Hi everyone,

I have had my Karoq, a 2019 1.6tdi SE Technology with 26000m for a week, bought from a main dealer in Preston, and on Wednesday morning the warning light came on with the message 12v battery not charging. 

Managed to get it to my local dealer, who were very good and looked at it straight away. Diagnosed faulty alternator. 
Two days later and no updates from the dealer, so I’ve sent them a message. 
It concerns me a little, as I commute over 30k miles a year and haven’t had to replace an alternator since my 1980 mk 2 Ford Escort. 
My previous three cars each covered over 130000 miles and had no such problem. I have driven less than 1000 miles and already have an issue. Not the start I had hoped for, obviously! 
With all the tech on board these days how likely is it that this is just the alternator and not something to do with the wizardry we find underneath the bonnet nowadays? Have I caught a lemon? Should I invoke the selling dealer’s 30 day/1000 mile exchange policy? 
 

thanks for any advice 

So they say alternator and not just battery.  ? Why have they not arranged a courtesy car.  You have a warranty do you not?  If you get stuck call Skoda Assist. 

Hi, thanks for responding.
 

Yea. Just the alternator. 
just had a response to my query to the stealers and the part is expected in beginning of next week, which I also find astounding, as my local back street garage can get hold of one from Euro Car Parts in an hour!  
 

My mistake taking it directly to the stealers as if I’d called assist I’d have been sorted a courtesy car, albeit for two days. Remarkable that the stealers had no courtesy cars available. 

I have a car from another manufacturer, and i believe that the warranty gives access to a hire car if your own car is off the road. May be worth asking Customer Care.

46 minutes ago, roottoot said:

So they say alternator and not just battery.  ? Why have they not arranged a courtesy car.  You have a warranty do you not?  If you get stuck call Skoda Assist. 

 

^^^This^^^

 

In my experience, the service provided by Skoda Assist is exemplary.

Which is a more than I can say about the dealer who supplied my three Skodas...

Subject to availability, I’m afraid. 
will call customer care and see what happens. 

They need to get on with availability.

The Skoda / VW Owned cars that are there as Demonstrators until they become EX Management cars, are for customers or potential customers test drives and are not their personal perk.  Well not supposed to be.

So if they are short of Customer Courtesy cars they get them hired in.

 

Or Skoda Assist will if you have to call them.  Like you are unable to drive your car.  No point a Responder Charging / Starting your car when the DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN has diagnosed an Alternator.

 

They are taking the Michael. 

It’s not a biggie, I’m using the wife’s very tinny Juke for a few days. 
I’m more concerned that this might be a lemon and cause more problems in the near future. 
I’ve not personally known an alternator to fail since the late 80’s. Certainly not one that’s 3 years and 26000 miles old. 
Is it likely to be just the alternator, and if not what chance the selling dealer honouring the 30 day exchange? 

If it gets an alternator now then they will be very very likely replacing the battery soon so win win. 

1 hour ago, roottoot said:

If it gets an alternator now then they will be very very likely replacing the battery soon so win win. 

I understand the battery is not covered under the Used Warranty. 

It is covered under the car being fit for purpose and of merchantable quality, so if it needs changing then they will need to replace it. 

You have had the car a week i read. 

@KAR19, You were lucky, this is what happened with my 2019 Karoq. I posted this in June 2019.

 

Two weeks ago I was setting off for a holiday at approx. 5:45am when about a mile down the road I got the warning Battery not charging!, I thought it may just have been the cold early start but turned off and back on and it appeared again after a couple of minutes. Rang Skoda assistance and they sent out the AA, after about one and a half hours he duly arrived and said the alternator wasn't charging so he boosted the battery and informed Skoda assistance that he was following me back to the dealers as only about 4 miles away and my battery should last that long without a charge but had to drive with most things turned off. On arrival at dealers I informed them that I was on my way to spend two weeks away, they then said they would check it out and let me know, they also said they would arrange for a courtesy car should they not be able to fix it that day. They rang me back after about two hours to say there was oil in the plug that connects to the alternator and needed to investigate further. Problem found to be a breather pipe on the manifold had a small hairline crack where it enters the manifold, this released oil which then dripped down into the alternator, the car was going nowhere! As I had all my luggage plus a roof box on the car I had to return to take everything out then wait for courtesy car to turn up. This arrived about 6pm that evening, so quickly piled everything in and set off. Had a phone call on Thursday to say that all has been fixed, new manifold, alternator and connecting cable. This is on a car approx. 11 months old, went to pick it up today and they said this is the first time they have seen this fault and it was a manufacturing defect. I would suggest that when checking your oil to look and see if any oil is around the manifold as I may not just be the ONLY one. Suffice to say the Tiguan was Ok, but not as nice as my Karoq!  At least the 850 miles I put on the Tiguan was better than putting it on mine!!!

Edited 1 June, 2019 by don_kiddik

23 minutes ago, don_kiddik said:

@KAR19, You were lucky, this is what happened with my 2019 Karoq. I posted this in June 2019.

 

Two weeks ago I was setting off for a holiday at approx. 5:45am when about a mile down the road I got the warning Battery not charging!, I thought it may just have been the cold early start but turned off and back on and it appeared again after a couple of minutes. Rang Skoda assistance and they sent out the AA, after about one and a half hours he duly arrived and said the alternator wasn't charging so he boosted the battery and informed Skoda assistance that he was following me back to the dealers as only about 4 miles away and my battery should last that long without a charge but had to drive with most things turned off. On arrival at dealers I informed them that I was on my way to spend two weeks away, they then said they would check it out and let me know, they also said they would arrange for a courtesy car should they not be able to fix it that day. They rang me back after about two hours to say there was oil in the plug that connects to the alternator and needed to investigate further. Problem found to be a breather pipe on the manifold had a small hairline crack where it enters the manifold, this released oil which then dripped down into the alternator, the car was going nowhere! As I had all my luggage plus a roof box on the car I had to return to take everything out then wait for courtesy car to turn up. This arrived about 6pm that evening, so quickly piled everything in and set off. Had a phone call on Thursday to say that all has been fixed, new manifold, alternator and connecting cable. This is on a car approx. 11 months old, went to pick it up today and they said this is the first time they have seen this fault and it was a manufacturing defect. I would suggest that when checking your oil to look and see if any oil is around the manifold as I may not just be the ONLY one. Suffice to say the Tiguan was Ok, but not as nice as my Karoq!  At least the 850 miles I put on the Tiguan was better than putting it on mine!!!

Edited 1 June, 2019 by don_kiddik

Yes, Thanks. I did read your post yesterday. 
It’s at least reassuring that the problem was fixed for you. It’s also good to have this info for when I get the car back. My last car, a 520d, had similar issues with the breather, which became brittle after four or five years. Was a common issue, fixed with a £10 part and a little bit of fiddling. A fine misting appeared around the lower end of the breather pipe through the cracks. 
Inevitably I will now have to wait until

I get the  car back to check, unless they spot anything when changing the alternator. 
thanks for the info, and thank you to all who have replied. 

Just a quick update. 
Firstly, thanks everyone for your input and advice. It is very much appreciated. 
 

I got the car back tonight, just within the 7 days of having dropped it at the garage. 
Service manager explained the clutch system on the alternator was not engaging. Unfortunately that meant a new alternator, as the failed part was not available on its own 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Anyway, drove home lovely, so am hoping for many miles before something goes wrong again 🙏🙏