Mildly redacted letter I sent SUK below - I will keep you appraised of progress.

My car is a keeper, so I am massively concerned that repair will result in rust in 8 years OR Not-repair  and just monitoring in case it gets worse may result in the problem getting worse over time, probably outside of warranty.
Essentially, could be damned either way...

Obviously I'm also worried that the repair may be imperfect.

If it was a 3-year company/lease car I wouldn't be too fussed, but I'm playing the long-game.

Hi,

 

I collected my brand new Octavia Scout 184 DSG yesterday (24/6/15) from XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

 

During the handover it was noted that the car had some paint defects. This was documented on the handover document by myself and my salesman. This has so-far been handled very well by the dealership.

 

Document available on request, photos available on request.

 

I'm aware that this is a warranty item and you would enact a repair immediately and without complaint.

 

It looks as if the top clear lacquer is poorly bonded to the paint. It is particularly worrying as it is in the area where the Scout's plastic mouldings meet the body - making me worry that there may be horrors lurking  under the plastic or may develop elsewhere in the future.

 

I am in a quandary - I intend to keep the car long term, and as I see it, there is a risk of the problem spreading if I leave the defects unresolved.

There is also a significant risk that if the original factory painting and metal preparation is disturbed that the areas may corrode in the future - outside of the warranty period.

 

I have suffered before from an insurance repair at a Skoda approved bodyshop that was promised to be as good as new - several years later the affected wing of my car rotted, whilst the untouched one remained fine.

 

I wish for you to arrange for me to discuss my options with a master bodywork repair technician at an approved bodyshop (Probably the local Volkswagen one)

 

Regardless of whether I choose a repair OR watchful waiting to see if the problem progresses, I  want an undertaking in writing from Skoda that any and all issues that arise over the *entire life of the car* that are related to these manufacturing defects OR the repair of these defects will be remedied by Skoda without complaint.

 

I would like a case/complaint to be opened, a case number and a named case handler.

 

 

Finally, I would like you to confirm - Was my vehicle supplied from the factory set on long-life/interval servicing. I did not specify when ordered, but I had believed that the default is for them to be set to long-interval servicing.


 

Thanks for posting this Jono .. Points you raise about rust developing well-founded - particularly under the plastic mouldings.

Some of us here, well remember the rust traps on 60s and 70s cars. BMC, in particular, had a great fondness for hiding rust traps under chrome trim !! And they weren't the only ones.

 

Reading this alerts me to be very watchful when picking up my motor in the next week or two.

 

It hadn't occured to me that there might be lacquer problems on metallics. Obvious though when you mention it.

 

Keep us posted with how you get on.

It's these sort of posts that make me feel like I've not made the right decision ordering another Skoda :P

 

Hope you get it all sorted.

Personally I would have refused the vehicle and because of the potential for future problems after repair would have requested a replacement.

If the repairs do turn out to be a problem you are faced with possible long term issues.

I had similar with a different marque a few years ago and had untold problems which only got resolved after legal action. Coincidentally it was to do with a lacquer coat problem which the dealer tried & failed to rectify.

I hope yours is a better outcome.

On a brand new car I would be like kalpat - I'd reject the car.

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Skoda have responded... to say they will respond....

Will keep you informed - unless they are reading this thread and want to offer me a replacement with every option ticked. In which case I'll happily sign an NDA...

If I'd have noticed a defect such as that during handover I certainly wouldn't have been driving it away. I've had promises of remedial work done at a later date and its had to be chased repeatedly and then when done not even up to scratch. Never again would I accept the vehicle with a fault, especially not one as potentially troublesome as a paint defect. Good luck with getting it resolved.

Unrelated to the paintwork but I'm sure that the answer to your last question can be checked on the cars computer. The number of miles / days until the first service should confirm which service interval you are set to.

Unrelated to the paintwork but I'm sure that the answer to your last question can be checked on the cars computer. The number of miles / days until the first service should confirm which service interval you are set to.

Set on fixed, but interested to see if the service dept changed it deliberately.

Set on fixed, but interested to see if the service dept changed it deliberately.

If the sticker in the boot (left and above the spare wheel recess) has QI1 to QI5 then it was factory registered as fixed - if it says QI6 then it was flexible. The numbers are small and in the middle of a load of others but pretty central. Ours is flexible but also on lease. The workshop maintenance manuals explains this which I think I'd somewhere in the pinned thread.

1) What does the said paint defect look like? (So that others and I may check for the same on our cars)

2) Is there a clear cut way to check the service interval set in the car (some menu in the infotainment, message to look for).

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SUK phoned back with a case number, mostly to take more details to get back to me in another 48hrs.

 

The paint defect does not photograph well, and I'm not publishing them online at this stage.

 

The car is black. Looking straight at it you can't see the defects well, but from an angle with light falling on it there are bright reflective patches that look like the lacquer is not bonded to the black paint underneath. A colleagues car has the lacquer coming off it, it looks akin to the early stages of that.

 

As it is where the plastic meets the bodywork, it makes me wonder if it was caused by excessive force on the plastics during assembly and so I'm worried about what else may be lurking underneath in the dirt/water trap that it is.

 

Not easy to see at this time,  but worried it will progress.

 

Otherwise the car is great, can't wait til it's run in and I can unleash the beast properly.

If the sticker in the boot (left and above the spare wheel recess) has QI1 to QI5 then it was factory registered as fixed - if it says QI6 then it was flexible. The numbers are small and in the middle of a load of others but pretty central. Ours is flexible but also on lease. The workshop maintenance manuals explains this which I think I'd somewhere in the pinned thread.

Have you seen an O3 destined for the UK market with anything other than QI6 on the vehicle data sticker? AFAIK they all leave the factory as QI6 when UK spec.

Have you seen an O3 destined for the UK market with anything other than QI6 on the vehicle data sticker? AFAIK they all leave the factory as QI6 when UK spec.

Been like that ever since they brought in variable servicing

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The longer it goes and you continue to drive it I suspect there will be a chance that they will turn around and say that an outside influence has caused the problem.

I would return it immediately to the dealer-demand a courtesy car in the interim and insist on a NEW car. Not debatable.

Hmm, Skoda give what? A six year paint warranty?

I'm afraid that's all you will get even if repaired. For example, if in year five of ownership they do a paint repair, then you don't get six year warranty on the repair, rather one year.

No manufacturer will give an extended warranty past that age

The longer it goes and you continue to drive it I suspect there will be a chance that they will turn around and say that an outside influence has caused the problem.

I would return it immediately to the dealer-demand a courtesy car in the interim and insist on a NEW car. Not debatable.

 

My issue is not

 

"Will they repair it"

 

Because they will. It is logged and photographed and can't be blamed on a stone-chip.

 

The issue is.. "Its small and mostly unnoticeable - is repairing it, or leaving it until I can tell if it is actually destined to get worse or not" the best option.

I am loathe to have the paint and factory metal preparation sanded off and resprayed inferiorly only for that side of the car to rot in 8 years if the blemishes were never progressing anyway.

I want the option of it being logged and SUK accepting my request without argument at any point between now and the death if the car to repair the blemished paint. 

Unlucky. Have you been told it's a one off? Unfortunately it's common, even my dealer admits he has a lot of paint work problems.

I too bought a keeper but following a skoda paint fiasco on a new car it's no longer a keeper.

If u can I would reject or seek a big goodwill gesture to compensate. I received a four figure goodwill gesture so there is hope!

Disappointing though to keep reading of paint problems. I personally think it's the brands weakness.

My issue is not

"Will they repair it"

Because they will. It is logged and photographed and can't be blamed on a stone-chip.

The issue is.. "Its small and mostly unnoticeable - is repairing it, or leaving it until I can tell if it is actually destined to get worse or not" the best option.

I am loathe to have the paint and factory metal preparation sanded off and resprayed inferiorly only for that side of the car to rot in 8 years if the blemishes were never progressing anyway.

I want the option of it being logged and SUK accepting my request without argument at any point between now and the death if the car to repair the blemished paint.

Would rejecting it now and having it replaced with a new car not be a better option?

Would rejecting it now and having it replaced with a new car not be a better option?

I suspect an available same/similar spec car would be as rocking horse ****. Awaiting a respone from SUK Mon/Tue.

I'll see how they plan to resolve it.

I suspect an available same/similar spec car would be as rocking horse ****. Awaiting a respone from SUK Mon/Tue.

I'll see how they plan to resolve it.

You might have a wait to get same spec but insist on a loan car until they source you a replacement. I think it's a shame you took delivery in the first place, you would be in a much stronger position had you rejected it there and then. As I said in my previous entry taking action after the event is a pain in the *rse. They can use all sorts of delaying tactics and try to wear you down if my experience is anything to go by.

Maybe Skoda will be better than the brand I dealt with.

Edited 29 June, 201510 yr by kalpat

I suspect an available same/similar spec car would be as rocking horse ****. Awaiting a respone from SUK Mon/Tue.

I'll see how they plan to resolve it.

Come on Jono - where is todays update?

 

Or have you signed that NDA already

Ah sorry guys, nothing to add yet, I'll expect a call tomorrow or chase it up tomorrow evening.