Battery fault and Replacement vehicle

[foxy367]

My wife has the Kodiaq SE-L on a '67 plate. On Thursday the car died pulling out of a junction and kangaroo'd like a 30 year old car lacking a bit of choke! It rebooted then went into limp mode. Got the car home after stopping and restarting the engine but thought it wise to get Skoda Assist to come and have a look. Sure enough when they plugged in there were numerous fault codes flashed up and the car was recovered.

 

To cut a long story short there is a fault on the battery and it needs a replacement which are on back order from the factory. This could take 2-3 weeks to arrive meaning the dealer has my car for this period. Apparently there is an issue with a batch of batteries fitted to VAG cars in 2017, my mate has an Audi A7 and has just had the same issue.

 

Now for the main reason for my post. Our car is a relatively well specced DSG diesel car. Skoda assist through Enterprise have provided us with an Octavia SE manual. They are unable to locate a DSG skoda and have offered a DSG golf. Had it been for a few days I'd have coped with that (muggins here has had to sort it and use the hire car rather than her!). Even though the Kodiaq (named Clive by the missus!!!!) is the wifes car she prefers when we go out as a family at weekend we use that due to more space etc than mine. So as its going to be with them for at least two weeks what are my rights in terms of replacement with a like for like car. Notwithstanding the issue of being without the car there is the not insignificant sum of £200 or so of PCP payment which is to be paid while her car is off the road.

 

Speaking to the dealer they can offer me a fabia or a citigo but nothing similar. Who would i be best to take this up with and am I being a bit a bit precious about the whole situation.

 

Foxy

[silver1011]

You need to speak to Skoda UK, the dealer can't do a lot for you now.

 

The bad batch of batteries seems to be gathering pace with more and more complaints across multiple forums.

 

If Skoda cannot supply the batteries quick enough, then they should be paying for a non-own branded battery at their expense. Personally I'd rather have a Varta battery than another MOLL or Banner battery.

 

The reality is, if Skoda UK, or their partner, Enterprise cannot provide you with an equivalent car, then you either need to...

 

1) Keep the current car, with a refund of the payments that you're making while without your Kodiaq.

2) Skoda pay for an equivalent specification battery from another supplier that is in stock and ready for immediate fitment.

 

They're unlikely to do either without pressure from you. Good luck...

 

https://tools.skoda.co.uk/contact-us

 

[foxy367]

So after numerous phone calls today to Skoda UK and Skoda mobility I am still in my manual Octavia waiting on a 7 seat auto! I don't think they quite grasped it was the size of vehicle and auto that was the issue not the number of seats necessarily. Enterprise don't have any auto Skodas locally and all they are authorised to give me is a poverty spec vehicle. 

 

Last night I was a bit more relaxed her attitude on the phone today has made me want to dig my heals in. Apparently a like for like spec isn't a requirement but when the vehicle could be out of action for three weeks I think it should be!

[silver1011]

In that case you should have tabled the option to have your dealer source a suitable battery from a reputable supplier, and have Skoda UK pay for it.

[xman]

3 weeks to get a battery?

 

Couldnt they go round the corner to ECP or hundreds of other suppliers and buy something suitable, preferably an AGM type?

 

Looks increasingly that the EFB tech is not so Enhanced. That and VAG cheap micro hybrid system is not up to snuff.

[Dr_Pepper]

I just had a new battery from Skoda and it took nearly a month to arrive. Mine was just losing charge, not a sudden failure, but the dealer diagnosed it as the battery (I thought it might be alternator or something) over the phone so he must be seeing a few fail 

 

I was having to charge it up overnight every couple of days to keep it going. My local garage said they had one in stock, but when I told the dealer this he said it had to be the official Skoda one because it needed coding to the car? Is this really true and if so why are Kwik fit not worried about this! Anyway I had no choice but to wait and keep charging for a month, because otherwise I'd have had to pay for it.

Edited 8 January, 2019 by Dr_Pepper

[foxy367]

coding a battery to a car? thats a new one on me!!!!

 

[Kenny R]

25 minutes ago, foxy367 said:

coding a battery to a car? thats a new one on me!!!!

 

 

[silver1011]

Whilst the battery does need coding, that doesn't mean that fitment is exclusive to a Skoda battery or a Skoda dealer.

 

It seems that the duff batteries have been identified as being clear by week 22 2018, so if your Kodiaq was built after this date your battery should be OK.

 

Also, the problem is getting so widespread, and batteries are in such short supply that Skoda dealers are being issued with 'temporary' batteries to keep cars mobile until the propers ones arrive.

[xman]

5 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

 

It seems that the duff batteries have been identified as being clear by week 22 2018, so if your Kodiaq was built after this date your battery should be OK.

 

Also, the problem is getting so widespread, and batteries are in such short supply that Skoda dealers are being issued with 'temporary' batteries to keep cars mobile until the propers ones arrive.

 

Yikes! Does this only effect Moll batteries or are other brands affected?

 

What on earth are temporary batteries? 

[Mr Rubble]

Had a similar issue with Enterprise via Skoda Assist apparently the contract they hold says they have to give you a Volkswagen Audi Group car. In the end they initially gave me a Vauxhall which I then had to swap with for a Passat. The policy seemed a bit stupid and I pushed as I needed to get to work. Guess what the cause of the breakdown was a knackered battery replaced under warranty. 

[silver1011]

7 minutes ago, xman said:

 

Yikes! Does this only effect Moll batteries or are other brands affected?

 

What on earth are temporary batteries? 

 

Only MOLL, Banner and Varta are OK.

 

The temporary batteries are reportedly Varta branded, but I'm not sure how they differ from the regular battery though. I've asked the question.

[xman]

Possibly standard batteries rather than EFB or AGM.

 

Hard to understand how VAG have trouble sourcing something as basic as batteries, unless they're hiding something. Batterygate? or battery management issue.

 

I've seen several people report across the various Briskoda forums that stop/start availability is spurious, something I experience even though my factory fit Exide brand battery is regularly maintenance charged.

[silver1011]

I'm told the temporary batteries are from Skoda's 'Economy Range', whatever than means.

[TheOctaviaFamily]

My Sept/17 Octavia 2.0 Ltr Diesel failed in 3rd lane of M42/ M6 in stop/ start traffic - more warning lights than a '70's discotheque and not a peep from the starter motor.

To their credit Skoda assist/ AA recovered the car to a garden centre and 1hr later VAG assist arrived, promptly diagnosed a failed MOLL battery and fitted a nice new VARTA under warranty.

The engineer was careful not to say that this is a common problem but did say that VAG now fit VARTA as standard and this might suggest some dissatisfaction with MOLL.

The previous evening the battery only just managed to turn the engine over and thinking back this wasn't the first time so don't immediately blame the weather/ earlier electrical demand loading.....get it checked out before you get stranded!!