Hi all, new to the forums, apologies if this topic comes up time and time again I did a search but couldn’t find anything recent that gave me the info I was looking for.

 

I’m looking at buying a 2012/13 MK II Octavia VRS TFSI, manual transmission, (approx 40-65k mileage) in the next few weeks/months if I can find a good example become available.

 

I am trying to find out if there are any faults/major parts common to this model that cause issues and should have been replaced that I need to be on the lookout for in the service history, I thought I had read something a while ago about timing chain needing replacing at certain mileage? but I’m not overly familiar with SKODAs.

 

Thanks in advance for any help/info.

 

Stu 

 

 

As with all VAG cars running the 2.0 TFSI engine, the mounts are made of cheese and so will likely want to be replaced. Top two is quite an easy job but the subframe bushing is a bit more involved, possible DIY if you're brave but probably easier to just get a garage to do it. Any VRS is likely to have had some abuse so worth looking at getting them swapped out.

 

 

 

Ummmmm. Maybe read the sticky at top of threads.     But mid to late 2012 will have resolved a lot of the weaknesses. 

On 03/11/2021 at 11:43, VoodooVRS said:

Hi all, new to the forums, apologies if this topic comes up time and time again I did a search but couldn’t find anything recent that gave me the info I was looking for.

 

I’m looking at buying a 2012/13 MK II Octavia VRS TFSI, manual transmission, (approx 40-65k mileage) in the next few weeks/months if I can find a good example become available.

 

I am trying to find out if there are any faults/major parts common to this model that cause issues and should have been replaced that I need to be on the lookout for in the service history, I thought I had read something a while ago about timing chain needing replacing at certain mileage? but I’m not overly familiar with SKODAs.

 

Thanks in advance for any help/info.

 

Stu 

 

 

Coming from a Civic type R you'll be bitterly disappointed in a VRs. I was going to buy a type R but the extra family capacity and "street sleeper" style of a bland family saloon appealed to me. Got a low miles, FDSH, VRs that had loads of money spent on it. Went quite well for about three months. Then the knocking started. Knocking that no one can find. The previous owned had the common bushings replaced probably trying to fix the knocking. Then the oil consumption was a little on the high side. I know it is the nature of turbo cars to use a little oil but the 2.0 petrol is addicted to the stuff and it's not cheap. later I find it to be among a long list of a "common" issues and 1ltr per 1000 miles is "normal" - is it F as like normal especially at the price of the 0/30 oil. Then the PCV valve went, easy DIY fix but after replacing with a genuine unit the car developed immediate extra faults that were not there prior to fitting the valve. Other things include poor design / location of the fuse box and ECU which allows ingress of water. My fuse box got soaked because there is no proper gutter in the wing which allows water to run off the bonnet and wing directly onto the fuse box. The resulting short runs the fans after engine shutdown and you end up with a mysterious flat battery. These cars live off an inherited, but ill deserved reputation for German engineering of old. The fact is that German engineering has been ****e for years now. From now on I'm buying Japanese. As soon as I fix the Skoda I'm dumping it and buying Lexus.

Hi @Zedoner welcome to BS forums.  The op posted 2 months ago and hasn't returned none the less future searchers may we come accross this thread.

 

I don't disagree with most of your general points they are some of the vulnerabilities of the platform. A few others as well. That said some of those sorts of issues will be present accross other marques as well.. probably with others of their own..

 

Just a couple of specific points. Is yours a 2008 vRs. Possibly ea113 / bwa engine. If so it's quite different mechanically to the ea888 ccz engines in facelift vRSs.  If the op was looking at a petrol facelift 12/13 it will be the later engine.

 

If your fans are flattening your battery it is likely a fan control unit faulty. Many posts on here.  

 

If your car likes a bit of oil I'd try vw502.00 5w40 rather than 0-30 which will be quite thin and subject to higher consumption but better fuel economy. Which is why the oil grades get lower and lower. Unless your in a very cold climate.

 

I've not been in a lexus for a long long while but as you mention,  from what I remember,  the build quality was very good.