pulling away, braking or on rough ground and road humps etc. It is loud and very intrusive. In terms of who has heard it, my girlfriend and parents have but more importantly the salesman from the dealership as he assured me it would be fixed before collection!

It does seem to go away in wet weather which is why I was unable to demonstrate the squeak to the dealer here, although I did explain that this was the case.

If it is just a case of greasing a bush I don't mind having a go but judging by the sound I would say they could be knackered!?

Edited 10 March, 201313 yr by liam84

I'll be honest, I haven't heard a console bush squeak on a Fabia. They don't rotate much, if they did the cup would wear, look at the pic below of a bush that's well past it's best (my car when I got it), this shows the origional design bush: ( | ) the later design is: ( X ) but neither rotate in the cup and certainly not while starting or stopping in a straight line, the big tear in the top is the main issue. If you knew the ball ache that goes into getting them in/out you'd understand why they don't spin.

I'm not doubting your squeak exists but it's more likely to be the ARB bushes, suspension or brakes rather than the console bushes.

Look at it from the latest dealers perspective, they didn't sell the car, they don't hold a related franchise so probably have minimal VAG specific knowledge or experience, that leaves the basics which should be enough for most things but if they can't replicate the fault or hear it then it's a big ask even with a general description from you. It's certainly not your fault but I don't think they've had a fair opportunity to fix it.

My suggestion is to contact the dealer who sold the car to you, don't go in with SOGA/Trading Standards as in all honesty they appear to have acted reasonably so far and as pointed out you can't even demonstrate a fault so haven't got a leg to stand on yet. Explain part of the issue is resolved but you still have a squeak and it's only noticeable when the weather is dry. They'll probably suggest you leave it for a week and see if it improves or worsens or book you back in a few days further on hopefully when it's dry. In the time before you go back when it's doing it get someone else to drive it slowly past you, this should help you work out which side it's from, pushing down on the affected side may cause it to squeak which would suggest suspension. I'm sure they'll get to the bottom but the more details you can give the easier it will be for everyone.

it could just be the anti rollbar bushes, they were renowned for squeaking on the MK1 Octavia. Given that it squeaks less when they are wet then thats where I'd be looking, since the water has the effect of a lubricant. The bushes may just need greasing up again.

Keep us informed about your progress with the squeak mate please, I have the exact same symptoms and it's starting to drive me mad. I know it's not the console bushes as the car has just been MOT'ed and I put it in to a garage with a reputation for being extremely strict and it passed without any mention of bushes. In fact it only needed a wheel bearing and that was for the opposite side. So, I am following your thread with interest, the suggestion of spraying the bushes with clear grease sounds good and I will do that as soon as I get a dry day (no garage, b**ger). I did the ARB bushes about 7 months ago but, I have never heard of them squeaking, knocking yes, but not squeaking plus I think they would last a little longer than 7 months, so, like you, I am puzzled as to what the problem is.

Good luck and I hope you find out soon.

Edited 10 March, 201313 yr by Coffin Dodger

I think I may have found the problem!

I took the car to my girlfriends parents earlier and her dad helped me out taking turns pulling away and stopping the car whilst the other listened for the squeak. We eventually pinpointed the sound to just behind the front wheels (as in towards the back of the car) and it was much worse on the drivers side. After grovelling around on my hands and knees for a while I spotted a large bush in exactly the place the squeak seemed to be coming from. I gave them both a good douse with silicone spray and it seems to have cured the squeak completely

Hope this helps you out a little Coffin Dodger and sorry I don't know the name of the bush in question, good luck!

Also, thanks for all the suggestions guys

Front wishbone rear bush?

Funnily I just had new wishbones fitted to my octavia and the left front wishbone rear bush squeaks a bit too......and it's brand new. Sometimes it's pot luck with squeaking bushes...even new ones sometimes do it.

I've had terrible squeaking & knocking coming from the front end recently. I had the wishbone replaces along with the console bush & it's now sorted.

Just need to sort out the droning noise from the rear now!

I think I may have found the problem!

I took the car to my girlfriends parents earlier and her dad helped me out taking turns pulling away and stopping the car whilst the other listened for the squeak. We eventually pinpointed the sound to just behind the front wheels (as in towards the back of the car) and it was much worse on the drivers side. After grovelling around on my hands and knees for a while I spotted a large bush in exactly the place the squeak seemed to be coming from. I gave them both a good douse with silicone spray and it seems to have cured the squeak completely

Hope this helps you out a little Coffin Dodger and sorry I don't know the name of the bush in question, good luck!

Also, thanks for all the suggestions guys

Thanks for the info mate, was the bush in an alloy housing with a metal spigot going through the middle of it, the spigot is part of the lower metal arm with a ball joint at the bottom of the wheel hub?

If so it's the consol bush and that's what I had thought was squeaking too. I'll give mine a good spray and hopefully that will cure my problems too.

Thanks again Liam.

If your car has been fitted (still), with the original style of TCA rear bushes, then if they tear/split one of the two ribs, then the inner element can move across and touch an area of the outer element - and that can cause squeaking, maybe worse in cold weather and after driving in salty conditions. Even the Cupra ones can cause "mooing" or other animal noises under similar weather conditions, but normally only under heavy compression conditions, ie crossing raised sections of road and speed bumps.

Thought I would give a bit of an update on this:

Several days after I gave the bushes a spray with silicone spray the squeak returned with a vengence. I was planning to take the car to a local Skoda garage to find out what the problem was and then report the finding back to the dealer in the hope they would finally fix it. However, before I had a chance I was greeted one snowy Friday morning to a red flashing engine warning light. As there is no bus route to my place of work and I couldnt get a taxi at short notice I ended up walking 4-5 miles to work. Over the weekend I contacted the dealer and they said that they would arrange for the car to be picked up on Monday and taken to a Skoda garage in Birmingham (Because someone at the dealer knew a guy there??).

After cycling to work in the snow last Monday no one came to pick up the car. I phoned the dealer and spoke to the service manager who basically said it was going to be a pain for them to pick it up and really he wanted the car there for him to look at. Eventually it was agreed as long as it had oil and water, it would be ok for me to drive the car back this Saturday and if anything happened it would be their responsibilty. I checked the car over Friday morning and was greeted with not only one red flashing warning light but also the original warning light that had come on the day after I bought it

I decided on the journey home that I had had enough of the car and that it was time to demand my money back as the car had done nothing but break since I got it and the squeaking which I had pointed on the test drive had never been fixed. This it turned out did not go well... A heated discussion with the dealership manager ensued in which he disregarded my warning lights as "just lights" and the interminable squeak as "just a dry bush" and put all other problems down to my location (kind of far away?) and that it was a "7 year old used car". When I told him that I would like to reject the car and asked for my money back I was told in no uncertain terms that I would not be getting my money back and that all they are prepared to do is fix the car (again).

As a kind of last insult, as I showed the problems to a mechanic before leaving the car and described how the engine warning light had been on before and had supposidly been fixed I was cheerfully told that "they probably just switched the warning light off" great!

So, I am now skodaless... again.

Well sorry for the long post, please let me know your thoughts and suggestions :think:

if you are really that un happy and wish to reject the car it may be worth getting in touch with trading standards and finding out exactly how you stand

If you bought the car in a usable condition then I would say that it would be fair to ask for a refund. You didn't buy a car with squeaks, a headlight that doesn't work and an engine light on. I have half an idea that it won't be the last time that you see the engine light either. You have already said that you have a lack of confidence in the garage that sold the car to you. If they sell you a car with problems that are blatant, it can only lead you to start thinking about how many latent faults lay round the corner. The squeak has to be anti-roll bar bushes. Mine are the same when I go over speed humps. My biggest fear for you is how carefully they have checked that car over before selling it to you.

While initially I thought you were being OTT the dealer isn't playing ball. here's what you do:

How was the car paid for? I'll assume not in cash as most dealers refuse to accept it above a certain value for either insurance or money laundering reasons. That leaves finance or card of one form or another. Contact the card issuer or finance provider, they have more clout than you do as they are the lifeblood of a dealership, especially a franchise dealer.

Contact trading standards local to the dealer, inform them of the issue. They will fob you off and suggest the next step but the fact you have contacted them adds weight to the next step and should be mentioned in it.

Next write to the dealer via recorded delivery, remind them of your rights under the SOGA and detail the faults taken and the response given, be factual. Reference your contact with trading standards and the finance/card provider. This isn't the time to be smart or snipe at the individuals you have dealt with, it will not help. Give them a *reasonable* time period to respond and outline what you want. I'd suggest giving them 7 working days from the date the letter is delivered (RMRD gives you a time/date/name). In terms of what you ask them for i'd suggest two options.

A full refund of the amount paid (if a card payment) or the unwinding of the finance agreement and any deposit refunded.

The second option would be the car to be independently inspected by a Skoda franchise dealer, it's faults rectified by them at the Honda dealers expense as the other dealers involved so far have each admitted they are not suitably qualified to work on the car.

Yes it is a used car but work that was identified on the test drive was not carried out to a reasonable and competent standard as agreed. Subsequent significant faults have occurred and the support provided has not been of the standard expected. While you don't expect trouble free ownership you do expect that faults that under the SOGA are assumed to be present at the time of purchase have not been resolved.

Then sit back and wait A dealer knows your rights, they don't want to deal with a card issuer and a finance company or trading standards, the more they have to the more they want your car fixed or the money back in your account.

Mine squeaked like a good un every time i changed gear and the weight of the car moved or if I when over slightly uneven ground. Replaced the front console bushes with the uprated recommended solid ones and no more squeaking.

Edited 2 April, 201313 yr by RAPTURE

Unless something disastrous has happened the garage will fix the car. Can appreciate that having two "return to garage" problems within weeks of buying your car is frustrating. As it stands any squeaking is frustrating but doesn't affect your use of the car. Irritates the hell, but doesn't prevent use. In my experience of a Fabia VRS suspension bits clonk/knock and brakes squeak.

Suspect you should cultivate some sort of unstroppy communications with the Ford garage if they're the ones working on the car.

Suspect you'll have to work hard to reject it at this point and fail unless the car's already dead/died.

Would advise getting onto any useful forums, maybe honestjohn or similar and chatting with CAB to establish acceptable reasons for rejecting a car. Would also start (if you haven't) running a log/diary of all communications between you and the dealership chain.

J.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Ive got the car back now, they have replaced the bushes a number of sensors and the radiator expansion bottle (?)

Car seems to be running fine but I'm completely fed up with it so I'm going to sell it :-(

I can understand why you have fallen out with your car, but why give in and lose money after all your inconvenience - do you really know that the next car you buy will be any better?

Also, if you keep this car for maybe 6 months or so, then maybe you can prove if it has been properly fixed - and if not challenge the vendor again with your log of what has happened in the past few weeks - does that not appeal?

NO DON'T SELL IT!

As rum4mo says, use it and see how good it is when sorted. You'll have all the Fabia benefits of low running costs, reliability (yes!!) and 'Briskoda'.

We have Five Fabulous Fabias in our family and all the owners, despite some being initially sceptical, are delighted.