Skoda Rapid - fuel injectors what to do?

[Rajanikanth]

in India Skoda Rapid seems to have the problem of premature failure of its diesel Fuel Injectors. My Rapids Fuel Injectors failed and the Service centre is asking for Rs.2.5 Lakhs i.e nearly 3850 USD to replace it. The new car ex-showroom costed me INR 8 Lakhs (12,000 USD). When I called the Skoda customer support they said, there is no specific reason for failure, it is the usual wear and tear. Having driven 4 different cars for more than 100,000 kms each, I have never seen or heard anyone spending as much on wear and tear. When I googled, I found that Skoda has this premature failure of its Fuel Injectors in Indian Skoda cars manufacture before 2012. This is a serious problem and the company instead of addressing the problem is leaving the customers to fend for and making the customers pay for the mistake of Skoda. I am not sure how to proceed further because I am in two minds whether to spend so much money on my car or not.

[Ootohere]

Welcome.

When was this car built and how many kms has it done before the diesel injectors failed, are you sure of that diagnosis, was this the Service Centre saying the injectors have failed?

 

?

Why is it so expensive to replace Diesel Injectors?

Edited 28 June, 2017 by Awayoffski

[RMurphy195]

Like "Awayoffski" I'm puzzled by this - over the last few years I've used (company cars) or owned (bought low-mileage used) 3 Vauxhall Cavaliers (all about 120,000 miles), an Astra (110,000 miles), a Golf 1.4 (80,000 miles) and currently an MX5 (95,000 miles) non of which have had issues with injectors, and only one of which (the golf) had EGR issues (so far, so good). OK all were petrol, but even so I can't think why these things should fail. Nor can I think why it should cost almost a third of the cars initl value to replace them. Miles, not kilometers!

 

Can you try another garage? Is a filter in the system failing allowing particles to get through the system?

[camelspyyder]

Bad quality fuel led my FIAT JTD diesel to a failed injector diagnosis too.  A dose of injector cleaner and a switch to quality branded fuel fixed it for free.

[simon1304]

Well, can't say that I'm very surprised.   I used to have a Rapid 1.6 tdi.   Needed an injector replacing during the warranty period (plus the ecu).   On one of the three occasions that it was recovered by the AA (Skoda Assist - who were very good BTW), the guy told me that injectors on this engine were £300 a pop.   Multiply by 4, add labour and VAT, and it's not hard to see how that comes out somewhere near INRs 2.5 Lakhs.   That does still seem expensive though, especially as cars are generally less expensive to buy in India (except imported stuff which is much more expensive).

 

For me, end of warranty meant end of car.

 

As a by-the-by, for anyone not familiar with the Indian numbering system, 1 Lakh = 100,000 (written as 1,00,000 in India).   So INRs 1 Lakh is approx £1k (or it used to be before the £ bombed - currently £1 buys only just over Rs 80).

[Rajanikanth]

 

On ‎6‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 21:25, Awayoffski said:

Welcome.

When was this car built and how many kms has it done before the diesel injectors failed, are you sure of that diagnosis, was this the Service Centre saying the injectors have failed?

 

?

Why is it so expensive to replace Diesel Injectors?

 

This car is 2012 make, which makes it five years old and has run 75,000 kms. It got it serviced regularly as per the manufacturers guidelines and always at an Authorized company service station. This time too the vehicle was diagnosed by Skoda authorized service centre. Skoda India customer support says it is normal wear and tear so isn't covered under Insurance, since the warranty expires after 4 years, no warranty either. I read that lot of Skoda customers faced fuel injector related problems and Skoda had to replace many fuel injectors under warranty until they introduced better ones after March 2013. Now since the car is out of warranty they are trying to shrug off. But the fact remains that it is still a premature failure because I am sure the fuel injection system is supposed last a lot longer than 5 years and 75,000 kms. The best part is this failure happened exactly one month after a routine service at the same service station. Skoda India customer support says there is no way to predict this problem, even though they connect the car to their computer system for diagnosis every time the vehicle goes for servicing.

[simon1304]

I doubt that Skoda in the UK would be any more helpful - once out of warranty 'goodwill' tends to be in short supply (to be fair to Skoda, most other manufacturers are similar).   If you can't get any help from Skoda, or the dealer, I guess it comes down to doing the maths.   What I mean is comparing the cost of repair of your Rapid with what other car you could buy for the same money.

 

Slightly off topic, wondering what kind of reputation the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is getting in India?   It is now on sale in the UK (albeit the engines and gearboxes here are different;   no diesel here and the main engine is the 1.0 turbo, as in the Indian RS version, and the autos here are torque converter rather than CVT).

[Rajanikanth]

Thank you Simon1304 for your advice. I am looking at all options now and your advice definitely comes handy.

 

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno (hatchback) was a runaway hit in India when it was introduced a year ago, owing to its looks and affordability. The rush has subsided after many others including Maruti launched other models in the same segment (i.e. Affordable Mini SUV). Please be aware that the customer preferences in India are different from the ones in UK. It comes with a Fiat 1.2 litre engine, not a powerful engine, but no major complaints that I heard of, except for some rear suspension issues. However suspension system might differ for the cars introduced in UK owing to difference in roads conditions. Maruti is known for it affordability and low maintenance costs. It is still a favorite in the segment and overbooked (waitlisted) in some cities. Hope this helps.

[simon1304]

7 hours ago, Rajanikanth said:

Thank you Simon1304 for your advice. I am looking at all options now and your advice definitely comes handy.

 

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno (hatchback) was a runaway hit in India when it was introduced a year ago, owing to its looks and affordability. The rush has subsided after many others including Maruti launched other models in the same segment (i.e. Affordable Mini SUV). Please be aware that the customer preferences in India are different from the ones in UK. It comes with a Fiat 1.2 litre engine, not a powerful engine, but no major complaints that I heard of, except for some rear suspension issues. However suspension system might differ for the cars introduced in UK owing to difference in roads conditions. Maruti is known for it affordability and low maintenance costs. It is still a favorite in the segment and overbooked (waitlisted) in some cities. Hope this helps.

 

Thank you for your comments and good luck with sorting out the problems with your Rapid - or changing it for something else.

 

I do appreciate that preferences in India are different to the UK, e.g. hatchbacks seem to be gaining popularity in India but many people still prefer cars with a separate boot/trunk;   and many Indian-built cars are re-worked for sale in Europe (inc. UK).    The Ford Ecosport and Figo (sold here as the Ka+) are other examples.  

 

My question about the Baleno was mainly personal interest, as I'm considering buying one, and (Maruti) Suzuki sell many more cars in India than in the UK.   That said, if you were to come to the conclusion that the Rapid was uneconomic to repair (i.e. cost being more than the car is now worth), I would recommend a test drive in a Baleno RS with the 1.0 turbo engine.   Just about as economical as a diesel and, due to its low weight, surprisingly quick!

Edited 4 July, 2017 by simon1304
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