So finally got Skoda to do the urgent (yeah right !) fire safety battery recall work done after near 6 month wait, but had to take car to Warrington at my expense it seems. One day later red warning pops up & I got no hybrid coolant. Skoda Assist technician says 5th time it’s happened with him - fluid leaks back into battery box when they do fire safety recall work. Car off road & waiting for excuses no doubt from dealer as to why it’s just a coincidence.

Welcome.

 

Sounds like the Skoda Assist Responder might just be dealing with vehicles in the area where there is a dodgy technician doing the Recall Action work.

 

Unless other members in another area of the UK have had similar happen. 

I had the opposite problem. When my car came back after the recall the coolant tank was overfilled. I queried this and was told that Skoda had instructed the dealership to do this.

So here we are nearly 12 months later and the hybrid coolant tank has completed drained again and the same warning light has appeared. Car currently a local Skoda dealer (Doncaster) who advises that they are cannot work on electric/hybrids as they do not have suitably trained technicians and so the car may have to be towed to the nearest Level 1 dealer in Leeds - at least it's not having to go all the way to Warrington again !!

 

Why did I ever sell my Outlander.... 😒😒 

Transported not towed.  It might be on a trailer / transporter and that will be towed.    Really they should be getting their trained tech on the road and to the car.  What difference is there miles wise?   The difference must just be the highly qualified person on the road other than at the workshop.   Balance that with the customer without car they are paying their hard earned for.  

How did you guys get on? Only had my car a month and the hybrid coolant went low. AA took me straight to Skoda.

 

BC (Battery Care) technician at DM Keith Skoda in Leeds diagnosed the problem as a faulty air conditioning control unit - who am I to argue. I also had a yellow warning light on to say that my gear selector was on the way out (85k miles on a 21 plate) and I also needed a new rear shock absorber. Dealer asked Skoda for a contribution to the costs, as this was the third time it had lost hybrid coolant and they said 'no'. My wallet is now £1500 lighter 😩😩. Skoda have now completely lost me as a customer and hopefully anyone else I can tell about my experiences with them - also had a 10 plate Octavia that lit its dashboard up like a Christmas tree whenever it felt like it, only for the lights to then disappear as quickly as they'd first appeared - why, oh why did I go and buy another one !!

@Nigel07

Surely (Shirley)  you are not accepting Skoda UK / VW UK or what ever employee of them or their contractor just washing their hand of a fault.

 

DM Keith's Master Tech and Dealer Principal acting as your agent should be on the case of your Warranty claim.

 

The Dealership is at it i suspect.   Do you have copies of the communications between the Dealership & Skoda and a Communications or Resolution Manager?

 

It is Citizens Advice and a Solicitor that you need.

This crowd that are the contractors are a joke.     Deal with SKODA UK Executives not some muppet that says 'we say no' the computer says no. 

Edited 30 October, 20232 yr by Rooted

I got the call today from Skoda to say an item had failed, I will have to find out what part. But not going to have my car for in total a week because of a manufacturing defect. Ive had the car for a month and now I'm worried. 

On 14/09/2023 at 09:55, Rooted said:

Balance that with the customer without car they are paying their hard earned for.  

 

No value, worthless, as their further postings show all too well.

@liam_vrsivIf the dealership are not getting or providing the courtesy car since they might say they have not got any then Skoda UK / Skoda Assist can get a hire car delivered to you. 

Do not let them take the Micheal.    Read your Warranty T&C,s. 

 

Their management and even family members are driving about in Demonstrators putting 3,000 miles on them ready to see as Ex Management cars and the Tax Payers via HMRC are assisting in them doing this. 

Edited 30 October, 20232 yr by Rooted

looks like I'm joining this thread, driving from Derby yesterday and got coolant error - visit workshop. In with Skoda Wolverhampton (Johnsons) today for MOT coincidentally and they advised coolant is low due to issue with Air Con gas forcing the fluid level down?

Earliest booking I can get from them is June 27th and until then, I have a car that ought not be driven (low/no coolant!), but I need to drive on Business, but there's no curtesy cars available.

Trying other dealers in the Midlands had an unexpected result, while on hold with Stourbridge awaiting a date, the lady from Wolverhampton came back onto the call, Stourbridge having bumped me back to them!

 

Got a very bad feeling about this....

Was it your main engine coolant or your hybrid coolant?

Hybrid tank with the tamper proof seal

When it happened to me they had my car in that day. Phone head office and say this is unacceptable. If they did a courtesy car that would be different. 

1 hour ago, liam_vrsiv said:

When it happened to me they had my car in that day. Phone head office and say this is unacceptable. If they did a courtesy car that would be different. 

Had a 'little chat' while collecting mine from passed MOT (no warning lights on dash at the moment the tester checked, how strange!!) and the service manager called his oppo in Stourbridge and I'm now booked in for Wednesday 22nd, significantly better!!

Also advised to drive carefully between now and then, preferably in Hybrid mode and battery save/charge set to maximum so as to use 'the other engine' (Petrol) and let the electric one take a little rest.

 

Lets see how I find myself on Wednesday evening eh?

Joining the club. Had my car towed yesterday with completely empty HV cooling circuit. No leaks, no puddles, just sudden cooling system error on dashboard when circuit was already dry, I only could hear how pump tries to push whatever leftovers were somewhere there. Since I saw no leaks I suspect the worst, that it all went to battery somehow.

Also during a week or so before that I had smell of vinegar when starting the car for after it was parked for long time (overnight or work) and now I think if that is connected, since people on this topic mention that AC may be a contributing factor. Though I'd expect to smell antifreeze rather than vinegar.
 

On 17/05/2024 at 15:57, Psaandja said:

Lets see how I find myself on Wednesday evening eh?

Do you have any updates?
 

I think the heater matrix was where my issue was found. So maybe where the fault is with yours. 

On 12/06/2024 at 11:26, liam_vrsiv said:

I think the heater matrix was where my issue was found. So maybe where the fault is with yours. 

Exactly. Got it back today, all fixed.

Could you please give some details on this problem that seems to be "standard" for the PHEV cooling?

 

It's not something that Skoda have said is common. But from this thread it feels it. The tank for the hybrid cooling goes low and the system throws up an error messaging saying cooking issue. 

If the sealed hybrid tank is low go straight to the dealer. If empty phone for your road side recovery.

Thanks! I understood the effect, but I'd love to know the cause of it.
Since I have the same system (on a different car, though) I'd like to know where the leak/loss occurs. I know the car will still run on ICE, but I'm a daily EV user...

They replaced the heat exchanger on mine. They didn't say what this caused. Just that's the part that had the issue. 

I told not to drive the car with the warning on by the AA and that if it came back on to be towed. 

17 hours ago, SkOmk4 said:

Could you please give some details on this problem that seems to be "standard" for the PHEV cooling?

The leak was in the heat exchanger in the HV cooling circuit. Frankly, I do not fully understand where it is and how it is connected to AC, though the same exchanger in ICE circuit is well visible when opening the hood. The guys on reception told me it is a bit of pia to change it, so cost of work was equal to cost of all the parts (around 1000 in total). Happy to have extended warranty.

Mine (vRS hybrid 21 plate) had this on Saturday whilst at 70mph on the M6.  No yellow - straight to red.  Limped to Rugby services (1 mile). Annoyingly on the LAST day of the manuf 3 yr warranty. 

 

I bought the car 2nd hand in Nov 23.  Car recovered to local dealer. Now awaiting diagnosis (48 hours) and the inevitable fight between Skoda manuf warranty and the extended warranty I bought from the dealer (CarShop) in Nov.

 

Evidence of residue on the rim of the bowl.  Lots of pressure seeping out from lid of bowl when I popped the bonnet.  Car was serviced the previous friday (end of July) at 37750 miles...