2017 Kodiaq - poor interior trim quality

[silver1011]

I've seen larger bodied drivers, or those with mobility issues put their whole weight on the window switches whilst exiting their vehicle.

 

I'm not suggesting that's the case here by the way! Just that some times it isn't always the manufacturers fault.

[MarlboroLites]

Time for an update. The reason why the dealer wasnt prepared to consider this a warranty repair was that it had not seen a previous similar issue in its workshop. I politely pointed out that this in itself wasn't justification of refusing my claim as clearly there was a defect with mine and pointed to instances cited across various internet platforms and forums where dealers had accepted responsibility. 

 

A diss report is being prepared now which is being sent to Skoda Technical.  There's also talk of a goodwill gesture. So watch this space.....  

 

A door handle should never break in this way.  Nor should they creak or flex. And I don't recall the Superb I had briefly suffering similar issues.

 

[MarlboroLites]

I have now parted company with the Kodiaq.  The dealer took my case up with Skoda for a replacement door panel and I was offered a 50% contribution to the repair. It still meant I had to find £200 which I was unhappy about. So I decided enough was enough and back she has gone. I remain of the opinion the Kodiaq is the most stylish SUVs in the market. The 2.0 tsi is a brilliant unit when mated with the DSG gearbox. But Skoda needs to take a good long, hard look at itself when it comes to the interior. This is where cost savings clearly separate the brand from VW and Audi stable mates. A small increase in purchase price to improve interior quality would I doubt put prospective purchasers off. If I were to summarise my experience I would say it was a brilliant family car spoilt only by bean counter interference. 

[shyVRS245]

1 minute ago, MarlboroLites said:

I have now parted company with the Kodiaq.  The dealer took my case up with Skoda for a replacement door panel and I was offered a 50% contribution to the repair. It still meant I had to find £200 which I was unhappy about. So I decided enough was enough and back she has gone. I remain of the opinion the Kodiaq is the most stylish SUVs in the market. The 2.0 tsi is a brilliant unit when mated with the DSG gearbox. But Skoda needs to take a good long, hard look at itself when it comes to the interior. This is where cost savings clearly separate the brand from VW and Audi stable mates. A small increase in purchase price to improve interior quality would I doubt put prospective purchasers off. If I were to summarise my experience I would say it was a brilliant family car spoilt only by bean counter interference. 

I totally agree with you having spent many hours in our 30 month old Karoq (26,200 miles so far) the interior quality of the smaller Skoda SUV is much higher (almost as nice as my 2019 Superb Sportline) than that of the larger Kodiaq. You can see and feel the cost savings yet they have the nerve to charge thousands more for slightly more interior space and a bigger boot. Needless to say having been a long time Skoda customer I wouldn't buy any Kodiaq until they improve the interior quality.

[Kenny R]

25 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

I totally agree with you having spent many hours in our 30 month old Karoq (26,200 miles so far) the interior quality of the smaller Skoda SUV is much higher (almost as nice as my 2019 Superb Sportline) than that of the larger Kodiaq. You can see and feel the cost savings yet they have the nerve to charge thousands more for slightly more interior space and a bigger boot. Needless to say having been a long time Skoda customer I wouldn't buy any Kodiaq until they improve the interior quality.

Strange, my son has a Karoq Edition and there’s no signs of a much higher quality interior compared to my Kodiaq SEL.

[shyVRS245]

Just now, Kenny R said:

Strange, my son has a Karoq Edition and there’s no signs of a much higher quality interior compared to my Kodiaq SEL.

Perhaps you've got used to the hard plastics all over the Kodiaq then?

[Kenny R]

6 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Perhaps you've got used to the hard plastics all over the Kodiaq then?

Not just my opinion, he likes my Kodiaq better than his Karoq, and he’s going to upgrade to a Kodiaq next

[shyVRS245]

3 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Not just my opinion, he likes my Kodiaq better than his Karoq, and he’s going to upgrade to a Kodiaq next

Just looked at the Skoda configurator and 3 items that were standard on the Karoq SEL are optional extras on the Kodiaq SEL and it came to over £38,000 for the extra 40bhp, DSG and 4WD which is a big premium for 2 extra seats. Reversing camera, rear picnic tables and silver roof rails cost extra on the premium Kodiaq. Hard to work that one out.

[Kenny R]

11 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Just looked at the Skoda configurator and 3 items that were standard on the Karoq SEL are optional extras on the Kodiaq SEL and it came to over £38,000 for the extra 40bhp, DSG and 4WD which is a big premium for 2 extra seats. Reversing camera, rear picnic tables and silver roof rails cost extra on the premium Kodiaq. Hard to work that one out.

Not that hard to work out. If you’ve got 4 grandkids and all their parafernalia you need a bigger car and 7 seats.  If I didn’t I would have kept my Yeti, much better car than it’s replacement,the Karoq .

[Guest]

1 hour ago, MarlboroLites said:

 A small increase in purchase price to improve interior quality would I doubt put prospective purchasers off.

 

I agree that if you're unhappy with the car then get rid of it but where are the other instances of this happening? If the quality was as bad as you suggest then surely this would be common place?

 

What are you going to replace the Kodiaq with?

[MarlboroLites]

That's a question I have wrestled with. I can assure all readers that it is a car that wasn't abused in my ownership. Despite 45k on the clock she was quite immaculate. I was the 2nd owner though...so maybe the first owner was a tad heavy handed? Or maybe the car was just a bad one...it happens. Possibly there's a very fine tolerance with the plastics used and the designs adopted so that they just about pass muster.  Just a little over that tolerance level and you have a breakage. So not a hint of over engineering...which is a great comfort blanket I tend to find. I've replaced it with  VW Touareg.  Quite a different story when it comes to build quality...and it's 12 years old. Everything works. I hate to imagine what my Kodiaq will look like on its 12th birthday. 

[Guest]

A Touareg is better built, no doubting that, but it's price point is in a different league too so not exactly much of a comparison.  You started off today by saying Skoda should be investing more money in quality, but you didn't answer my question, if quality was that bad then why isn't the problem you suffered common place? 

 

It was of course a leading question because the answer is, and I think you know this already, ( you're now suggesting it may have been the previous owner? ) that the problem never was with the Kodiaq model, the problem was with your particular car. I'd have thought the 50% goodwill from Skoda was very generous.

 

Anyway, good luck with the 12 year old Toureag. If VW ever offer you 50% goodwill, that means you'll only need a smaller mortgage to fix it 

 

 

[MarlboroLites]

I offered a view on what might be the causes for the frequent failure of interior trim items. I do believe the Kodiaq being built to a budget is counter productive. I think the quality of the hard (and often very sharp!) plastic is just sufficient to perform the intended function.  There's not a hint of over engineering anywhere, which is remiss of a manufacturer hoping to market the vehicle at families. The door handle is a prime example of this...mine broke completely, others here have handles that squeak more than a rat on coke. It is an inherently weak design. The rear window driver side switch disintegrated on the driver's control panel. That switch is hardly ever used from the front compared to driver's or front passenger.  I believe the issues are more widespread that we are given to believe. And not every Skoda owner is a Briskoda member. Possibly my experience of failures are unusual in nature but that isn't to say there's no underlying issues.  My Octavia VRs Mk1 was a great car, solidly built and withstood the rigours of modern life. And my 66 plate Superb just felt better put together than my Kodiaq.  I'd have happily paid a premium for a Kodiaq with a similar quality interior as, say, a Tiguan because the Kodiaq is the better looking vehicle in my opinion.  After eight visits to the dealer to have broken trim items fixed or bodged I was in no mood to accept a 50% contribution towards the cost of the replacement door panel. That was the straw which broke the camel's back frankly.  I bought an almost new Kodiaq to enjoy trouble free motoring. That wasnt the case. I am genuinely saddened about that. I waited for its launch with the anticipation of a teen on a first date. I know where i am with the Touareg...if it breaks I fix it....seemples. My expectations are realistic. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, MarlboroLites said:

I offered a view on what might be the causes for the frequent failure of interior trim items. I do believe the Kodiaq being built to a budget is counter productive. I think the quality of the hard (and often very sharp!) plastic is just sufficient to perform the intended function.  There's not a hint of over engineering anywhere, which is remiss of a manufacturer hoping to market the vehicle at families. The door handle is a prime example of this...mine broke completely, others here have handles that squeak more than a rat on coke. It is an inherently weak design. The rear window driver side switch disintegrated on the driver's control panel. That switch is hardly ever used from the front compared to driver's or front passenger.  I believe the issues are more widespread that we are given to believe. And not every Skoda owner is a Briskoda member. Possibly my experience of failures are unusual in nature but that isn't to say there's no underlying issues.  My Octavia VRs Mk1 was a great car, solidly built and withstood the rigours of modern life. And my 66 plate Superb just felt better put together than my Kodiaq.  I'd have happily paid a premium for a Kodiaq with a similar quality interior as, say, a Tiguan because the Kodiaq is the better looking vehicle in my opinion.  After eight visits to the dealer to have broken trim items fixed or bodged I was in no mood to accept a 50% contribution towards the cost of the replacement door panel. That was the straw which broke the camel's back frankly.  I bought an almost new Kodiaq to enjoy trouble free motoring. That wasnt the case. I am genuinely saddened about that. I waited for its launch with the anticipation of a teen on a first date. I know where i am with the Touareg...if it breaks I fix it....seemples. My expectations are realistic. 

 

You have a very high sense of drama in your writing. If your were preaching at speakers corner to  passers by, somebody might actually believe what your saying, but your taking here to people who own Kodiaqs and you're not going to get away with it.

 

Where exactly on the Kodiaq is this 'often very sharp' plastic?  Just name those parts so we can all check the next time we're in the cars and save us a trip to A&E.  And it's ' just sufficient to perform the intended task' ?  That's simply ridiculous.

 

You say you ' believe ' the issues are more widespread but when asked ( twice already ) you've provided no evidence. If these so called quality issues you speak of are present, then where are all the complaints? Don't just look at Briskoda, use google, look throughout the world, where are all these complaints of broken window switches?  You're living in a bubble.  It wasn't wear and tear, it wasn't a faulty switch, it has all the hallmarks of accidental damage. Even you yourself cannot account for any abuse the previous owner may have exerted on it.

 

You're suffering from something akin to the  placebo effect - you've got it in to your head the Kodiaq is poorly built, the only problem is, you're the only one who's saying it.  If it was that poorly built, at a price tag of over £40k for some models, it simply wouldn't sell.

 

Go on to youtube or elsewhere and look at all the independent reviews by ordinary folk who are in no way connected to the manufacturer or indeed VAG.  These people are saying the exact opposite to what you're suggesting. I don't think I've watched one review where the reviewer says - oh that's cheap, or that's plasticky or a piece of trim has broken off in their hand. I've lost count on how many publications have placed the Kodiaq as their car of the year or certainly placed it best in class. They all recommend it.  Are you saying everyone is wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 5 August, 2020 by Guest

[BRUN]

2 hours ago, MarlboroLites said:

I offered a view on what might be the causes for the frequent failure of interior trim items. I do believe the Kodiaq being built to a budget is counter productive. I think the quality of the hard (and often very sharp!) plastic is just sufficient to perform the intended function.  There's not a hint of over engineering anywhere, which is remiss of a manufacturer hoping to market the vehicle at families. The door handle is a prime example of this...mine broke completely, others here have handles that squeak more than a rat on coke. It is an inherently weak design. The rear window driver side switch disintegrated on the driver's control panel. That switch is hardly ever used from the front compared to driver's or front passenger.  I believe the issues are more widespread that we are given to believe. And not every Skoda owner is a Briskoda member. Possibly my experience of failures are unusual in nature but that isn't to say there's no underlying issues.  My Octavia VRs Mk1 was a great car, solidly built and withstood the rigours of modern life. And my 66 plate Superb just felt better put together than my Kodiaq.  I'd have happily paid a premium for a Kodiaq with a similar quality interior as, say, a Tiguan because the Kodiaq is the better looking vehicle in my opinion.  After eight visits to the dealer to have broken trim items fixed or bodged I was in no mood to accept a 50% contribution towards the cost of the replacement door panel. That was the straw which broke the camel's back frankly.  I bought an almost new Kodiaq to enjoy trouble free motoring. That wasnt the case. I am genuinely saddened about that. I waited for its launch with the anticipation of a teen on a first date. I know where i am with the Touareg...if it breaks I fix it....seemples. My expectations are realistic. 

would you say they are worse than older models ?

 

my Fabia is 16 years old and i have no issue with the interior, ive had the door card off all doors numerous times to seal carrier leaks, nothing rattles

[snala]

The bits you specifically mention with problems are the same parts on most of the Skoda models let alone VW's and possibly Audis too. I don't think it matter how old they are as all these vehicles have always been built conjunctively with their VW and Seat and Audi common platforms.

The sunglasses holder and window control panel are the same items on my 2019 Skoda and my 2019 Golf. I'd suggest if you had a Tiguen the same age and treated condition, it possibly could have similar problems.

So really it's not a Kodiaq or even Skoda quality issue, its the bigger VAG picture you really are criticizing here.

Edited 5 August, 2020 by snala

[MarlboroLites]

21 hours ago, BRUN said:

would you say they are worse than older models ?

 

my Fabia is 16 years old and i have no issue with the interior, ive had the door card off all doors numerous times to seal carrier leaks, nothing rattles

In my opinion the interior of modern Skodas is generally less resilient than older ones. Others might disagree. 

[SinglePointSafety]

Before I ordered my Kodiaq I looked at (in minute detail) and drove a fair few vehicles, including Volvo XC40 and XC60, Honda CR-V, Audi Q3, Kia Sportage, VW Tiguan, Toyota RAV4. Apart from the driving experience I examined the interior trim quality - at least what I could see and feel. The Kodiaq was at least as good as any of the above cars, much in line with the reviews from trusted sources.

 

Reliability reviews from the likes of J D Power and Which? also indicate that recent Skodas are doing well - but as usual it's a statistical thing, your particular car might develop many faults, because, statistically, some will (if you're interested, it's binomial stats, assuming that a component is in one of 2 states, working or not).

 

What I can't judge of course is how well the interior will stand up to 'reasonable' use. My previous Golf Alltrack was pretty good, the Golf hatch before that developed a few rattles, most of them cured by the dealer. Modern cars also (round here at least) have to cope with roads that are in far, far worse condition than a decade ago. If you follow a local you'd conclude that they are drunk or stoned, weaving all over the road. Then you rapidly realise (after you encounter the first 'thump') their slalom skills have been perfected to try and miss the worst of the road damage. 

[MarlboroLites]

16 hours ago, snala said:

The bits you specifically mention with problems are the same parts on most of the Skoda models let alone VW's and possibly Audis too. I don't think it matter how old they are as all these vehicles have always been built conjunctively with their VW and Seat and Audi common platforms.

The sunglasses holder and window control panel are the same items on my 2019 Skoda and my 2019 Golf. I'd suggest if you had a Tiguen the same age and treated condition, it possibly could have similar problems.

So really it's not a Kodiaq or even Skoda quality issue, its the bigger VAG picture you really are criticizing here.

Quite possibly I am, although I suspect Audi, as the premium brand, to have the higher trim and material quality.

 

The crux of the issue is how Skoda and Seat can so comprehensively undercut VW and Audi stablemates when platforms, engines, gearboxes, suspension, brakes etc etc are identical. Costs are being shaved from somewhere and it can't all be attributable to reduced labour costs. 

[MarlboroLites]

2 hours ago, SinglePointSafety said:

Before I ordered my Kodiaq I looked at (in minute detail) and drove a fair few vehicles, including Volvo XC40 and XC60, Honda CR-V, Audi Q3, Kia Sportage, VW Tiguan, Toyota RAV4. Apart from the driving experience I examined the interior trim quality - at least what I could see and feel. The Kodiaq was at least as good as any of the above cars, much in line with the reviews from trusted sources.

 

Reliability reviews from the likes of J D Power and Which? also indicate that recent Skodas are doing well - but as usual it's a statistical thing, your particular car might develop many faults, because, statistically, some will (if you're interested, it's binomial stats, assuming that a component is in one of 2 states, working or not).

 

What I can't judge of course is how well the interior will stand up to 'reasonable' use. My previous Golf Alltrack was pretty good, the Golf hatch before that developed a few rattles, most of them cured by the dealer. Modern cars also (round here at least) have to cope with roads that are in far, far worse condition than a decade ago. If you follow a local you'd conclude that they are drunk or stoned, weaving all over the road. Then you rapidly realise (after you encounter the first 'thump') their slalom skills have been perfected to try and miss the worst of the road damage. 

I did very much the same actually and agree that the Kodiaq comprehensivly stands up to its rivals. It was the main reason for me purchasing mine. But as things failed over the course of my 2 years of ownership I have had the opportunity to study the design and fitment of many of those items.  I've seen and touched parts of the vehicle others haven't. In my view, the smart, modern, well designed interior masks Skoda cost cutting which successfully enables the marque to undercut it's more expensive stable mates. Others may not agree.  

 

On the brighter side, my car was totally rattle free which was a major plus on our rough roads, and super smooth and comfortable.  It would still be on my drive now if I had more faith in her. I hadn't heard of binomial stats before. I appreciate the explanation. Cheers

 

 

[MarlboroLites]

On 05/08/2020 at 15:57, Scot5 said:

 

You have a very high sense of drama in your writing. If your were preaching at speakers corner to  passers by, somebody might actually believe what your saying, but your taking here to people who own Kodiaqs and you're not going to get away with it.

 

Where exactly on the Kodiaq is this 'often very sharp' plastic?  Just name those parts so we can all check the next time we're in the cars and save us a trip to A&E.  And it's ' just sufficient to perform the intended task' ?  That's simply ridiculous.

 

You say you ' believe ' the issues are more widespread but when asked ( twice already ) you've provided no evidence. If these so called quality issues you speak of are present, then where are all the complaints? Don't just look at Briskoda, use google, look throughout the world, where are all these complaints of broken window switches?  You're living in a bubble.  It wasn't wear and tear, it wasn't a faulty switch, it has all the hallmarks of accidental damage. Even you yourself cannot account for any abuse the previous owner may have exerted on it.

 

You're suffering from something akin to the  placebo effect - you've got it in to your head the Kodiaq is poorly built, the only problem is, you're the only one who's saying it.  If it was that poorly built, at a price tag of over £40k for some models, it simply wouldn't sell.

 

Go on to youtube or elsewhere and look at all the independent reviews by ordinary folk who are in no way connected to the manufacturer or indeed VAG.  These people are saying the exact opposite to what you're suggesting. I don't think I've watched one review where the reviewer says - oh that's cheap, or that's plasticky or a piece of trim has broken off in their hand. I've lost count on how many publications have placed the Kodiaq as their car of the year or certainly placed it best in class. They all recommend it.  Are you saying everyone is wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And you accuse me of attention seeking? There's a way of disagreeing with someone's view without resorting to insults and sarcasm. 

[CJJE]

3 hours ago, MarlboroLites said:

The crux of the issue is how Skoda and Seat can so comprehensively undercut VW and Audi stablemates when platforms, engines, gearboxes, suspension, brakes etc etc are identical. Costs are being shaved from somewhere and it can't all be attributable to reduced labour costs. 

VAG bosses themselves have been critical of Skoda for being overcompetitive with VW pricing because of their cheaper labour costs in Czech factories as opposed to German ones. (And Seat Atecas for instance are built on the same line as Skoda Karoqs.) Presumably when Skoda had to shift some Karoq production to Germany while they refitted the Czech factory paint shop they had to just shrug and accept the extra costs involved!   

[MrTrilby]

When we bought our Kodiaq, with the equivalent options it didn’t seem any cheaper than the equivalent Tiguan AllSpace. We just preferred the more practical boot layout of the Kodiaq. 
 

Base spec Skodas might be cheaper than VWs, but I’m not sure that holds true as you move up the model range. 

[Stu_Magoo]

16 hours ago, MrTrilby said:

When we bought our Kodiaq, with the equivalent options it didn’t seem any cheaper than the equivalent Tiguan AllSpace. We just preferred the more practical boot layout of the Kodiaq. 
 

Base spec Skodas might be cheaper than VWs, but I’m not sure that holds true as you move up the model range. 

Just done a comparison between the Kodiaq SE 1.5TSi manual 7 seat with options to match a Tiguan AllSpace Match.  Price difference is Kodiaq £595 cheaper (1.7%).  Go to top of the range, and to make a L&K 2.0TDi 190 4x4 DSG with options the same as a R-Line Tech, the difference is £1,640 (3.4%).  So, a little cheaper like for like, but you have to have all the kit with a VW, whereas you can decide in the Kodiaq to not have some of those options and get a much cheaper car.