Just an update, thanks for all the good advice, cambelt and water pump were changed last Thursday at Skoda dealership, £450.00.

Thats interesting, mine is due to be replaced next August according to my dealer today, it has to replaced every 140,000 miles or 5 years which ever comes first, so for me its the 5 years by about 90,000 miles so it will be very interesting to hear the reply to Silver1011 if he ever gets one.  Do we in the UK have something in the air that attacks the rubber on these cambelts that does not occur anywhere else in the world??? Problem is though do you risk the huge cost of replacing an engine should it snap on you because you dared to ignore it?  

I'm assuming here that if you do replace the cambelt and then something goes wrong and trashes the engine that Skoda will of course pay for a replacement engine???

Of course.within a certain time frame and mileage.

On 11/06/2017 at 17:46, omnipeta said:

Just an update, thanks for all the good advice, cambelt and water pump were changed last Thursday at Skoda dealership, £450.00.

Just been into my dealer today and was quoted £695. Guess they didn't want the job!

Gdcobra, I was advised that £450.00 is the standard price for Skoda dealerships for this work. I hope you find another dealer near you, it will give you huge piece of mind once it's done. Good luck.

11 hours ago, Gdcobra said:

Just been into my dealer today and was quoted £695. Guess they didn't want the job!

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed

 

Look under maintenance tab - fixed price shown as £385 or £485 with waterpump

Edited 25 August, 20178 yr by bigjohn

1 hour ago, bigjohn said:

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed

 

Look under maintenance tab - fixed price shown as £385 or £485 with waterpump

Thanks Big John, don't know what my dealer is playing at, they are listed as participating but seem to prefer to price themselves out if the job.

I had mine changed at 135 k to be on the safe side ( recommended 140)  , they are 2014 model 2 litres diesels , cost £350 in an independent

8 hours ago, Gdcobra said:

Thanks Big John, don't know what my dealer is playing at, they are listed as participating but seem to prefer to price themselves out if the job.

 

Remind them about this - worked for me

Dealers are a business.

 

They only need one or two customers to not do their research and pay £695 to be quids-in.

 

Why volunteer the £485 fixed price policy?

 

It's a balance, good customer service to earn loyalty versus getting as much as you can once.

 

The info needed to make and informed choice is out there, this thread is a prime example.

 

Skoda UK are no different. Implement a time interval on the cambelt that no other market does? Why? It's got nothing to do with external or environmental influences, some will pay it for peace of mind, others won't. Either way it's win-win for Skoda. 

I paid just under £380 for the cam belt and water pump at my dealer. I have said in the past that I have a very good relationship with my dealer and it pays of for both of us when these items come up. I do negotiate with the dealer each time so that both of us are happy, I accept that that must make a profit as profit should not be a swear word but they also accept that I will bring all my servicing and other work to them when I need o do so, plus they also supported me through to Skoda uk when there are issues.

Best of all to me is piece of mind. 

At 5 years I would change it as a matter of course the possibility of the belt snapping is greater as the rubber gets older. Just look at an old tyre the compound begins to break down with constant changes in temperature etc, so yes 180,000 ks or 5 years is about right.

ring up for a quote first, they are a lot more competitive when they haven't got your car in their garage up on a ramp

Edited 29 August, 20178 yr by terrytowelling

On 27/08/2017 at 12:36, silver1011 said:

Dealers are a business.

 

They only need one or two customers to not do their research and pay £695 to be quids-in.

 

Why volunteer the £485 fixed price policy?

 

It's a balance, good customer service to earn loyalty versus getting as much as you can once.

 

The info needed to make and informed choice is out there, this thread is a prime example.

 

Skoda UK are no different. Implement a time interval on the cambelt that no other market does? Why? It's got nothing to do with external or environmental influences, some will pay it for peace of mind, others won't. Either way it's win-win for Skoda. 

That's quite right , dealers are a business and when you are in business you are at liberty to run it how you want. But you must also accept being judged (by customers  and potential customers) on those decisions. If you run your business in a customer unfriendly way you can't expect people to to think you are a great guy (or guyess )

 

In this case I have done my due diligence,  helped by contributors here, and would never have paid that price in any case so they never would have made a quick buck out of me for this job, they will only make any money out of me in future if I have absolutely no choice, they have negatively coloured my view of the Skoda brand and obviously put me in a position where I will disseminate this vies where ever possible.   All that makes the potential to make a quick £200 a bit low rent so who did they really help?

 

It also adds more ammunition to the feeling I'm already forming of the VW brand and it's derivatives that they are an actively dishonest and unethical company.

 

I don't know what kind of business you run but if I'm ever in need of its services I hope I choose one of your more ethical competitors.

 

I have had my 2017 spec skoda superb  is 6 years old it has done 23000mls  was planning to change the timing belt at 10 years old recommended  by volkswagon  but may change it at 8 years old it's 1.6 deisol with add blue