Hi,

 

I'm hoping to tap into some of the collective wisdom of the forum.

 

I am looking for something a bit more practical & economical than my current 3Dr Civic, and have been drawn towards the MK1 Fabia Estates.

 

They are practical while not being massive barges, there seems to be quite a few available in the 2001-2004 age range with around 100K miles on the 1.9 Diesel lump with full service history for around £2-2.5k

 

I know these engines, or varients of, are capable of starship milage, and as im now doing 20k miles a year would be ideal, but are there any reasons why these cars might be a problem?

 

I appreciate that they are now 10 years old and have the same issues that all older cars have, but are there any known issues or things i should look out for if I go and have a look at one?

Mines at 82K and going strong. Look for one with good service history and at least 1 cam belt change if done more than 60K.

 

Very reliable and economical I would say. The only real issue I've had is the door leaks (from  my own experience) but it's an easy fix.

 

I love my Fabia!

 

Chip

If mine lasts as long as this, I'll be very chuffed indeed....

http://new.skoda-auto.com/en/news/2013-07-03-fabia-one-million-kilometers

 

I make that over 620,000 miles?

 

The PD engines need the correct oil to prevent premature camshaft wear... apart from the gearbox being crunched to bits by the previous owner of my car, plus leaky doors, binding rear brakes and the foam collapsing on the drivers seat (prev owner must've been a fatty, who can't change gear!) it's been fine over the last 20K miles I've owned it. The Air Con needed regassing too, but that's not something specific to Fabias.

 

As mentioned above, cambelt and waterpump needs doing every four years or 60K, whichever comes first. Mine's still on the original waterpump though, as being a daft sod, I didn't check that had been done as well when I bought it. 

 

All problems were relatively inexpensive to sort and the car's running much better than when I bought it now, and seems to be getting better with age. It's only done just short of 90K at the moment though.

 

Although mine's not an estate, I've had no trouble loading the thing up with all my work gear and it's comfortable enough for long trips. I've had crazy high MPG on long runs through managed motorway (recently got over 80MPG on a return run between Sheffield and Watford, I think I had the wind behind me for that trip though), and have no trouble exceeding 60MPG at NSL with the car fully loaded.

 

I find blocking the top grille helps to speed warm up in the winter months, and seems to improve MPG by around 5%, which cancels out the effect my winter tyres have on efficiency.

 

Condensation can be an issue in colder weather, even with the door seals fixed. Leaving a pair of these on the parcel shelf (or elsewhere in the car) means I can get in the car and drive with no misted windows most days.

 

If I were buying again, I'd be more diligent checking the service history, and I'd take it for a decent test drive to ensure the gearbox hasn't been crunched to bits (even though that's probably quite rare!). 

 

I'm very happy with my Fabia. I think it's just about the best I could've got for my budget and needs. Having this site here for information is a godsend too.  

I have a 2006 Fabia Estate 1.9PD that has now done 72,000 miles.

 

The only issues I have had is leaking rear doors (as mentioned very common), which I fixed myself nearly 2 years ago with no recurrence since. The load signal wire from the alternator broke too.....this is a very common problem on the 1.9 TDI engines in the Fabia/Ibiza/Polo. Basically the wiring loom from the alternator is slightly too short, causing chaffing and eventual breakage of the wire at a plug in front of the gearbox. Another easy fix. You can tell if this wire is broken when you turn the ignition on.....look for the battery light before you start the engine....it should light up, if it doesn't the load signal wire is likely to be broken. 

 

As said above, service history with the correct oil is important on any PD engine. The cam lobes will wear badly if the wrong oil has been used in the past which will be very pricey to put right. 

 

They are very practical. The estate is about a 30 cm longer than the hatch and all this extra space has gone onto the boot space......it is very large and with the rear seats down you get a huge load space......just under 6 feet in length, which is impressive for a small car.

 

I use mine pretty much exclusively for a 25 mile commute on open roads, so I get pretty good MPG......my long term average is just over 62 MPG calculated, but on one tankful I got 68 MPG. 

 

Overall it has been a very good car. It it much than the Vauxhall Corsa it replaced in terms of economy, reliability, build quality and driving experience.  

Edited 30 April, 201412 yr by booke23

As said above - FSH, cam belt and water pump changes are essential at 60k/4years

Doors seals

The front bushes and suspension too don't forget, can be a problem with it being a big lump of an engine in a relatively small car, and need replacing but I suppose are wear parts so it is to be expected.

About the above link regarding mileage: I knew of a Skoda Octavian that had been an airport taxi and had just over 600k on the clock, regular oil and filter changes and the belt changes, it was still on the original gear box as well!? Reliability 'personified'

JRJG