Hello Skoda Community,
 

Last year in September I bought the perfect family car: SKODA OCTAVIA 1.8 TSI DSG L&K Estate. 

Full Skoda Allams services history [from new] and just one owner before me and with 55K miles on the clock.

The car looks very fresh and almost brand new. We love it! Enough space and all luxury what you need.
I serviced also with the same dealership within the year and bought new tires new battery and many more things. I have looked after the car very well.

BUT!

During the summer the oil light came up a few times. My wife took it to a near by garage and the suggestion was :

• The Oil leak is coming from the lower chain cover needs a new one with upper chain cover, sealant and crankshaft oil seal.

 

Therefore I brought the car to Skoda Allams and asked for an investigation- that was in July. 

• They came back with the answer that the car is fine and the engine has no problem at all and it is just the case that the 1.8 TSI would eat more oil as other engines.
• We agreed that I will bring back the car in a few weeks time and they would asses the engine again.
• On the 19th of August i got back the car with the feedback that the engine is running fine and there is no problem with the car at all.

 

On the 25th of September I had my MOT and when I got back the car a few hours later the oil pressure light and signal was coming up. Not even starting the engine.

I have immediately raised that with SKODA ALLAMS, we have started the engine together and the engine block light came up as well.
They said all should be fine and i should come back in 4 days time and they would look into it.

I went back to SKODA ALLAMS and the have told me that the engine has a massive failure and my chain has dropped down and I would need another engine. 
After pointing out an issue and Skoda ALLAMS was saying all along that there is nothing wrong with my engine - within 3 months my engine died. 
I tried to negotiate with the dealer - nothing. I tried with Skoda UK - nothing. I tried with the dealership where i bought the car - nothing.

 

My only option was to get a new chain.... now the engine is "working" but OMG the noise of the car is more like a tractor. It is like an old Diesel car now.....
Long Story Short: Dear Skoda Community I ask for your input / help / thought please!

Thank you David

Welcome to the forum.

Greatest of sympathy on your loss.

All i can suggest is you read the Pinned Thread at the top of the page and then join the queue of those that VW Group / Skoda really are not bothered about.

Sh!t happens and they roll along. 

This is the issue you have...

 

 

First question. When you bough the car from Skoda in September 2018, was it an approved used Skoda i.e. did you get the one year manufacturer-backed warranty?

 

Next question. What was the reason for the dealer and/or Skoda UK not honouring your warranty claim?

 

This smacks of them not honouring their obligation to you, which given that the failure is very well documented and a clear manufacturing defect is appalling.

 

It sounds like you've paid to have the remedial work carried out at your own expense. Where was the repair carried out, at Allam's or outside of the Skoda dealer network?

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but there would be no way I'd have let Allam's / Skoda UK off this, especially after buying from a main dealer.

1 hour ago, silver1011 said:

This is the issue you have...

 

 

First question. When you bough the car from Skoda in September 2018, was it an approved used Skoda i.e. did you get the one year manufacturer-backed warranty?

I bought it from Wilsons Bargain Buy. close to Skoda Allams. According to my knowledge the car was a part exchange for another car. I bought it with a two years RAC warranty.
But everyone said that RAC would need to know the cause of the damage and no one could give me any promise that they will be able to tell RAC what is the cause.

 

Next question. What was the reason for the dealer and/or Skoda UK not honouring your warranty claim?
Skodal Allams said that they did not do anything wrong even they have investigated the car and serviced it several times. SKODA UK said that it is a too old car and out of any warranty. It is  a wear and tear issue SKODA UK suggested.

 

This smacks of them not honouring their obligation to you, which given that the failure is very well documented and a clear manufacturing defect is appalling.

Well Skoda UK categorically stated that they are officially not aware of any issues and there is no manufacturing defect with the 18. TSI engines.
 

It sounds like you've paid to have the remedial work carried out at your own expense. Where was the repair carried out, at Allam's or outside of the Skoda dealer network?

As Skoda Allams never offered me any solution and they did not want to help me including SKODA UK, therefore the repair was done at Wilsons, where i bought the car.

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but there would be no way I'd have let Allam's / Skoda UK off this, especially after buying from a main dealer.
They were not helpful at all although i have all communication with Skoda Allams via E-mail. I was surprised about SKODA UK`s behaviour and customer service as well......
We have a 1,5 year old little princess and she had a chest infection in October. My vife had to bring her to the A&E on the train... while I was trying to ask for help from SKODA UK and SKODA Allams to solve my case. After this experience i have decided to not wait any longer and get the car fixed. 



Any suggestions what i shall do? What options I would have? 
Thank you !

 

 

To be fair to Skoda then, you haven't bought the car from them and therefore they have no obligation to contribute.

 

However, for them to deny any knowledge of the issue is a blatant lie. When you get time, take a read through the thread linked above and you'll see there have been many, many cases where Skoda UK have been directly involved with excessive oil consumption on this engine.

 

Allams no doubt took the car in part exchange and quickly offloaded it. They too know of the weaknesses with older 1.8 TSI engines.

 

Anyway, the car is still covered by the RAC 2-year warranty? Did they pay for the repair at Wilson's Bargain Buy? Reading your reply again it sounds as though you didn't speak to anyone at the warranty company?

 

If this is the case then I'm afraid your options are now very limited. If you've paid for the repair yourself then the RAC will also now be able to reject a retrospective claim.

 

Your only option now is to take it back to Wilson's Bargain Buy who carried out the repair and tell them it still isn't right. What was the repair they made? Have they properly stripped down and rebuilt the engine or simply replaced the chain? Given the noises I'd guess the latter.

 

Personally I'd be cutting my losses and part exchanging it for a different car. Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for the repair? Did Wilson's Bargain Buy not even offer to help with the cost?

That is a shame. A waste of an otherwise nice specified car, low miles etc.

 

Your options, as I see them, are limited because of the way this has progressed and the time since purchasing i.e. exceeding 1  year now and now part repairs being done.

 

1. Go after Wilson's Bargain Buy for the car not being fit for purpose and/or satisfactory quality and durability.  Up to 6 months, it would be assumed the fault was present and up to Wilson's to defend. Now, it is up to you to prove the fault was present as sold.  You will need expert reports and it will be harder with the partial repair at even another 3rd Garage. But the problem with failed tensioner is quite well known and if you do a google there is even a national newspaper article for a failed vRS engine due to the same tensioner part failure.

 

2. Allam's Skoda.  You would need to have a record of the service they did on the car at time of purchase and especially the inspections in which they investigated and said there was no fault.  That is in conflict with the other garage you had the car inspected at. Do you have inspection reports or service reports for Allam's investigations? Or have you got date and times and who you spoke to and what they said (that would be weaker but they should have the bookings and some notes on their systems).  They do seem to have fobbed you off  The timing tensioner is operated oil hydraulic pressure whilst the engine is running and if the engine had low oil pressure from a low level due to leaks or consumption it could be a cause.  If that is not the cause, it will be the poor early edition tesnioner design which is prone to failure when the engine is turned off and then re-started.  Either way Allam's could have advised and investigated better. 

 

As to your chances, I don't know.  It may be worth having a chat with the RAC with a succinct summary of what has happened and why you have had to do what you have done.  Now there has been a partial repair it will be difficult to harder to get them on the hook ,if they back away in disinterest.

 

Why is the car running like a tractor now. What has the repairing garage said is the problem??