Warranty woes

[CazzaVR]

My Octy vRS has developed several niggly probs. I had it looked at by Clist and Rattle (South Bristol) a month or so ago, and was totally disappointed in their service (see the review section!).

Booked it in today at Bamford's in Gloucester for the 9th Jan. Two of the probs the car has are:

slipping and burning clutch

terrible brake noise in reverse (I know this is common)

The guy I spoke to said they wouldn't be able to do anything about the clutch. He said it was a common VW prob because VW clutches are 'soft'. I pointed out that a slipping clutch is dangerous etc and he said they'd have a look. This doesn't fill me with confidence though. He just seemed to want to fob me off with anything he could think of!

He then said that the brakes in reverse is also a common VW prob, with no fix, so again, nothing they can do. I mentioned the damper kit and gave the part no (6Xo698998), but he said that was for the Fab vRS :confused: He went on to say they wouldn't look at this prob because Skoda UK wouldn't pay them for it.

Can anyone shed any light on these? Not impressed with Skoda dealerships at all!

[Garibaldi_Red]

I had the brake modification kit fitted to my Octy VRs yesterday (under warranty), so don't know if it will fix the problem 100%. Saying that there seems to be varying degrees of success for those who have had it done.

My dealer had no qualms about doing the modification, although they did seem to think it was more of a Fabia problem. Can't comment on whether the dealer would get reimbursed for this work (I would suspect so, but perhaps others can advise better). From the bit of paper I got, and from what I can remember, the modification kit costs just shy of

[TaviaRS]

Try Williams in Bristol or if you can go further afield, Irvines in Bridgwater really are excellent!

[DGW]

IFrom the bit of paper I got, and from what I can remember, the modification kit costs just shy of

[CazzaVR]

Thanks guys. Have also emailed Skoda U.K. to see what the official line on this is. I'll keep you posted.

[Garibaldi_Red]

Are there any part numbers on the invoice that you could post here for future reference?

S6X0698998 - VRS Brake Modification Kit -

[fordfan]

Clutches are funny things for warranty, whether it is covered or not depends on the reason why it has been slipping and the only way to ascertain that is to take it out and have a look.

If it is slipping because it is worn then it won't be coverd by standard warranty, then the dealer is in the realms of appealing to Skoda for some good will on your behalf.

If on the other hand it is slipping due to a faulty pressure plate, oil contamination from the engine or gearbox or a fault in the mechanism then it should be covered along with the repair for the cause of the problem.

The trouble is that it is going cost money to have a look.

[CazzaVR]

Had a phone call today from Skoda UK in reply to my email.

They will closely monitor the clutch situation, and will chase the garage up after they've had a look to see what their decision is. Skoda UK said that it absolutely should not be burning or slipping after only 2000 miles, and that they would pay for the work if it gets replaced.

With regard to the brakes, they agreed with the garage that the damper kit was for the Fabia, so couldn't be fitted under warranty. They said that Skoda have been working hard to sort the Octy prob, which although it seems similar to the Fabia problem, it is actually different. The prob on the Fabia is to do with brake balancing, whereas on the Octy it's the compound used in the brake pads. They apparently produced some new pads which sorted the prob, but the materials no longer meet EEC regulations. As a consequence their research is ongoing, but there will defo be a fix in the near future.

Maybe it's worth changing for some aftermarket pads, although this wouldn't be covered under warranty.

[DGW]

Thanks for posting the feedback from Skoda UK. Very useful.

[Guest]

I'll second that DGW, cheers for the updates. Keep us posted please.

[CazzaVR]

Will do, chaps!