The way I am feeling at the moment no probably not.

 

I am beginnign to prefer the french (I know I know) styling, and a 2 year old laguna costs about the same as a 7 year old octavia, and I would say comparing the cars that I know, the french cars are by far less problematic. Everyone with VAG's I know so fa this  year the problems I can list are:

 

2007 Octavia - DMF, DPF, Sludge in sump, Turbo, rear wiper

2012 A3 - NEW DSG, DPF, DMF, ESP Module

2008 Golf Plus - Turbo, DMF

2013 A4 - DPF, Turbo, Lighting Module for Xenons

2003 A3 - DMF, Turbo, Gearbox, Pipes

2008 A4 Allroad - Turbo, Fuel Pump, injectors

2004 Octavia - Turbo

 

 

Having had the 'pleasure' of Renault ownership (a Scenic), NEVER AGAIN!  Pure unmitigated disaster zone from start to finish.  Just about everything electrical gave up, the final straw was the auxiliary drive belt failure (for the third time due to a design fault) which took out the cambelt because there was no shield around it.  French cars are cheap to buy but expensive to own, the parts are pricey and you need plenty of them!  One of the companies I do a fair bit of fleet training for has Meganes as company cars, the darned things are always in being fixed!  

 

I have met very few Renault owners who have not experienced significant problems.

 

VAG may not be perfect, but they seem to be better than most.

 

Would I buy another VAG vehicle?  It is very likely.

My octy is 11yrs old with 171k on the clock. And apart from general wear and tear its fine. Cheap to run insure etc. Only killer is road tax due to its age. Mrs citigo is great, one rattle from dash turned out to be a clip that had cracked and fallen down a gap, fixed under warranty.

I would buy anothe octy - nothing else has the practicality in the budget i have. Loking at changing the citigo for a bigger car due to space now with the baby gear to be carted, toying with a fabia or a Rio as they are same kinda cost. Will just depend on dealer offer and what the missus feels more comfortable driving.

I owned a cordoba which just died at 126k, octy felt a lot more solid than it did and has been much more trouble free.

I do occasionaly look at lagunas and think... mmmmaaybe. Then i sit in one and as soon as i touch anything i want out again! I just hate the feel of anythjng french!

My octy is 11yrs old with 171k on the clock. And apart from general wear and tear its fine. Cheap to run insure etc. Only killer is road tax due to its age. Mrs citigo is great, one rattle from dash turned out to be a clip that had cracked and fallen down a gap, fixed under warranty.

I would buy anothe octy - nothing else has the practicality in the budget i have. Loking at changing the citigo for a bigger car due to space now with the baby gear to be carted, toying with a fabia or a Rio as they are same kinda cost. Will just depend on dealer offer and what the missus feels more comfortable driving.

I owned a cordoba which just died at 126k, octy felt a lot more solid than it did and has been much more trouble free.

I do occasionaly look at lagunas and think... mmmmaaybe. Then i sit in one and as soon as i touch anything i want out again! I just hate the feel of anythjng french!

I think the older Skodas are a good secondhand buy,providing they've got a service record.Sadly since VW started pressing Skoda for higher production numbers quality over the last few years seems to have suffered right across the range,though to be fair to Skoda they can only build with the sometimes outdated components they are forced to use by VAG on some models.I'd have another second hand one in a heart beat,but I wouldn't even consider buying new,though again...to be fair to Skoda I wouldn't buy new from any other manufacturer..buying new makes no economic sense to me in these tines we live in now.Until recently I've been used to old school UAZ,Lada's and Trabby's....i just don't need or wan't tech toys and flashing lights in a car,they are too much of a reliability worry/distraction.Modern car ECU and Canbus systems are being asked to do far too much these days.I wish VAG&Skoda would just go back to building a good,basic well screwed together car.

I've only ever owned 2 quality cars, an '86 Audi and a '14 SEAT (Skoda).  Both were well built and reliable. The others were mostly pretty poor, apart from the AX, but no-one would ever call that quality, even if it was very reliable over starship miles.

Skoda - No - Diesel especially takes aaaaaages to warm up, poor build quality as mentioned - and quirks in design that would end up costing a small fortune, if you don't like to take your chances with Chinese replacements.

 

VAG - Audi - Yes definitely, Excellent build quality and lovely to drive.

I used to do car sales years back and drove an Audi 80 sport with 150,000 miles on the clock, drove like new.

 

Other considerations would be Honda (owned three) and then probably the Korean brands, (if they are as good as they say and as nice to drive) or Mercedes, Volvo or Jaguar.

Edited 1 May, 201511 yr by Tilt

I must admit - i loved my Skoda and it was a fab car from new and the 3 years i owned it.

The many little niggles and poor dealership response on warranty was a big let down.

 

The only positive was having Briskoda Forum here to get the real story on issues etc

 

I have since owned VW and Seat..... and to be honest i'm unsure if i would buy again.

Brand loyalty and loyal customers are lost these days within the motor industry....IMO.

Currently - No.  The way my car is currently and the way Skoda dealer has dealt with myself is a disgrace.  Getting sick and tired of the car now roll on August.

I am disappointed to read all of these comments, mainly about later Skodas ... the Mk 1 Octavia estate I recently bought is my first Skoda, and I am delighted with it ... 126,000 miles and I am the third owner, fsh including cambelt/waterpump and clutch/flywheel 10,000 miles ago. I didn't pay a great deal more than those repairs cost for the car, taking into consideration a good px on my ancient LR Discovery... it nearly looks and certainly drives like new, taut, no rattles and phenomenal MPG...  55-58mpg on my regular fast run to Newbury from North Wales, verified brim to brim and sat nav mileage... (well after 25-30mpg with the Disco, I would say that wouldn't I ...

 

I thought that I may keep it for a year (I am retired on limited income)  then upgrade to something like a Mk 2 Octy vRS or Elegance, but the comments on this topic make me wonder whether to bother, for as an earlier poster mentioned,  the earlier Skodas (all models) may have been the more reliable and solid cars, and quality has deteriated over the years ?

 

So glad that this topic was raised ... Alan.

Edited 1 May, 201511 yr by AlanRHB

Well, i very nearly bought an older Volvo S60 D5 for the cruiser factor. And the seats. Dear God, the seats in the Volvo are a divine gift for the spine. At least for mine anyway.

 

I swerved at the last minute an opted for a newer Golf with a smaller engine (better mpg and lower tax).  But I can't help feeling a little sad everytime the car jiggles and shudders and thumps over road imperfections and think I'd have been isolated from all that in the Volvo.....

 

Would I buy another VAG.....I think the next time I replace my car (as opposed to SWMBOs, as she's already eying a Nissan) I might go Swedish.  VAG just seem lacklustre in terms of interior style and materials.

I am disappointed to read all of these comments, mainly about later Skodas ... the Mk 1 Octavia estate I recently bought is my first Skoda, and I am delighted with it ... 126,000 miles and I am the third owner, fsh including cambelt/waterpump and clutch/flywheel 10,000 miles ago. I didn't pay a great deal more than those repairs cost for the car, taking into consideration a good px on my ancient LR Discovery... it nearly looks and certainly drives like new, taut, no rattles and phenomenal MPG...  55-58mpg on my regular fast run to Newbury from North Wales, verified brim to brim and sat nav mileage... (well after 25-30mpg with the Disco, I would say that wouldn't I ...

 

I thought that I may keep it for a year (I am retired on limited income)  then upgrade to something like a Mk 2 Octy vRS or Elegance, but the comments on this topic make me wonder whether to bother, for as an earlier poster mentioned,  the earlier Skodas (all models) may have been the more reliable and solid cars, and quality has deteriated over the years ?

 

So glad that this topic was raised ... Alan.

 

 

I'm not sure quality has suffered but cars are increasing complex thanks to tightening emissions and demand for greater performance a lot more things to go wrong as my Grandad would say 

 

No-one is going to get in a mk3 Octy after driving a Mk1 and say that the new one isnt as good quality as the old , well they might but it just isnt true.    

And the seats. Dear God, the seats in the Volvo are a divine gift for the spine. At least for mine anyway.

 

 

Saab 9-3's have very comfortable seats also (IMO at least). That is another problem on the Octavia, Lumbar totally ineffective (mine is working, it's just crap imo).

 

 

 

Brand loyalty and loyal customers are lost these days within the motor industry....IMO.

Not just motor industry to be fair though. Most companies nowadays will rip you off if you let them.

Edited 1 May, 201511 yr by Tilt

I'm not sure quality has suffered but cars are increasing complex thanks to tightening emissions and demand for greater performance a lot more things to go wrong as my Grandad would say 

 

No-one is going to get in a mk3 Octy after driving a Mk1 and say that the new one isnt as good quality as the old , well they might but it just isnt true.    

A fair few manufacturers are known to have build and manufacturing quality issues, even after making quality cars previously, take Mercedes for example circa mid 2000's.

A fair few manufacturers are known to have build and manufacturing quality issues, even after making quality cars previously, take Mercedes for example circa mid 2000's.

I should know I bought one ! lol

 

Largely driven by an environmentally driven change to water based paints in fairness though. MB are hardly unique in that aspect as VAG owners well know

 

Biggest problem imo back then and with Skoda now is that the dealers didnt give a ****. MB learnt , hopefully Skoda will 

I am disappointed to read all of these comments, mainly about later Skodas ... the Mk 1 Octavia estate I recently bought is my first Skoda, and I am delighted with it ... 126,000 miles and I am the third owner, fsh including cambelt/waterpump and clutch/flywheel 10,000 miles ago. I didn't pay a great deal more than those repairs cost for the car, taking into consideration a good px on my ancient LR Discovery... it nearly looks and certainly drives like new, taut, no rattles and phenomenal MPG...  55-58mpg on my regular fast run to Newbury from North Wales, verified brim to brim and sat nav mileage... (well after 25-30mpg with the Disco, I would say that wouldn't I ...

 

I thought that I may keep it for a year (I am retired on limited income)  then upgrade to something like a Mk 2 Octy vRS or Elegance, but the comments on this topic make me wonder whether to bother, for as an earlier poster mentioned,  the earlier Skodas (all models) may have been the more reliable and solid cars, and quality has deteriated over the years ?

 

So glad that this topic was raised ... Alan.

You may be thinking differently had you had to pay for the cam belt, water pump, clutch and flywheel especially if all at the same time.

And if it looks and drives like nearly new with no rattles, and nice and tight, then it is way better than my mk II. Loads of creaks and rattles. It is reliable though.

I should know I bought one ! lol

 

Largely driven by an environmentally driven change to water based paints in fairness though. MB are hardly unique in that aspect as VAG owners well know

 

Biggest problem imo back then and with Skoda now is that the dealers didnt give a ****. MB learnt , hopefully Skoda will 

Are you retracting your previous statement then? Lol

 

No-one is going to get in a mk3 Octy after driving a Mk1 and say that the new one isnt as good quality as the old , well they might but it just isnt true.    

This one.

I would expect the quality of a Mk 3 to be light years ahead Rich, but lots of complaints on here which considering how long the Octavia has been in production should not happen... OK, each Mk version is perhaps a totally different car to the previous one, and that is probably the problem... surely they should learn from the previous version rather than just rolling out a totally different car each time with the same model name ?

 

The bills show those two jobs about 9 months apart Tilt, but the first owner had the car from new until he traded it in for another new one ... as over 10 years old, the Skoda dealer would then have farmed it out to a small non marque dealer, who was actually the second name/owner on the V5 ... yes I consider mine a bargain, even for an "old banger" ... me and the car ...

 

Alan.

 

edit : I hope the previous owner is as happy with his new Skoda as he must have been with this one to keep it for so long.

 

edit 2 :  two taxi owners locally have approached me with a view to buying it from me... I have only owned it for a month ...

Edited 1 May, 201511 yr by AlanRHB

Probably not, VAG build quality is good but the engineering seems very suspect, the list of major design flaws in engines, gearboxes and ancillaries that lead to mega repair bills is frightening, its not what I would expect from what is classed as a premium car company.

 

I am currently looking to replace my 56 plate Octy tdi VRS which is coming up to 90,000 miles and which has been very reliable and fun to own, but , used low mileage Octy Fls are expensive and rare.

 

I also think I may have been very lucky with mine in that the only problem I have ever had with it was an injector failure at 19,000 miles which fortunately coincided with the recall on Bmn engines , so it cost me nothing , seeing some of the horror stories here on Briskoda I might be pushing my luck in buying another .

 

I will probably end up going back to Citroen , I know you will roll your eyes and think idiot , but my family have owned 10 over the years and all were very reliable , the only failure we ever had was a rear spring snapping on a C2 GT , My last Citroen was a Xantia hdi 110 which did 160,000 miles with no problems , Apart from service items the only parts I ever replaced were indicator bulbs when the yellow paint fell off and a set of discs and pads , it was even on the original clutch which was still fine when I sold it .

Well, i very nearly bought an older Volvo S60 D5 for the cruiser factor. And the seats. Dear God, the seats in the Volvo are a divine gift for the spine. At least for mine anyway.

 

I swerved at the last minute an opted for a newer Golf with a smaller engine (better mpg and lower tax).  But I can't help feeling a little sad everytime the car jiggles and shudders and thumps over road imperfections and think I'd have been isolated from all that in the Volvo.....

 

Would I buy another VAG.....I think the next time I replace my car (as opposed to SWMBOs, as she's already eying a Nissan) I might go Swedish.  VAG just seem lacklustre in terms of interior style and materials.

​if you think the seats are nice in a volvo try an R36 they are heaven, no matter how far you travel you feel better than before you sat in it!

My VW Bora seats were like that

Are you retracting your previous statement then? Lol

 

This one.

I guess it depends on what you mean by quality , I mean nvh, quality of materials , finish, ride , performance and construction all of which have been better across the Skoda range as the models have gone on , reliability has largely been impacted by in most cases by the drive to lower emissions , Fabia and TSI engine issues (oil burning) , dpf failures of one kind or another , injector issues etc etc

 

MB had horrible issues with rust due to using water based paints but i dont think that counts as a quality issue just a screw up in manufacturing many of those cars of that era not affected with the paint issues still drive like new , I know my E320 CDI did , it was still great to drive but i couldnt face the constant visits to the body shop (all covered my MB goodwill though )

 

Just because a car has a issue doesn't automatically mean a drop in quality

This is going to be my first Skoda and first VAG car. Never liked the VAG models, particularly VW and Audi, Audi always thought the windows were too small and high on the body.

Had a range of cars throughout the years, but always a Land Rover as an alternate car (wife drives our current Freelander)

Not excited by the Octavia, but was unimpressed with the alternatives, like the new Mondeo Estate ( new seats not as comfortable as my S-Max) the Vauxhall insignia, volvo was nice but not well specked for the. same price and the Mercedes E class the seats were so uncomfortable I got backache from the test drive!

So will see how I get on with the Octavia...

At the moment probably not.  And somewhat oddly it's not because of my experience with the cars, it's the comments and negativity I see in the Fabia 2 forum.  

 

In recent years, between my wife and myself we've owned (all new or nearly new) a 2.0l Beetle, a Golf TDI PD estate, a Polo, a Beetle 2.3 V5, an Audi A2, a Fabia vRS Mk1 and a Fabia vRS mk2. The only problem we've had with any of the cars has been a minor problem that caused the Golf estate to go into limp home mode but it was painlessly and immediately sorted by VW under warranty.

 

But it is clear that many folk are having problems and that VAG will probably be very unhelpful.  If VAG wont back their product and the folk who've spent their hard earned cash on the cars talk them down, then I will probably spend my money elsewhere.

Yeah i would.

Its a no thrills car, but does what i want it to.

If i didnt get my thrills elsewhere i might think of something else though. Polo 1.8t maybe.

Work colleague a 2006 volvo v40. Bought it 18months ago when he started with us. In the last 6months its spent more time being fixed or stopped waiting to be fixed than he has been driving it.. an oil leak that lead to another oil leak and electrical faults, turbo seals exhaust issues. Pretty sure hes had a new clutch in too.. meanwhile my octy has keot on going with only the expected niggles of an 11 yr old car with 171k miles on it. Double whats on that volvo and parts are a lot cheaper!.

Volvo was owned at that time by Ford.

Since 2010 Volvo has been owned by the Chinese parent company first headed

by the Ex CEO of Volkswagen USA Stefan Jacoby who became the President of the Volvo Corporation.

(2013 & he became the CEO of General Motors.)

 

http://cbsnews.com/news/stefan-jacoby-leaving-vw-for-volvo-may-have-felt-passed-over

 

...............................................

There must be some degree of accuracy and truth in these surveys.

http://octagoninsurance.com/guide/car/car-reliability-survey

Edited 2 May, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi