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Thought Skoda cars were among the most reliable vehicles on the Road?

 

After my fiasco with 2 brake calipers seizing on last year within weeks of each other my car flew thru its MOT at the end of February with only a rear spring (potholes) and NO advisory notes.  Only for me to have to spend £300 yesterday putting new discs and pads on the front and the other rear spring (I know, potholes). 

 

Honestly I have had this car since July last year and have only put 5000 miles on it yet it has cost me more than any other second hand car I have ever owned.

 

Reliable my backside, time to get rid of methinks!!

 

Rant over

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I would agree. The superb is the worst car I have ever owned. save my 1986 Pajero. Though, I loved that crap box. 

I truly regret buying this car. Leaking sunroof problems that caused no end of trouble.

Never ending squeaking sounds which cannot be traced by 3 different dealers.

DSG box is among the worst ever. Reversing uphill for example is not something this box enjoys doing.

Haldex pump failed at only 80k km.

Satnav that prefers to see the entire planet as a default view. It also has the "thinks I'm in Germany issue". Not a big deal since I am actually in Germany.

From time to time the steering wheel controllers dont work, so you need to turn the car on and off again. Same with seat memory.

I think the 2018 is on the same VAGCOM platform as the current gen VWs, so it should be a lot better than the crap they were serving up in 2013. Still, unless it was a great deal, I doubt I would get another skoda.

On the plus side, the rear seats fold flat and you can fit a ton of stuff in there.

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My 2015 Superb Mk2 is without doubt the best car I've owned... Had a 2001 Mondeo TDi, a 2004 Audi A6 (Worst car ever for reliability!) a 2006 Focus (that was OK) and this Superb ...and it hasn't had anything go wrong with it except a faulty heated seat (1st world problems!) and a squeaky Boot lid (fixed under warranty).

 

I agree with the DSG not liking reversing uphill...its a bit unsure of itself in that regard...but otherwise a joy to use.  Also agree with the Sat nav comment from @pablomax however not the end of the world...

 

It does amaze me, how people post on forums only if they have a rant/issue - blaming the car.  How do you know it wasn't a previous owner's lack of maintenance?  Cars (generally) go wrong because of (a)manufacturing faults - which would have been noticed by the first owner and fixed under warranty (b) Consumable items - brakes, tyres etc or (b) not being looked after properly.

 

The only exception is my A6 - which I'm sure had a design fault with the CV Joints/boots, as it ate the boots every 6 months or so...

 

When you purchased the car, did you bother with a warranty?  After my A6 - any second hand car I buy, I get a warranty, as things like you've described above would likely be covered under it.

 

You don't mention what year your car is?  As springs to break...and potholes definitely dont help.  Try and claim from your council if you are sure (and can likley prove) it was potholes...

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In response to hwr...

 

My car is a Nov 2008, but has only done 74K miles

1. I take my cars to a German Autocare Specialist, who has the reputation of being the best mechanic in my area

2. I always look after my cars as they are needed for my work and had the car fully inspected on purchase last July and my mechanic has had it for several other faults that I did not mention in my first post.  I threatened to return the vehicle as 'not fit for purpose'   and Arnold Clark fixed a lot of problems when it was out of their 60 day warranty (brake caliper, disc, head infotainment unit) because I kicked up such a stink!!

3. Personally i would never buy a warranty as I have had one in the past and despite fighting like hell with the owning company could NEVER get anything repeaired under it.

4. I have always owned used cars so know all about the wear and tear, my point was it passed the MOT 6 weeks ago with no advisory notes and suddenly the whole front brakes need replacing!!

5. I expect to replace springs due to the road conditions and would need to specify to the local Council which pothole caused the spring to break and report it before the repair.  I did not know it needed a spring until my mechanic got it up on the ramp (no knocking     noises).

 

I do not normally 'rant' on this type of site but i am so p****d off spending hard earned money on this vehicle that I am already looking to replace....

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42 minutes ago, Burroo said:

Thought Skoda cars were among the most reliable vehicles on the Road?

 

After my fiasco with 2 brake calipers seizing on last year within weeks of each other my car flew thru its MOT at the end of February with only a rear spring (potholes) and NO advisory notes.  Only for me to have to spend £300 yesterday putting new discs and pads on the front and the other rear spring (I know, potholes). 

 

Honestly I have had this car since July last year and have only put 5000 miles on it yet it has cost me more than any other second hand car I have ever owned.

 

Reliable my backside, time to get rid of methinks!!

 

Rant over

 

Sounds to me like you don't look where you are driving properly! Potholes are there to be seen and will damage anything from a Mini to a Mercedes so pointing that out is like pointing out you are overweight, whilst eating a large bag of chips and a cream cake! As for the discs and pads, again, brake hard, wear quick! You say YOU have added around 5000 miles, how many have previous owners added? If its done around 30,000, the discs and pads are due a replacement. Less, if the car is an automatic, speaking generally. This is due to auto's having less engine braking, thus requiring more brake application. I also think this car is a little heavier then a Fabia etc, so pads and discs ill almost certainly need changing more frequently, unless the manufacturer takes this in to consideration and fits thicker pads and discs to compensate. If they do, they will cost more to replace, too! Was the £300 for the discs, pads AND spring?  If so, thats not bad if fitted from a main dealer. I would expect £130 for pads alone. Price in around £70 per disc and a bit more time fitting.. Then another £100 for a spring. 

 

Can I also point out, it may be a little risky replacing just ONE spring! Along with shocks, they wear out so replacing ONE will mean great springy-ness one side, poor the other. 

 

Sounds like you have been paying though, for the previous owners pleasure! They paid for peace of mind, hence the price you payed will be significantly lower then theirs. That said, ANY used car is a gamble. I have a 2002 Yaris, from new, which I will run until it dies as its so reliable. I hired as a driving instructor, a French built Yaris of similar age, ten years ago, which had many, many faults, which made me glad I didn't own the thing. That would have put the car at around 7 years old and it was a right pain. Handbrake cables replaced AND re-replaced as they "Fell off" their fittings. battery failed, clutch went. Gearbox was a pain. Cant even remember other issues. I replaced the through the nose weekly  hire with a cheaper to buy Fabia! The only thing about the hired car was I did not have to pay for the repairs but it cost me many hours/days work!

 

Ill bet that Yaris is a recycled bean tin now!

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Would be a shame to get rid after spending money on it,someone else will get the benefit then. Were the discs/pads a casualty of the defect callipers? 

Its never great spending money on cars but on the plus side,you know everything is right with the brakes now and you shouldn't need to spend money in that direction for quite some time.

Guaranteed that if you replace it with another used car that one will present you with a bill or two.

Frustrating at times though isn't it? If you can't come on here to moan amongst like minded people where can you go?

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33 minutes ago, Burroo said:

In response to hwr...

 

My car is a Nov 2008, but has only done 74K miles

1. I take my cars to a German Autocare Specialist, who has the reputation of being the best mechanic in my area

2. I always look after my cars as they are needed for my work and had the car fully inspected on purchase last July and my mechanic has had it for several other faults that I did not mention in my first post.  I threatened to return the vehicle as 'not fit for purpose'   and Arnold Clark fixed a lot of problems when it was out of their 60 day warranty (brake caliper, disc, head infotainment unit) because I kicked up such a stink!!

3. Personally i would never buy a warranty as I have had one in the past and despite fighting like hell with the owning company could NEVER get anything repeaired under it.

4. I have always owned used cars so know all about the wear and tear, my point was it passed the MOT 6 weeks ago with no advisory notes and suddenly the whole front brakes need replacing!!

5. I expect to replace springs due to the road conditions and would need to specify to the local Council which pothole caused the spring to break and report it before the repair.  I did not know it needed a spring until my mechanic got it up on the ramp (no knocking     noises).

 

I do not normally 'rant' on this type of site but i am so p****d off spending hard earned money on this vehicle that I am already looking to replace....

 

Point 4: Perhaps the MOT Tester didn't do it properly or didn't notice? Or maybe simple bad luck :blink:

 

I wasn't saying you don't look after the car.  I was suggesting maybe previous owners might not have :)

Edited by hwr1983
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One repair to my 2014 Superb - that was a faulty wheel speed sensor at 3.5 years old. 2 rear disks and pads plus 4 tyres replaced as wear items at 3 years old. Other than that - just servicing.

 

Its been hugely more reliable than my previous BMW's and other cars. The only problem is not being able to show off doing manly engine repair things in front of my wife. 

 

I used the jack once. But that was just to show my wife how to do it. Actually, its a Bloody Boring as Sh1te car.  In a good way.  

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6 minutes ago, TheRobinK said:

Actually, its a Bloody Boring as Sh1te car.  In a good way.  

 

Yeah...I wish I could have done a @penguin17 and got a 280 Sportline :blink: - it might have excited me a little more.  But I only cruise up and down the motorway with a few country roads so I can't complain about comfort etc.

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1 minute ago, hwr1983 said:

 

Yeah...I wish I could have done a @penguin17 and got a 280 Sportline :blink: - it might have excited me a little more.  But I only cruise up and down the motorway with a few country roads so I can't complain about comfort etc.

Unfortunately, still not 'got' and the dealer is now being unresponsive.  Car is still at the docks and I'm starting to be suspicious that it may have an issue of sorts.  I'm probably over thinking it but you'd think a dealer would be interested in getting a collection arranged ASAP, especially with month end fast approaching. 

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1 minute ago, penguin17 said:

Unfortunately, still not 'got' and the dealer is now being unresponsive.  Car is still at the docks and I'm starting to be suspicious that it may have an issue of sorts.  I'm probably over thinking it but you'd think a dealer would be interested in getting a collection arranged ASAP, especially with month end fast approaching. 

 

That is odd...I'd be asking them to get it to the dealer ASAP if it's been a month.  My SEL was at docks for 2 days before shipped to dealer.  I guess yours would have come into Grimsby like mine?

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2 hours ago, hwr1983 said:

It does amaze me, how people post on forums only if they have a rant/issue - blaming the car.

It amazing me how personally some folks tend to take things when they have purchased a particular thing. Like iPhone folks being blind to any of the anti-consumer / anti-competition stuff that Apple does. Normally the first retort is... well, so and so is worse.

I don't portent to claim that Skoda is a bad mark. I had a yeti and it was a dream to own. Not a single issue. My wife had an Octavia as a company car for a few months until her Audi arrived. Also a lovely car.

My personal experience with this Superb has been bad. I find it has very little redeeming qualities. The new one... Different story. My 2013 4x4? I like the looks and and the space and... well.. that's about it.

When I got it, I had it checked over by a specialist. Service records were all on the money. 3 or 4 months later... everything started.

It is not common here in Germany to get a warranty on a 2nd had car. It's possible, but very expensive and never covers anything like sun roof leaks, rattles and the like.

 

That's great you have had a good experience. I hope it stays that way. Not everyone has the same luck. Again, not to say Skoda is crap, but from time to time, every brand has some QA issues.

but hey... it's never left me stranded.

 

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Just now, hwr1983 said:

 

That is odd...I'd be asking them to get it to the dealer ASAP if it's been a month.  My SEL was at docks for 2 days before shipped to dealer.  I guess yours would have come into Grimsby like mine?

It's  actually close to 2 weeks at Grimsby.  I know the dealer said the hold up was a final settlement from VWFS on my current car but they've had that this week, as I got the same email. 

 

I'll give it until tomorrow and chase up.  Try and get them to commit to next Friday for a collection. 

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I should point out that I got that car because I needed to buy something immediately and my wife said if I bought the Mitsubishi L200 I was also considering, she would punch me in the face while I was sleeping.

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3 minutes ago, pablomax said:

It amazing me how personally some folks tend to take things when they have purchased a particular thing. Like iPhone folks being blind to any of the anti-consumer / anti-competition stuff that Apple does. Normally the first retort is... well, so and so is worse.

I don't portent to claim that Skoda is a bad mark. I had a yeti and it was a dream to own. Not a single issue. My wife had an Octavia as a company car for a few months until her Audi arrived. Also a lovely car.

My personal experience with this Superb has been bad. I find it has very little redeeming qualities. The new one... Different story. My 2013 4x4? I like the looks and and the space and... well.. that's about it.

When I got it, I had it checked over by a specialist. Service records were all on the money. 3 or 4 months later... everything started.

It is not common here in Germany to get a warranty on a 2nd had car. It's possible, but very expensive and never covers anything like sun roof leaks, rattles and the like.

 

That's great you have had a good experience. I hope it stays that way. Not everyone has the same luck. Again, not to say Skoda is crap, but from time to time, every brand has some QA issues.

but hey... it's never left me stranded.

 

 

I don't disagree with you.  I know people don't all have the same experience.  I pick up my 2018 Superb Mk3 on Saturday, and I'm hoping it will be worry free also.

 

I suppose if I'd had a bad experience then I would tend to stay away from a marque for a little while.  Had to convince my wife to get a Skoda - because of their old rep.

 

Quote

my wife said if I bought the Mitsubishi L200 I was also considering, she would punch me in the face while I was sleeping.

 

Almost the same as my wife not letting me use the DSG sport mode if she's in the car...

Edited by hwr1983
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The thing is, Skoda is reaching price parity with VW now. Like the Octavia and the Golf Kombi are only a few grand apart. Considering how much higher the VW is than Skoda on the residuals, at a certain point it doesn't make sense to get the Skoda.
 

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11 minutes ago, pablomax said:

That's great you have had a good experience. I hope it stays that way. Not everyone has the same luck. Again, not to say Skoda is crap, but from time to time, every brand has some QA issues.

but hey... it's never left me stranded.

 

Even with stringent QA standards on parts (e.g. 6-Sigma = 3.4 defects per million parts), once you bring thousands of parts together on a vehicle, there's always some potential for an issue to crop up. Someone has to get the bad ones unfortunately.

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11 minutes ago, pablomax said:

at a certain point it doesn't make sense to get the Skoda.
 

 

Not entirely true.  You would (I think) need to spend more at VW to get a roughly same spec'd vehicle as you could get at Skoda.

 

In the end, you pay your money and take your choice :)

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9 minutes ago, hwr1983 said:

You would (I think) need to spend more at VW to get a roughly same spec'd vehicle as you could get at Skoda.

indeed you would.

You would need to consider how long you plan to keep the car. If you sell after 4 years, spending 3500 more upfront may yield a better return when you sell it when residuals are considered.

Keeping the car until the wheels fall off? Skip the VW and go with Skoda or Seat.

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2 hours ago, hwr1983 said:

Almost the same as my wife not letting me use the DSG sport mode if she's in the car...

 

Had similar objections to using launch control on my Golf R.  P

 

articularly at pedestrian crossings

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On 27/04/2018 at 12:28, silver1011 said:

 

The OP has a 10 year old Superb and is unhappy that it needs discs, pads and a couple of springs?

 

 

I was wondering that myself. Discs and pads are wear items and they wear more if you've had a siezed caliper.

 

What was the service history of the OP's 10 year old car? - brakes need checking, stripping and cleaning as part of this when a major service is due.

 

Mine is over 4 years old now and has done about 57,000 miles - thus far other than servicing it's been 100% fault free. Brakes pads/discs are still the originals

 

One thing that may be relevant - I always insist on 10,000 mile service intervals. I don't like long life servicing.

 

 

Edited by bigjohn
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Ever wish you'd never started a post?????

 

Now I'm being accused of being a bad driver, unable to see and avoid potholes, not being able to understand that parts on older cars wear out etc. etc.

 

My whole point is that I looked into the Skoda Superb in great detail before purchase.  The car has full service history, last serviced 7 weeks before I bought it when it had 68K on the clock. I made sure that any replacement belts had been renewed.  I also asked questions on this site re reliability and the response was 100% positive.

 

I have had the car now since 21/07/17 and have only completed 5000 miles.  I am a 61 year old man who does not push his cars and really looks after them, so much so that I had the gearbox serviced on the Superb as soon as I bought it.  My mechanic has looked after my cars for over 10 years now and is very highly rated - I would never go to a main dealer to get work done as they rob you blind - he is a German car specialist so with Superbs being extremely similar to Passats he has absolutely no problems working on my car.

 

As I have stated I only had the car for 9 weeks when the first brake caliper seized, causing replacement of that and pads, I was very fortunate that the disc had not warped.  less that 10 days later another brake caliper seized, this time damaging the disc causing replacement (the caliper could be saved as per Uncle Arnold Clark).

 

I have now had to spend just over £1000 on this car in 10 months.  More than on any vehicle I have owned for such a short period of time in my whole 39 years of driving.  As has previously been mentioned in this stream by Italian Job, If I can't come onto this site for a good old moan, where can I go.  I feel we should be encouraging not slagging people off for making comments!!!!!  Remember my car passed it's MOT 6 weeks previous WITH NO ADVISORY NOTES.

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3 hours ago, Burroo said:

Now I'm being accused of being a bad driver, unable to see and avoid potholes, not being able to understand that parts on older cars wear out etc. etc.

To be honest, that is typical "fan-boy" behavior. You see the same on nearly every single car specific forum. People take person offense to literally any perceived negative comment about the object that they have chosen for themselves. I guess they see it as an attack on them? I don't know.. I never really understood these types of dudes.

The Skoda forum is not nearly as bad as the Jeep forums though.

Plus, you have to consider that it's the internet. So guys come here get to be "tough guys" without giving it a second though. Likely if their mates were talking to them about some particular auto issue, their tunes would be different.

 

My advise.. don't bother reacting to it. As they say.. do not feed the trolls.

Edited by pablomax
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