Hello, Looking for some advice, please.  
I have a Yeti Elegance Green-line 11TDICR diesel 1.6 M1 2011

orange coil warning light came on and vehicle went into limp mode. Local independent garage, upon inspection (with computer) said it was the EGR valve, give it a 30 min drive at 90 temp. Which we did but by this time the exhaust warning light had also come on and within a minute of starting the engine both warning lights come on, in limp mode all the time, slow speeds and no acceleration. I took it back to the garage and they had another look and said that it meant replacing the EGR valve. V Expensive job, involving removal of engine.  Vehicle has only done 61K miles. It was called in by SKODA in 2017 to have an emissions update EA189. At that time it had done 35K miles. So 25K miles later the EGR has failed. I suspect this situation may have been exacerbated by short journeys and lack of driving during the recent lockdown period, although it was last driven on a motorway only a month ago, or according to what I have read here, might be something to do with emissions fix. 

I have read on here that some have had luck with getting SKODA to pay for the replacement valve for free. First question, would it be worth contacting them and arguing the case that a vehicle with such low mileage shouldn't be having this issue? If that failed, how to proceed: 
I am not sure whether to 1) proceed and pay for the repair/replacement. OR 2) take it to the local dealer, point out the fault (which they can fix) and trade the vehicle in for a petrol vehicle 3) pay for the repair myself then try to sell the vehicle privately. I have come to the conclusion that despite my good intentions in purchasing a 'greener' vehicle, my location (Isle of Wight) means that most of my journeys are relatively short, though I did regular motorway runs on the mainland, I should purchase a petrol vehicle. Can't afford a used hybrid or electric vehicle. 
 

 

I can't offer advice on the technical aspects of your problem but I would have thought there is little chance of a goodwill gesture from Skoda on a 10 year old car. Might be worth asking for a contribution (they can only say no) but I would have thought to have any hope you would have had to have bought the car from new, had it serviced by a Skoda dealer and possibly have a history of buying new Skodas so they appreciate a "No" risks losing a loyal(?) customer. Even then if they offered, say, 20% of the cost of repair but it had to be by a franchised dealer would you be any better off than paying your independent garage? If you bought the car second hand and it's been serviced by yourself or a local garage I can't see Skoda being interested.

 

Of your three options, on the Isle of Wight even without Covid there must be limited opportunities for long, fast run that diesels seem to need these days and I'm guessing low mileages don't give you any great cost benefit compared to petrol. My feeling is you should find a suitable replacement vehicle on a forecourt or two and have conversations about the cost to trade. Personally I'd be honest about the problem (they should be able to get it fixed cheaper than you) , a repair is still an option but you've lost confidence in the car and decided it doesn't really meet your needs now. If the cost of change is too high then you can have a rethink about whether to have the repair done and then either keep the car or sell privately.

 

Sorry to hear of your problem but my thoughts might help you decide how to go forward.

3 hours ago, lino61 said:

I took it back to the garage and they had another look and said that it meant replacing the EGR valve. V Expensive job, involving removal of engine

The garage is taking you for a ride, it is a big job on the 4x4 but much less dismantling on the 2wd Greenline.

Thank you Paul52 and Urrell for taking the time to reply. 
Paul52, what you say makes sense and I honestly have very little hope of SKODA responding.
It's true that when I purchased the Yeti, I was doing a lot more motorway driving back and forth to my ageing parents, and had hopes of motoring in Europe, and my needs and usage have changed over time. I enjoy driving the Yeti very much but as you say, I have lost confidence in the vehicle. All your advice kind of bears out what I am thinking, in terms of proceeding. It was bought 2nd hand with only 28K on the mileage and I have had it serviced regularly but with an independent garage.

Thanks  Urrell for that. The garage owner was only doing a quick online check regarding the hours recommended for the labour (6 hours) and she said that based on that it would be around £700 but that was more off the top off her head, and has said she will investigate further for a more accurate quote regarding cost, so I will remember to point that out. Been using them for 20 years and they don't rip you off - all their business is local and they have a lot of interest in retaining their customers.