Failed, an eyewateringly expensive control unit on a 2016 Superb Estate

[GeorgeB]

Has anyone experienced the failure of a Control unit that is situated behind the Columbus infotainment display?

The control unit on mine has failed & as a result has disabled many of the the various displays on the Columbus: they are. Navigation, Traffic info, Phone & input from the auxiliary port in the center console.

 

My car is currently at the dealer & they have informed me that it requires a new control unit! The cost of replacing it is £3429.10! of which £2918 is for the control unit alone!

 

I've searched the internet for a second hand/used one, all to no avail, they're more elusive than rocking horse **** or hens teeth!! I've also contacted Skoda Customer services & explained the situation & asked for a contribution, I'm still waiting for a reply.

 

All replies are welcomed. Better still, if by perchance you've got one lurking about, or know of one, please let me know.

 

Thanks in advance

[UndertheRadar]

Have you looked into having the module repaired rather than replaced?

 

[fabdavrav]

I haven't used these people, many have...I think you could get a more upto date second hand unit fitted for way less...

 

VW Retrofit - Retrofitting for VW, Seat & Skoda Cars in Redditch (vw-retrofit.co.uk)

 

VW Retrofit | Facebook

[GeorgeB]

1 hour ago, UndertheRadar said:

Have you looked into having the module repaired rather than replaced?

 

Yes,! I contacted over 40 ECU repairers, but not one of them would take

 

1 hour ago, GeorgeB said:

Has anyone experienced the failure of a Control unit that is situated behind the Columbus infotainment display?

The control unit on mine has failed & as a result has disabled many of the the various displays on the Columbus: they are. Navigation, Traffic info, Phone & input from the auxiliary port in the center console.

 

My car is currently at the dealer & they have informed me that it requires a new control unit! The cost of replacing it is £3429.10! of which £2918 is for the control unit alone!

 

I've searched the internet for a second hand/used one, all to no avail, they're more elusive than rocking horse **** or hens teeth!! I've also contacted Skoda Customer services & explained the situation & asked for a contribution, I'm still waiting for a reply.

 

All replies are welcomed. Better still, if by perchance you've got one lurking about, or know of one, please let me know.

 

Thanks in advance 

1 hour ago, fabdavrav said:

I haven't used these people, many have...I think you could get a more upto date second hand unit fitted for way less...

 

VW Retrofit - Retrofitting for VW, Seat & Skoda Cars in Redditch (vw-retrofit.co.uk)

 

VW Retrofit | Facebook

Thanks, I'll give them a try tomorrow

 

[GeorgeB]

1 hour ago, GeorgeB said:

Has anyone experienced the failure of a Control unit that is situated behind the Columbus infotainment display?

The control unit on mine has failed & as a result has disabled many of the the various displays on the Columbus: they are. Navigation, Traffic info, Phone & input from the auxiliary port in the center console.

 

My car is currently at the dealer & they have informed me that it requires a new control unit! The cost of replacing it is £3429.10! of which £2918 is for the control unit alone!

 

I've searched the internet for a second hand/used one, all to no avail, they're more elusive than rocking horse **** or hens teeth!! I've also contacted Skoda Customer services & explained the situation & asked for a contribution, I'm still waiting for a reply.

 

All replies are welcomed. Better still, if by perchance you've got one lurking about, or know of one, please let me know.

 

Thanks in advance. In my original post I forgot to include the part number of the offending control unit, it's: 3v0035020b

 

[Schtum]

A quick eBay search reveals... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265059449150?hash=item3db6c6393e:g:UokAAOSw0QlgL26t

[GeorgeB]

1 hour ago, Schtum said:

A quick eBay search reveals... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265059449150?hash=item3db6c6393e:g:UokAAOSw0QlgL26t

Thanks Schtum,

Have been onto fleabay & seen it, they've got 2 units for sale, both new & unused (although they've been in stock since 2016), & whats even better they're half the price of one from Skoda UK!

Am going to contact them tomorrow & see if I can negotiate a discount, the worst they're going to say is no.

 

Once again thanks & thanks for all the replies from all who took the time to look up & share.

[ApertureS]

How much???

 

drop me a message, I should be able to sort you something much cheaper if you’re near london
 

If it’s the radio control unit in the glovebox it shouldn’t be anywhere near that!

 

if it’s the connectivity module behind the display it should not be anywhere near that also!

Edited 10 April, 2022 by ApertureS

[numskull]

Hey ApertureS… 

“it’s the connectivity module behind the display it still should be near that!”

 

Should that be “still should not be near that”?

[ApertureS]

1 hour ago, numskull said:

Hey ApertureS… 

“it’s the connectivity module behind the display it still should be near that!”

 

Should that be “still should not be near that”?

Corrected thanks!

[Tony R]

This raises  the question re the reliability of the Columbus system vis a vis the Amunsden. My Elegance is fitted with the Columbus one and which also has decided to play up, the main dealers diagnosed it as  the shark fin aerial, which apparently are none too reliable , and replaced it.  The system worked after that ( repair being approx 4 months ago )  but Columbus has decided to go adrift again, works when it feels inclined to do so but unreliable, even the radio won't work let alone all it's  other  facilities. Car is 11 yrs old  and which also brings to mind possible complications in time of all the other  electronically  driven aspects on a car these days, including safety ones?.  The price quoted to replace the " back unit " is ridiculous, cannot be justified by any stretch of the imagination. Rip-off  best description.

[numskull]

I recall the telephone unit failing on our MK2 and a new unit was £700+vat which was utterly ridiculous. I bought a used unit for £170. 

[SomethingSuperbly]

Sorry to hear this happen to you. It's not great considering how the car isn't even all that old!

 

What did they exactly say the fault was?

 

This really irks me when companies (like Apple) just outright state that something is faulty and the only option is to replace the entire unit (and expecting you to hand over a whole lot of money for it). There could be a faulty transistor, fuse or just some sort of bad connection, it really needs diagnosing but that's also another money pit. I suppose you could argue that there was always an underlying fault in the first place, but trying to prove that is another issue.

[GeorgeB]

It's the module in the glove box that takes so cards & plays your cd's! However it is also the computer that controls the infotainment display & it's called the mib2. I tried over 40 companies that can repair the control units, but not one of them would touch it!

Another Briscoda member put me onto a German company that advertise on ebay & they have 2 of them, new & never been used, usually referred to as "new old stock" & the good news is that they are, Inc postage to the UK, 1/2 the price of one from Skoda UK! Am just waiting for Skoda UK to let me know if any contribution & how much they're willing to contribute,  if its nowhere as much as I can get one from Germany, my reply to Skoda will be thanks but no thanks.

[SomethingSuperbly]

It doesn't sound like your dealer has been helpful at all. I'm also wondering about your car's warranty, has it been long since it was out of it? Would you consider getting extended warranty after all this? That is, if the warranty covers faults like this.

Edited 13 April, 2022 by SomethingSuperbly

[GeorgeB]

I can't praise my dealer enough, they've been superb, pun intended, as for Skoda themselves, the jury is out. However, the car is a 2016, one of the 1st mk3, so it's 3 years out of warranty.  However, it also has a full dealer service record.

 I have no confidence in extended warranties, as they use every trick to get out of paying for repairs, this is based upon over 45 years in the motor trade, 40 plus with main dealers, & most of that with VW Group vehicles.

[ApertureS]

9 hours ago, GeorgeB said:

It's the module in the glove box that takes so cards & plays your cd's! However it is also the computer that controls the infotainment display & it's called the mib2. I tried over 40 companies that can repair the control units, but not one of them would touch it!

Another Briscoda member put me onto a German company that advertise on ebay & they have 2 of them, new & never been used, usually referred to as "new old stock" & the good news is that they are, Inc postage to the UK, 1/2 the price of one from Skoda UK! Am just waiting for Skoda UK to let me know if any contribution & how much they're willing to contribute,  if its nowhere as much as I can get one from Germany, my reply to Skoda will be thanks but no thanks.

Skoda U.K. won’t contribute to an outside company.

 

once the module is fitted it will need specialist coding with odis to get it working properly 

[GeorgeB]

Yes I  know that skoda uk won't contribute towards a part that they have not supplied. However I'm still waiting for a reply from them regarding whether they are going to contribute towards the cost of one they supply, & if they do, to what amount they are willing to contribute. My guess is that it's going to be nowhere near the "new old stock" one

that's less than half the cost of a skoda UK one, that I can source from from Germany.

I've already spoken to my dealer & they are happy to fit the German one & code it for me

[SomethingSuperbly]

I have the same concerns about warranties in general but what is the alternative? Do it yourself or get to know someone in the trade that can help you?

 

Though I'm glad to hear your dealer is happy to fit and code it. Hope it gets sorted out soon.

[GeorgeB]

Yes I've got contacts who can help me out if necessary.

However, I was in the motor trade for over 45 years  & although a qualified MVT (motor vehicle technician  for passenger cars as well as light & heavy commercial) I moved over to service reception & ended up as an aftersales manager.

The company that I worked for had 7 Audi, 2 VW, 1 Merc light commercial & 2 heavy commercial garages.

What ever branch I worked at in invariably we had customers who had non franchise extended warranty they nearly always tried to squerm out of paying for the repairs, that's why I don't have an extended warranty.

I do virtually all my cars minor repairs, but all services  gearbox oil changes are done by my Skoda dealer, as when you come to sell/part exchange the car, its worth more with a full dealer service record, & because it has this record, you can still approach the manufacturers for a goodwill contribution to a major repair, & this is what I've done, though I'm not holding out much hope of a decent contribution from Skoda  so the "new old stock" one in Germany is my back up plan for the replacement of the offending failed control unit (the mib2  part of the unit, is in fact the computer that controls the infotainment display).

[numskull]

That’s good new, as SUK will only consider goodwill payments against those vehicles which had been serviced and/or repaired within the franchise network and I certainly wish you luck on getting a big contribution to the cost of that £3,500 part, which cost VAG £18 to have made including devcost. It’s utterly immoral what they charge. 

[harrylime]

In future years so many perfectly good cars are likely to head for the scrapyard due to failed electronics

[GeorgeB]

HarryLime, you're not far wrong!

[rum4mo]

Even a lot more so for cars that have traction batteries built into them, I'd think, which is not good at all!

[numskull]

Of course, there is still no strategy to deal with the removal and dismantling of Lipo batteries from vehicles, and how to deal with the dangerous materials they contain and for that reason, I really don’t believe that electric vehicles are the long-term solution for passenger or trade vehicles.