The first used Fabia - purchased Sep. 2021 - was a 2017 1.0 TSI(95ps)SE L (s/s) Estate 5d 999cc 94 BHP with 36260 on the clock. The clutch went at 37560 miles in November. The car was written off in a third party liability accident in August 2022.

The second used Fabia - purchased August 2022 - is a 2018 Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI (95PS) SE (s/s) Estate 5d 999cc with 22500 on the clock. Clutch failed in February 2023 after 2,309 miles and was replaced. That clutch failed on 1st January 2025 and when removed one plate was found to be split in two. The garage who fitted it was able to reclaim the cost from the supplier because it was quite clearly a faulty part, but I still had to pay for the labour. Now the clutch has once more failed and will need to be replaced. What else am I to think other than that there is a serious issue with clutches for Fabia cars? (I had done 74,000 miles in the Octavia, although I was the first owner).

Edited 25 December, 202525 Dec by theid

2017 1.0 TSI(95ps)SE L (s/s) Estate 5d 999cc 94 BHP, what was the gearbox on that, 5 or 6 manual or DSG?

2018 Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI (95PS) SE (s/s) Estate 5d 999cc, what was the gearbox on that, 5 or 6 manual or DSG?

A spread of mileage on the two, still below "average" 10-12k miles per year so perhaps more town use and or drivers that ride the clutch, replacement clutch falling apart isn't good though, is it p1ss-poor parts quality and/or other issue on the car(s).

Lots of p1ss-poor aftermarket parts about and counterfeit stuff plus the VW (VWŠkoda) parts aren't always great.

I very, very, much doubt a 2017 or 2018 Octavia would be as good as a 2015, 2008 or 2007 Octavia but then a 2017or 2018 Toyota or Honda won't be as good as a 2015, 2008 or 2007 Toyota or Honda - but not heard much about clutch failures recently on here for 2017 or 2018 Fabias other than for the 1.0 litre MPI with 5-speed manual. Bear in mind I'm not a VW fan so don't defend them when and if they're at fault.

The Octavia was a 2010, so ten years and 74000 miles before the clutch was replaced. The two Fabias - both 5 speed manuals. I think we're agreed the parts are absolutely useless - otherwise why would the garage have been able to reclaim the cost from their supplier? If anything the Octavia did far more town work than the Fabias!

7 hours ago, nta16 said:

Yes it certainly seems the clutches you got on your Fabias weren't the best by a long way

Yeah, there you go, 2010. 2017 and 2018 are different to 2010 even if you'd stuck to an Octavia. VWŠkoda seem generally better built in 2010 than say 2015 on then perhaps steps down at 2017, 2019, 2020/1 -on. with new bits being throw on the cars for various reasons.

But standard clutches are nothing new and certainly for my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 the 5-speed gearbox seems to be an old clonker design going back basically decades so I'd not expect clutch issues other than poor parts quality (like the front dampers and clonking suspension).

Perhaps you should follow Alasdair1's advice and insist on LUK or Sachs and hope their quality hasn't dropped since like many other brands, often when they're taken over or amalgamated in to a larger concern or they become nothing more than a former brand name on a box.

Perhaps you might be better turning your back on the brand(s), personally I'd buy an older car from a Japanese or even perhaps Korean going for better manufacturer so parts last longer and less servicing work and (computer) systems to go wrong.

Good luck.

Thanks for all your support. Needless to say Mr. Clutch are sticking to the "it's your fault and Warranty won't cover it" (see: ps://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6509048/clutch-replacement-what-are-might-rights)

That's another 650 quid then!!! Happily I have found a decent garage and next time (and there will be a next time) I will take it to them.

I wish I could afford to change the car, but sadly not many people can do this. I was extremely lucky when my first Fabia was written off that I actually got more than I had paid for it a couple of months previously, but that was because the cost of used cars had risen so quickly - as I found out when I replaced it with my second Fabia!!! It's a wonderful world.

Edited 27 December, 202527 Dec by theid

I'm glad you've got the clutch sorted and found a decent garage.

I'm totally lost at your statement that you and many others can't afford to change the car, you have a 2018 car which you seen to accept that potentially you need to spend £650 every few years to replace the clutch (this may not be the case if a reasonable quality clutch set has been fitted with reasonable quality work). Now the clutch is fixed the car is in a better state for sale. I'm sure whatever price a 2018 Fabia sells for would offer a wide range of alternative cars to purchase of various ages and conditions some of which will be much better value in ownership terms and not require as much servicing and repairs as VWs and those may even cost less to buy than the get for the Fabia.

Entirely up to you what you do of course but if this Fabia is suitable to you, and you seem to like the brand as you're on your third at least, then having invested another £650 in it you could, as you have, keep the car but you could also consider that whatever money you have spent on the car is in the past and write that off and not throw further good money after bad at the car. The £650 has at least increased the sales potential and value of the car.

I have neighbours that only do hundreds, dozens or none at all, miles per year on their cars and they would save money by selling their cars and having other transport to where ever they want to go, the economics and hassles of keeping the cars is ridiculous but they still keep them, some far too long before accepting reality.

Some people very successfully go the bangernomics route, but this doesn't suit all, but some of these cars can be more reliable than say a 2018 Fabia.

I've spent and wasted many, many thousands of pounds on car repairs and it took me far too long to learn to write off money spent on a car and get shot of it before wasting any more money on it perhaps the next owner(s) benefitted from the last, and previous, expenditure(s) where I could have but sometimes it's better to get shot of things that have become an annoyance or potential further future hassle and financial drain.

Good luck.

The whole - walk, cycle, or take public transport thing is fine (although public transport certainly isn't cheap) but you need to be fit and not have children, dogs, ageing parents, etc. Sadly I don't fit into this category, hence the strong drive to have my own car and keep my ability to go anywhere at any time in whatever circumstances present themselves. Suggesting to anyone who lives in the country - and that's a lot of people - that they didn't need a car would not be well-received I suspect. Hey ho ... on we go.

Yeap as I put it don't suit all and I can't know your circumstances and choices - but I also know you are not forced to have the car you have and if it's not suitable to you that you have a wide range of alternatives at the same purchase price point or below this for better cars but if you want or think you must soldier on with your Fabia then members in this forum and others can help you. Obviously a website and forum can't do anything about p1ss-poor parts other than if they're from the WW factory possibly help make them last a bit longer or a bit more tolerable.

You've got your 2018, 3-cyinder VW engine, Fabia and if your keeping it then this website can help with that. As with all cars being proactive is usually better than being reactive, that is, doing stuff to help prevent or delay as much as possible the usual car and VW specific issues other owners often get.

As I've put the 2018 Fabia ain't the 2010 Octavia and a 2018 Octavia won't be as good as a 2010 Octavia and anyway VW's glory days are well in the past now, but the Fabia still isn't a bad car, just could be better and not as good as some other possible choices. Make good with what you've got, read the car's 'Owner's Manual' and refer to it, and keep the car's battery in a good state of charge and health so as not to upset the computers then it's just a matter of carrying out the (minimum) servicing and maintenance VWŠkoda suggest and dealing with issues before they get bad and putting up with those that won't get too bad anyway,

Good luck.

Thanks for all this - particularly the hint about the battery!

4 hours ago, theid said:

particularly the hint about the battery!

😄 It my hobby horse subject, that and the over-complex, intertwined computer programs and systems that German marques have had for decades but particularly VW's (IIRC decades old now) start/stop system throw in with the rest of computer controlled "aids" and "assists" and comfort features that put additional load on the battery and have the computer throw a wobbly and put up warnings, lights and amber triangle of doom if the battery drops too low for them. And this is when the headlights seem bright enough and well, well before the engine doesn't fire up straight away, this is when the battery is very low. This catches out many VW owners, the various model sections, threads and post on the site alone proves this.

A timely reminder for some. -

The forgotten need in summer. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/506654-best-check-your-car-battery-now-why