"The Yeti initially scored a five-star result for reliability, but in the 2013 Which Car survey it has dipped to an average three: most of its problems are minor, but owners have reported issues with the automatic transmission."

 

I wonder why - have they been reading this forum, perhaps? 

I'd say that was about right. Mine's a manual, so won't suffer from any such issues but it's not been fault free.

 

Air conditioning compressor, heated seat pad, rear wiper motor and some sort of oil pump (can't recall which part) all failed in the year I've owned it. And there are paint problems too.

 

I'm hoping it's just a bad year and will prove to be better for the remainder of the time I own it. My Fabia was fault free for 5 years, and I thought it was amazing. Then the head gasket had an issue, followed by the rad and finally the turbo expired. Another bad (and expensive) year!

I think these customer satisfaction surveys can be a little misleading.

They are not an absolute measure of quality but a measure of how well a car meets expectation.

 

If you buy the "budget" end of the VAG range (Skoda, Seat) then you have a slightly lower expectation.  Within limits, you are not so worried that you have a couple of minor issues.  But at the "premium" end (Audi, VW) you expect perfection because you have paid extra and you think it is utterly disgraceful that you have white worm in your VW badge (for example).

 

Skoda's high rating also has another factor.  Skoda owners are fiercely loyal.  We have seen this brand resurrected from the joke of the motor industry to a leading light and we want to trumpet that.  We love the brand, we need to boost the image to prove to everyone that we are not idiots for buying a Skoda and as a result are prepared to cut it a little slack.  So when we complete the surveys we forgive those little faults and keep them to ourselves.  But now the message has got across to Ford, VW and Vauxhall man and based on these surveys they switch brands and expect the cars to be perfect - but of course they are not, they were "duped", so they go out of their way to complete surveys to let it be known that they were "right all along - Skoda's are carp!!".

 

Another factor is that Skoda's are no longer quite the "budget" cars they were.  They are priced much closer to the opposition and getting closer with every new model release.  Expectations are rising.  There are new budget brands squeezing in underneath - Dacia, Kia etc that are at various stages of jokehood but won't be for long!!  In fact Kia have probably left the joke category already.

 

I hope I am wrong but I see Skoda's reign at the top of the satisfaction charts coming to an end. 

I agree with eccleshill above.

 

But, as each year passes there will be another year of production and effectively the first cars will have done a year more more miles and are a year older. I would have thought that more cars and older cars will show up more faults.

Even with the issues mine has had, I'd not consider it c**p. It's still a fab car, I love it and would recommend one to anyone asking.

 

A good number of my family and friends are involved with the motor trade, and the horror stories I've heard about premium brands such as Mercedes, VW, Audi and Land Rover, make me realise how reliable *touches wood several times* these cars are. I think anyone who believes Skodas are joke material these days, have had their head up their own backside for the last decade...

 

One hopes that this sort of feedback from customers will ensure Skoda strive to improve their cars for the future.

A lot of supposition on who is a 'Skoda owner' that I do not completely buy.

 

As a first time Skoda owner I am a bit disappointed with reliability/build quality issues.

Just because a car is at the so say 'value end' of the market doesn't excuse poor quality.

 

I buy the car that best fits my requirements and largely ignore the brand and any opinion is

based on my experience ... not a good sample but it's my money I'm spending.

Buying at the top end does not always mean high reliability/high quality..

Had good and poor experiences with B.M.W's for example but generally found dealers

fall over themselves to address issues (only based on my experience, in case you know different).

Not very impressed with Skoda dealers. a bit to laid back and can't be bothered, easier to fob you off.

 

I'm afraid all this don't knock it it's  a Skoda and keep quiet if you have a bad experience mentality doesn't register with me. Why do we owe anyone who gives us bad service any over the top loyalty?

And this thread shows the disparity of these "surveys".

 

Mine is now 3+ years old with 68k miles on the clock, and other than normal "consumables" I have had very few replacements to buy. Yes i have a paint problem on one wheel arch, but much of that I put down to the things I do with the car, the roads I drive on, and the fact that I don't take much care of it. Mechanically it has been perfect.

 

I read Kibby's posting above and get the impression he is "faulting" the model over his dealer's behaviour. I've now dealt with 3 dealers; the first was the supplier but who wasn't willing to replace a DRL bulb soon after I got the car, the second replaced the bulb and serviced the car but I didn't feel "comfortable" with them, the third I have to travel 80 miles each way to see, but they seem to want my custom and put themselves out to deal with me. However I can't decry the car because of two poor dealers.

 

I also think that any car forum give sa very false view of any car. Most forums are populated mostly by people asking questions because they have a problem and need an answer, and a few "odd" people who are willing tompraise their car and give advice. The former vastly outweigh the latter.

A bit of both Graham...Dealer and car.

But still not found an alternative I like better.

Yes these forums can be unrepresentative as you tend to raise issues as well as add praise.

6300 topics and 100000 replies equates to a fair sample though.

 

At this point will probably change like with like and as car is getting older model wise quality

and reliability issues should be improving if Skoda (not Skoda UK , no chance) are on the ball.

Edited 23 July, 201312 yr by kibby

Which? also mention 'problems with the electrics' reported by owners as one of the reasons for the unusually sudden fall in the reliability rating.  And this from a car that was rated last year as one of the most reliable cars on the market!

 

Could it be that they're being built with just the first 3 years' reliability (and the warranty) in mind?

We won't be replacing for another 2 years, by which time I'll have done 100k.

I've looked at the Rapid Sportback(???) but it doesn't have the towing capacity we need, so that is out, and the Octavia is just too big, so another Yeti is a distinct probability.

If we didn't have the caravan it would be a Citygo.

And at the moment Sinclair's will be getting our business.

 

Re the 3 year thing:

No chance! No manufacturer would be that stupid.

 

I wonder what the "sample" was in this survey? One of the problems with any survey is that a small sample, perhaps with a preponderence of one model can scew the figures. So a large number of 1.2's with their lead problem would give a false result.

 

Lies, damned lies, and statistics!!

Could it be that they're being built with just the first 3 years' reliability (and the warranty) in mind?

I don't honestly see how Skoda would do that, even if they were minded to. You can't easily design an electrical component with a specific and finite lifespan in mind.

Personally I think that the QA on the electrics just isn't as good as it could be. I've had to have a starter motor replaced (because of electrical problems) and I have various other odd but minor gremlins with the electrics that show themselves maybe once a week. eg the radio will turn itself off in mid-journey or the day/night sensor gets it completely wrong, but only every now and again. Nothing ever shows up on diagnostics and you'd have to be driving around with me for a month to see a repeat of a particular fault. I've just learned to live with it. But the electrics are not a paragon of virtue.

As already said, the whole buying and running of a car can be a very different experience depending on personal expectations, dealer attitude, previous cars and so on.

 

 However, from my point of view, I get a car every three years and have to run it until the lease is up and then choose again.

 So, first car a Peugeot 306, HDi, this was ok, all the trim fell off, lots of rattles, a new alternator, a new seat and regular servicing, the car never failed to get me from A to B, service was dreadful from the dealer.

 Second car, Passat PD TDi estate, brilliant car, the only thing that broke was the gear box but this was down to me doing "J" turns on black rock sands, box was replaced under warranty, dealer was woeful though, poor service, problems after servicing even down to body damage when in for a service.

 Third car, Mitsubishi Grandis, another dreadfully put together car, lots of trim issues and then the list of issues, alternator went, clutch went, turbo pipes would blow off regular, lots of black smoke with no cure from the dealer, when this car just clicked over 100k miles it was using 1 litre of oil per 500 miles and a litre of water everyday! On a positive note, Mitsubishi had some decent courtesy cars, usually a big warrior pick up or even a shogun once!

 Then it was an Audi A4 B8 Avant, 143 tdi, one issue in three years, a dpf sensor, changed and resolved, service was good and car quality was also good.

 BMW 520D, 60 registration, I had this car for 1 year, as somebody had left the company, trim fell off, windscreen cracked when pushing on on a B road, service from the dealer was awful, it was booked in for work to be done as the rear callipers seized, i arrived on the book in time to be told the parts were not available, go away for another week. This car then died when my colleague had it, just cut out with all the dash lights on, BMW had it for three weeks trying to find the fault, eventually with lots of new parts on it the problem was resolved, BMW courtesy car???  A daewoo matiz!

 

 Now the Yeti, it is 2 years old, 88,000 miles, only had servicing and a drivers eat heat pad done under warranty and excellent service from Mitchells near Cheshire Oaks, I really can't fault this car or the dealer, I have another 12 months with the Yeti and am looking forward to it, I am concerned over one thing and that is the whine in the transmission, this may present as an issue over the next 12 months but I will have to wait and see.

 

 So, from all the cars I have had, it is good, who knows what car I will replace it with as I have never had the same car twice.

Oh joy! And we're about to join the Skoda family when we collect Ottie on Friday! Just what I wanted to read...

Still doesn't alter the fact that my Yeti is a great great car - age 3 - and I am happy to keep it for another 3 yrs or so.

 

As a Which subscriber I would not have been happy if the rating had stayed at 5*

90000 miles in two years and only a heated seat pad replaced, I would be happy to have another.  However work have other ideas.

I would be happy to have another.

Me too. No make/model is perfect but Skoda is as good as anything else.

But for me I think it will come down to whether the FL has a powerful petrol DSG. If not then I may be thinking Q3.

Second Yeti -two heated seat pads on the first only 20k miles but the first time in more than 40 years on the road I have even considered buying the same model again.

What conclusion -if any- can be drawn from a Which downgrade? Either the car is now less well designed or built or just that by the time a model is in its 4th year some early ones may show signs of overuse, under use or that bane of modern motoring service schedules designed by accountants to impress fleet managers whose interest in a vehicle ends when it goes to auction. 

As to Which ratings,I have never found it a good guide for anything beyond domestic appliances and their subscriber base is a self selecting sample-(used to include me for some years and they are harder to get rid of than jehova's witnesses)-which is weighted by the number of penny pinching people who do not have any instinct for style or appreciation of why it might even matter.

I suspect a more relevant and helpful measure is, for example, a combination of JD Power ratings and the market which says they retain high residual values. Of course they are not perfect but combine above average quality with a high degree of capability and quite a lot of fun. Even their detractors who have more reason to vent their dissatisfaction than those who are just satisfied have to say so haven't so far caused me to regard the yeti in any different light.

it may be, of course, that the fall in reliability reported by Which? subscribers reflects the desire by Skoda to chase numbers (to deal with the waiting list and increase profits) rather than quality.  This is exactly what happened with VW itself (which, back in the day, had an enviable reputation for quality and reliability) and with companies such as Toyota.

Oh joy! And we're about to join the Skoda family when we collect Ottie on Friday! Just what I wanted to read...

Don't worry. The good far outweighs any minor gremlins that may arise during ownership. I still love mine and it makes me smile each time I drive it. They don't get such glowing praise from the media for nothing.

 

"Ottie" indeed... 

On my second Yeti only a few rattles on the first - and I love the second one more than the first so right now if I had to buy another car it would most likely be another Yeti.

I've previously had 1 estelle, 2 favorits, 1 felicia and 5 octavias, the worst I had with any of those was replacing bulbs. In 10000 miles the yeti has had a new air con compressor and a new interior after a faulty sunroof caused mould in the car.

All fixed rapidly by west end garage without a quibble, but it would make me think twice about another yeti. Rapid space back looking good though.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

I've had one or two Skodas myself and we currently have four in the family.

Other than a clutch cylinder failing on my 2010 Fabia Greenline II at around 10k miles we've never had any issues.

 

When you consider my Yeti has not exactly had an easy life with three track days and quite a bit of towing (usually over 1500kg) it's turned out to be a great car in the 18 months/24k miles I've had it.

90000 miles in two years and only a heated seat pad replaced, I would be happy to have another.  However work have other ideas.

Wow! Takes me back to my days with company cars...that's impressive.

I cant complain about reliability. Ive never really had an unreliable car (touches wood!) but the Yeti has been exceptional tbh. Without boring everyone with detail - any car that can do 6,000 miles around central Europe in five weeks, including 14 hour stints in 44 degrees of heat reliably, gets my vote of confidence. Oh, and its running over 100% more power and torque than the factory ever intended!   

Don't worry. The good far outweighs any minor gremlins that may arise during ownership. I still love mine and it makes me smile each time I drive it. They don't get such glowing praise from the media for nothing.

 

"Ottie" indeed... 

Long form of her real name, which is Otka.