SOS Error Message

[stewartv]

Hi,

Anyone had an orange warning flash up telling you to go to a service centre for an SOS error?

This has happened twice now in the space of a few days - suspiciously similar areas in London.

The eSIM seems to have lost connectivity with both the white globe and hotspot symbol disappearing.

It stays this way with the error showing unless the car is locked and left for 30 minutes and it all starts working again.

This is on the new Amundsen MIB3 system.

[PoloPaul]

I experienced the SOS coming on once. An internal beeper sounded loudly like an internal house alarm. I couldn’t turn it off and pushed the SOS button - no one had told me that this connected you to the emergency services - which it did!  I explained and the operator was great. So clearly the SIM worked! I heard the sound as I pulled up for my jab on Friday - couldn’t stop as I had to go in - sound had stopped when I returned. Glitches?

[Karoq2020]

Yes we’ve had the warning twice in last few weeks once in Richmond and once in Croydon. Very annoying the orange triangle but I sure as heck am not going to book in for something we will never use!

[stewartv]

10 minutes ago, Karoq2020 said:

Yes we’ve had the warning twice in last few weeks once in Richmond and once in Croydon. Very annoying the orange triangle but I sure as heck am not going to book in for something we will never use!

Agreed - probably will never use it but it seems to also completely remove all the live traffic info as well. After the car has completely shut down after leaving it, then everything comes on again. 

This week not only the SOS but also GPS failed and showed me driving up the Thames whilst only 14 miles from Newmarket! Again, after the car was shut down for 20 minutes it all booted up OK.

Car is actually booked in next week as I understand these incidents are not isolated.

[Karoq2020]

10 minutes ago, stewartv said:

Agreed - probably will never use it but it seems to also completely remove all the live traffic info as well. After the car has completely shut down after leaving it, then everything comes on again. 

This week not only the SOS but also GPS failed and showed me driving up the Thames whilst only 14 miles from Newmarket! Again, after the car was shut down for 20 minutes it all booted up OK.

Car is actually booked in next week as I understand these incidents are not isolated.

Will be interested if they fix yours with new parts or just ‘software update’ as it may become a common thing all of us with MIB IIIs will need in time. 

[SAL_III]

On 03/04/2021 at 16:37, stewartv said:

Agreed - probably will never use it but it seems to also completely remove all the live traffic info as well. After the car has completely shut down after leaving it, then everything comes on again. 

This week not only the SOS but also GPS failed and showed me driving up the Thames whilst only 14 miles from Newmarket! Again, after the car was shut down for 20 minutes it all booted up OK.

Car is actually booked in next week as I understand these incidents are not isolated.

I had this twice, out of 5 time driving the car since delivery about 10 days ago. Can't say the first time as I wasn't using the navigation, but the second time the GPS failed very annoyingly and affected even google maps through Carplay as apparently it uses the car GPS not the phone, so my wife had to take out her phone and navigate the old fashioned way.

 

Please get back to us with update after the service. I was going to wait for 3rd strike before contacting the dealership, but it appears i'm not an isolated incident

[Phutters]

9 hours ago, SAL_III said:

 ...so my wife had to take out her phone and navigate the old fashioned way.

 

 

 

.

I realise I was getting a bit dog-eared, but now I feel positively decrepit.

 

I thought this was the old-fashioned way.

 

.

[VRT24]

48 minutes ago, Phutters said:

.

I thought this was the old-fashioned way.

Blimey... what's one of those then!!😂

[stewartv]

9 hours ago, SAL_III said:

I had this twice, out of 5 time driving the car since delivery about 10 days ago. Can't say the first time as I wasn't using the navigation, but the second time the GPS failed very annoyingly and affected even google maps through Carplay as apparently it uses the car GPS not the phone, so my wife had to take out her phone and navigate the old fashioned way.

 

Please get back to us with update after the service. I was going to wait for 3rd strike before contacting the dealership, but it appears i'm not an isolated incident

OK.

Visited the garage yesterday - a 1 hour drive away to try and fuind out what is happening.

They took logs and a detailed report from myself including photos when the issues arose.

I get the feeling that Skoda will do NOTHING unless the customer complaints process is backed up and linked to a formal technical report from a dealer. When there have been a sufficient number of technical fault reports then it will trigger an investigation.

I am aghast at the UK forums for T-Roc, Tiguan, Volkswagen, Skoda etc that are awash with all the issues we are reporting here as well and yet VW who are the source of this appalling MIB system seem to be focusing all their engineers on electric cars and not these issues. I have on good authority that customers are not buying new cars once they see the 'new' nav systems.

My 'older' Columbus has performed flawlessly and that is 3 years old so we know there was a good, solid solution that VW and their subsidiaries have royally messed up.

The issues I have now formally had lodged are;

• GPS Failures and car position 40 miles from where it actually is
• No local ability to update via USB
• SOS warning lights in large amber letters on the maxidot and MIB display
• Loss of  phone connection coupled with loss of internet connection in the car by the ESim - probably a complete module failure?
• Failure to import addresses from the contacts list on a Samsung Galaxy phone as invalid format
• Connect App fails to send destination/route data to the MIB3 (the garage said that this was seen top be working on a training course!) with no error messages
• Inability to locally update via USB C but this 'may' be possible with the MIB3 in 'Engineering Mode'.

To get this highlighted it is imperative that anyone with issues sees their dealer to get a formal technical complaint/fault raised by them on Skoda UK.

It is a shame that what are otherwise excellent cars are being so badly let down by the MIB3 which at present seems 'not fit for purpose' and fails to meet any sort of acceptable product standards for the price paid and restore confidence in using the system.

Interesting the comment about Carplay needing the cars GPS - I wonder if it is the same for Android Auto?

I also see that VW are apparently recalling Golf 8s now for a software update but I do not know if this is related to our issues here.

I would happily have an older system retrofitted.

 

[SAL_III]

8 hours ago, Phutters said:

.

I realise I was getting a bit dog-eared, but now I feel positively decrepit.

 

I thought this was the old-fashioned way.

 

.

That's the way of the ancients  

 

I will get some pictures/videos of the issue next time and report it to the dealership to get it "on paper" and hope we can reach the magic number to trigger some action from VAG

[stewartv]

I took my car in a week ago and apart from lodging the formal technical fault and downloading the logs, the car was reported as being up to date.

Just had a call from the garage to take the car in next week for a software update - it has probably just been released?

I will see what happens and post back here.

 

EDIT - just seen in another forum that someone else had a similar issue which after the 3rd garage visit turned out to be the eSim.

Edited 14 April, 2021 by stewartv
added comment

[PoloPaul]

2 minutes ago, stewartv said:

I took my car in a week ago and apart from lodging the formal technical fault and downloading the logs, the car was reported as being up to date.

Just had a call from the garage to take the car in next week for a software update - it has probably just been released?

I will see what happens and post back here.

Hi Stewartv

 

Please do let me know, my Octavia had a 3 hour! Software update when I took my car in - December time. Took car in for investigation of rattles and whine but sadly only 90 seconds (tracked on Skoda App) given to my own issue before being declared ‘perfect’. 
 

Lots of ‘software upgrade’ talk I’ve heard has been around correcting the 1.5  “kangarooing” effect when setting off from cold start. Skoda media claimed that the last major software fix had corrected that - however lots of owners including me have not noticed any improvement. I’m afraid the sensation of having  a drive shaft in the process of clacking around before it gives in engages my attention more! 
 

Yes please do let me know how extensive your upgrade is and what it delivers 

 

Thank you

PoloPaul

[CJJE]

According to a post in the Skoda Karoq Facebook group, one sufferer was told it was due to low voltage disabling the eSim, and blamed on the car being left unused for a time due to lockdowns. If so, perhaps the faults will disappear now we're able to drive more again??

 

Chris

[stewartv]

1 minute ago, CJJE said:

According to a post in the Skoda Karoq Facebook group, one sufferer was told it was due to low voltage disabling the eSim, and blamed on the car being left unused for a time due to lockdowns. If so, perhaps the faults will disappear now we're able to drive more again??

 

Chris

My SOS errors have always been after an hour or more of driving so I doubt low voltage - but a reasonable possibility in some cases I would think. 

[PoloPaul]

1 hour ago, stewartv said:

My SOS errors have always been after an hour or more of driving so I doubt low voltage - but a reasonable possibility in some cases I would think. 

Hi, I have had two SOS faults. On both occasions, both of which have been during ‘sparse-use’ in lockdown,  I get an SOS alert accompanied by an internal alarm sounding loudly. On the first occasion the loud alarm would not stop even when I tried driving a short distance. Skoda person at main dealer declared that she knew of nothing that brought on an internal alarm  but did mention low-voltage gremlins ( wonder what the internal alarm is then 🤔). On both occasions it reset itself after a ‘rest’.
 

So a concern at this point is that with such a technologically advanced car and with so many issues requiring CPU processing - wilI I end up paying out of the warranty period  to ‘repair’ these technology issues inherent through poor research and development from the start? 

[vegit8]

Sadly, I have found the common response to any issue from a dealer is generally “we cannot replicate the problem”.

I have had many issues with my 18 plate Octavia and auto time updating when abroad.

I now take video footage on my phone and send it to my sales guy.

I find he has more ‘leverage’ with the workshop staff.

[stewartv]

On 14/04/2021 at 17:23, PoloPaul said:

Hi, I have had two SOS faults. On both occasions, both of which have been during ‘sparse-use’ in lockdown,  I get an SOS alert accompanied by an internal alarm sounding loudly. On the first occasion the loud alarm would not stop even when I tried driving a short distance. Skoda person at main dealer declared that she knew of nothing that brought on an internal alarm  but did mention low-voltage gremlins ( wonder what the internal alarm is then 🤔). On both occasions it reset itself after a ‘rest’.
 

So a concern at this point is that with such a technologically advanced car and with so many issues requiring CPU processing - wilI I end up paying out of the warranty period  to ‘repair’ these technology issues inherent through poor research and development from the start? 

My car is with the dealer and Skoda UK have acknowledged this is a known issue and apparently are now working towards a proper fix with some priority. No fix date as yet, but at least is is now in the system and recognised.

[CJJE]

This problem has been highlighted today in the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/01/vw-audi-and-skoda-owners-angry-over-fault-in-sos-warning-system) !

 

It seems to be an endemic fault, but one my car has not experienced (touch wood!), but hopefully the added publicity will generate a bit more effort to resolve it. 

 

Chris

Edited 1 May, 2021 by CJJE

[kenfowler3966]

It said cars from 2018 sold in Europe had to have this feature but my 2020 model has no sos button or way to call that I know off?

[DSL]

My MY20 SE deffo doesn’t have an SOS button.  It might be for new models from a set date in 2018 so the present Karoq squeezed in under the wire. 

[CJJE]

It was probably new models from 2018, so the Kamiq had it, but the Karoq only had it fitted as standard from the MY21 update? When I was ordering my Karoq last June, the MY20 Karoq had Skoda Connect etc as an option, which was then included as standard in my MY21 car.

 

Chris

[stewartv]

2 hours ago, CJJE said:

This problem has been highlighted today in the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/01/vw-audi-and-skoda-owners-angry-over-fault-in-sos-warning-system) !

 

It seems to be an endemic fault, but one my car has not experienced (touch wood!), but hopefully the added publicity will generate a bit more effort to resolve it. 

 

Chris

Pity the interviewees didn't also comment on the total lack of functionality with contacts/postcodes/connect App as well.......

If Skoda/VAG have been selling cars without disclosing known faults, I wonder what the legal position is?

I was hoping that selecting a contact from the phone contacts (either via bluetooth or the connect app) would get around the appalling failure of the post code entry not showing real names - but sadly none of these features work on the V3 Amundsen (Skoda announced this last June) but my older Kodiaq with Columbus is fine.

[CJJE]

I've emailed them to mention some of the other problems we're experiencing and referred them to our forum. 

 

Feel free to email [email protected]!

 

Chris

[PoloPaul]

Does anyone know of any successful similar infotainment systems in cars made by  other manufacturers or has ŠKODA/VW over-reached in an effort to gain a marketing edge?

[CJJE]

4 hours ago, PoloPaul said:

Does anyone know of any successful similar infotainment systems in cars made by  other manufacturers or has ŠKODA/VW over-reached in an effort to gain a marketing edge?

This has been an EU requirement for new cars since 2018: eCall in all new cars from April 2018 | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu)

 

Although I've also seen that the UK government objected to it so we might find it becoming optional new like warning triangles and first aid kits!

 

Chris