The Columbus satnav & sound system on my 59 Elegance packed up completely 3 months out of warranty and I had to pay well over £500 to dealership, which apparently included 50% good grace pacckage from Skoda UK. Exactly 1 year later the mapping places me anywhere but where I am (sometimes in Prague), but mostly in the West country.  This is prob. due to water ingress through the roof aerial. Because the repair would involve removing all the internal roof lining(!) the cost will be well over £200. 

 

This together with failed heated seats & the execrable buzzy noise now coming out of the dash, I'm now truly fed up with the beastly behaviour of my monster.

 

Any advice?

I had a problem with my Passat CD/Radio some years ago due to water ingress via the aerial. I was advised by the dealer that if water gets into the cabling innards it travels all the way down to the radio and then into it. Luckily mine was replaced under warranty, I think it must be very rare and you are unlucky if it happens. I suppose it is good Skoda paid something's towards it, but £500 sounds a bit steep, I can't understand why manufacturers always give you 50% of the retail price, it would go down better if it was 50% of the cost to them. But well done Skoda in offering you something, they did not have to.

I had a problem with my Passat CD/Radio some years ago due to water ingress via the aerial. I was advised by the dealer that if water gets into the cabling innards it travels all the way down to the radio and then into it. Luckily mine was replaced under warranty, I think it must be very rare and you are unlucky if it happens. I suppose it is good Skoda paid something's towards it, but £500 sounds a bit steep, I can't understand why manufacturers always give you 50% of the retail price, it would go down better if it was 50% of the cost to them. But well done Skoda in offering you something, they did not have to.

This is a common problem with any coaxial cable

(the type fitted to car radios and TV aerials). The cables are air cored and are like a pipe with the conductor through the middle, some are foam filled but  the same applies, any water will find it's way along the cable to it's natural exit i.e. the radio/TV!

My Roomster radio suffered from this and I was told it was a common fault.

 

Fred