Potential new buyers - don't bother

[Orville]

It may not just be Skoda, but Skoda is the only brand who have provided me with compelling reasons never to use them again. Once bitten....

[TheWanderer]

I've had a Kia and it was the biggest pile of junk going, a fuel habit that nearly required me to buy a tanker, infotainment system that was programmed by a bunch of chimps, seats that kept on ripping, wheels that delaminated.

The so called xenon headlights were absolutely abysmal nothing like the power of the vRSs, no such thing as a tourist mode, you had to apply beam deflectors, a sat nav that I successfully managed to get confused and an automatic gearbox that would go up and down quicker and more frequently than a hookers drawers.

I got to the point where I actually thought about leaving the keys in the door pouch to see if someone would take it. I really did hate it with a passion, I couldn't have got rid of it any quicker and was more than happy to see the back of it.

I know that it was a bad un because the dealer I bought the previous vRS from sold it to a dealer in Bicester, who sold it to some unfortunate, who sold it to someone in NI, who kept it for a while and they obviously got peed off with it, because it was sold back to the dealer in Bicester again, its been sold again and not seen any trace of it since. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Edited 18 June, 2016 by TheWanderer

[Orville]

Every new car I have owned barring one (a Fiat Punto 1.9D) has had to return to the Dealers for warranty work. Things going wrong can be inconvenient, and in my experience the first year of a cars life tends to produce the most faults due to infant mortality rate. Every car consists of thousands of individual components of which some will not be equal to others. I never buy a car expecting it to be totally fault-free, otherwise what would be the value of a 3-year warranty?

So, given that cars WILL suffer faults, After-Sales Service becomes paramount to ownership experience. A major fault such as engine or transmission failure can be easily forgiven if the issue is resolved promptly and professionally by the Dealer. An example may be the Dealer providing a courtesy car until repairs are completed, keeping the owner updated with progress, washing the car, being polite, and being ready on time.

On the other hand, a minor fault can cause major upset if the Dealer fails to fix it first time, isn't ready when promised, or if they fob you off with excuses or tell you a pack of untruths.

What I am trying to say is that Customer Service is far more important than reliability, once you accept that cars generally will go wrong. Some Dealers are very good, some are very poor. The same also applies to Maunfacturers Customer Services. Some are very helpful, but Skoda UK (from my extensive and very recent exoerience) are absolutely terrible.

My Octavia is a very good car but it has been let down by shocking After-Sales. I can forgive the faults, but not extended and repetitive poor service.

[sworrall]

My mk iii was kind of the opposite.

 

Really good dealer with lots of apologies and quick turnaround (with loans cars) when things went wrong.  Only problem was things went wrong so often that I became big pals with the service guys as I was there all the time :(

 

Mk iii VRS TDI DSG Estate - Faults before I PX'd it

 

• 8(!) Auto boot lifters replaced (£500 each out of warranty so wasn't wiling to risk it)
• Boost sensor failed - Trailered back to garage
• Fault on ECO mode not re-engaging after coasting - Fixed after mine became the guinea pig for the new ECU software 
• Water pump failed - Trailered to garage and replaced (lost a days overtime on a Saturday)
• rattling/buzzing B pillar seat belt housing (Never really fixed despite several attempts and I gave up and fixed by jamming a coffee stirrer inside the unit)
• B Pillar seat belt housing replaced (worn cheap plastic)
• Passenger seat belt buckle failed and replaced
• Buttons on MFSW replaced due to sticking in cold
• 1st set of rear tyres saw toothed due to possible misalignment at factory
• DAB pretty much didn't work when it was cloudy
• Front door seals replaced due to water retention (we all know about this one!)

 

Finally terrible residuals compared to the 3 mk ii's I had.

 

I looked into a Superb or VRS 4x4 but Skoda's PX price was less than what BMW offered so I jumped ship.  

 

As with Orville's clutch plight above Im quite glad I did jump ship at the moment but if Im honest I don't really trust any car manufacturers nowadays.

Edited 18 June, 2016 by sworrall

[SurreyJohn]

The other part of the after sales that is bugging me is the distance / time to take the car there, as now so few and far between.

I have to drive about 25 mins in opposite direction from work, which with checking in time adds hour to journey, or go 15 miles beyond work to a dealer.

For wasting my time, I'm expected to put about £2-3 worth of fuel in one of their loan Citigo (why can it never be something comparable). I also get the please give us highest rating in survey request (please Skoda add a question, did dealer suggest an answer or are you answering as per own thoughts).

I too am probably leaving Skoda soon, even though I have owned (not leased) 5 including 2 L&Ks. It's time and distance to dealerships that counts against them. Yes I live in a London borough where you can't buy a new car (Kingston upon Thames) except a small sub branch of a Vauxhall dealership. Bet not many knew how brands now abandon parts of the country like our borough. Skoda are at least planning a dealership in Brentford, West London to try and plug some of the network gap, but no idea if its service Dept will be any good when it eventually opens.

Edited 19 June, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[silver1011]

Skoda are selling 10 times the number of cars that they were only a few years ago. Stands to reason that the number of disgruntled customers also increases ten fold.

 

9 times out of 10 it isn't so much Skoda and their cars but the franchised dealers they employ. Ultimately it is these guys that are the face of Skoda.

 

The OP needs to find a better dealer, not another car.

[marko]

cars are great but the dealers are scammers, my mk2 Blackline has had 2 warranty jobs done and it didn't need either! they just trying to make money out of Skoda    I've been so tempted to get a mk3 but hate dealing with dealers full stop, they are all the same   

[mikerajjers]

Skoda are selling 10 times the number of cars that they were only a few years ago. Stands to reason that the number of disgruntled customers also increases ten fold.

 

9 times out of 10 it isn't so much Skoda and their cars but the franchised dealers they employ. Ultimately it is these guys that are the face of Skoda.

 

The OP needs to find a better dealer, not another car.

I've been to two dealers and same experience.  I've even written to the Skoda importer for my country (only on facebook) and they have at least replied.  They have told me they will check what is going on and I will get a statement next week.  I took the Facebook route as I know companies hate negative comments.  I've been fair to them for now by not whacking it up on the public thread.  I've been polite but quite firm.  And have told them this will be my last Skoda.

 

I don't want any apologies, or compensation or anything like that, all I want is

1. fix my car as soon as possible (quicker than 1 week)

2. provide a courtesy car free of charge whilst mine is unroadworthy - after all it cost over 30K EUR, which I didn't may to have it parked at work and use another car

3. i'd be happy with a basic spec Citigo for the week...at least I'd see what its about.

4. and wash the damn thing as a nice gesture, because lets face it, sorting faults and not having use of car is inconvenient (and washing it costs about a fiver)

[SurreyJohn]

The OP needs to find a better dealer, not another car.

That's what everyone is thinking, but for many is no longer practical.

A decade ago was over 200 dealers, the problem is now just a few dozen dealers (if you count same ownership, but multiple sites as one). If you nearest alternatively managed dealer is 50 miles away, and don't like the attitude of local company, then choice is travel miles which is inconvenient, or go to another brand.

Have you noticed how Skoda UK are slipping down tables like JDPower (and would be further down if not being propped up by categories like value for money).

Edited 19 June, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[silver1011]

I don't want any apologies, or compensation or anything like that, all I want is:

 

1. fix my car as soon as possible (quicker than 1 week)

2. provide a courtesy car free of charge whilst mine is unroadworthy - after all it cost over 30K EUR, which I didn't may to have it parked at work and use another car

3. i'd be happy with a basic spec Citigo for the week...at least I'd see what its about.

4. and wash the damn thing as a nice gesture, because lets face it, sorting faults and not having use of car is inconvenient (and washing it costs about a fiver)

 

It does seem to vary by location.

 

My local Skoda dealer (Pulman in Durham) have a fleet of Skoda Citygo's and Fabia's. They are free to use, all you do is put fuel in them after agreeing a £250 excess in the event of a bump.

 

All cars are washed and hoovered. Even when not in for a service (was in for a bodywork inspection) my car was valeted, they even blacked the tyres!

 

They also subscribe to Skoda UK's fixed priced servicing so an oil and filter change can be had for £149. Last time instead of taking a courtesy car they picked it up from my office car park (8 miles or so) took it away, serviced it and drove it back.

 

I appreciate some dealers are better than others but it is service like this that might persuade me to stick with Skoda, over and above the actual car itself!

[Gadget007]

 If you are after a reliable family car... look at the Mazda 6. 

 

Initially i looked at the Mazda 6 on two occasions, 12 years ago i looked at one and organised a test drive and when i turned up at the arranged time the vehicle had no petrol in it and the local petrol stations were closed, so no test drive, and they couldn't even organise another time to have a drive (that dealer soon after went out of business). fast forward to 2015, I sent an email enquiry to Mazda Australia and got a phone call back, "we have looked at your requirements and I don't think we have a car that is suitable", anyway I contacted a local dealer and they couldn't get hold of a 6 diesel and they said but the petrol drives just the same. as a result mazda was purchased by me on either occasion