Confused about Timing belt change interval.

[jakk]

Hi All,

 

My son is looking to purchase a Skoda Octavia - from 2015 and newer. With that kind of age, it will have a few miles on it - seen a number between 60k - 120k miles. 

I saw a particular one at a Skoda main dealer with 67k miles - I rang them and asked if that 7 year old car had it's timing belt done - I was surprised at his reply - when he said I don't need to change it, as Skoda had very recently (2 months 'ish ago)  changed their policy on cambelt interval.

 

The main dealer has said (and he quotes Skoda):

"For some variants, this means that there is no service interval at all with a 'fitted for life' items that can be considered as 15 years or 180,000 ,miles" 

 

He said, unless we lived in a dusty country we don't need to change the cambelt (and it is a belt not a chain).

 

Question to my fellow Skoda owners is - is this true - as buying a car of this age and miles opens a whole load of options for my son.

 

Is this true for ALL Skoda's - I drive a 2019 Superb myself - with only 30k miles - and was going to brace myself in 2 or 3 years to replace it - sounds like I'll be ok for quite a number of years - or have I got that wrong?

 

Thanks in Advance.

Jakk.

[Warrior193]

Hello Jakk, if this is a 1.4 TSI  you are referring to - that is correct. Previously, Skoda UK dealers were stating 5 years or (I think 60K miles) - whereas, IIRC, VAG (exactly same engine) was saying something like double that. I had mine changed at 6 years (recommendation was still 5 years at time) with only about 23K miles, my old belt and tensioner still looked new! - I believe the recommendation has now changed to inspections only until newly specified (significantly increased) period and mileage. 

[jakk]

Thanks Warrior193,

So it does appear to be true - Just didn't want to take the one Skoda main dealers word for it - I could have rung plenty more main dealers - but thought there is more value in getting fellow Skoda drivers view - So thanks for confirming.

Jakk.

[Warrior193]

1 hour ago, jakk said:

Thanks Warrior193,

So it does appear to be true - Just didn't want to take the one Skoda main dealers word for it - I could have rung plenty more main dealers - but thought there is more value in getting fellow Skoda drivers view - So thanks for confirming.

Jakk.

PS. There was a similar cambelt replacement extension for the 1.5 TSI at the same time.

[Warrior193]

14 hours ago, jakk said:

Thanks Warrior193,

So it does appear to be true - Just didn't want to take the one Skoda main dealers word for it - I could have rung plenty more main dealers - but thought there is more value in getting fellow Skoda drivers view - So thanks for confirming.

Jakk.

Sad to say, but very wise to take a lot of things main dealers say with a whole sack of salt.

[jakk]

That is true Warrior193 - hence asking you guys. I do also want to ring a few Main dealers to see if they are singing from same hymn sheet. What surprises me, is how come Skoda themselves are suddenly saying the interval can now be 180k miles (or 15 years) instead of 60k miles (or 5 years) - Maybe I should play safe and advice my son to get one that has already had it changed.

[Ootohere]

The thing is about the 7 year old car and someone at a dealership saying no longer any need to replace the timing belt is fair enough.

 

But then if they think they will realise that until July that car had not been serviced to the Manufacturers Recommendations, guidelines, schedule or specifications.

Again fair enough, 

but these dealerships were selling Skoda Approved Used cars with Full Main Dealer Service histories with a Warranty just not serviced to the blah blah blah / guidelines.

 

Now they are full of bright ideas while 3 months ago they trotted out the same old 5 year guff.

[EnterName]

On 12/09/2023 at 15:07, jakk said:

Hi All,

 

My son is looking to purchase a Skoda Octavia - from 2015 and newer. With that kind of age, it will have a few miles on it - seen a number between 60k - 120k miles. 

I saw a particular one at a Skoda main dealer with 67k miles - I rang them and asked if that 7 year old car had it's timing belt done - I was surprised at his reply - when he said I don't need to change it, as Skoda had very recently (2 months 'ish ago)  changed their policy on cambelt interval.

 

The main dealer has said (and he quotes Skoda):

"For some variants, this means that there is no service interval at all with a 'fitted for life' items that can be considered as 15 years or 180,000 ,miles" 

 

He said, unless we lived in a dusty country we don't need to change the cambelt (and it is a belt not a chain).

 

Question to my fellow Skoda owners is - is this true - as buying a car of this age and miles opens a whole load of options for my son.

 

Is this true for ALL Skoda's - I drive a 2019 Superb myself - with only 30k miles - and was going to brace myself in 2 or 3 years to replace it - sounds like I'll be ok for quite a number of years - or have I got that wrong?

 

Thanks in Advance.

Jakk.

Take it to a trusted independent and get them to inspect the cambelt and advise accordingly.

The "If in doubt, change it." approach is costly, but does offer reassurance.

[jeallen01]

FWIW, from VERY recent expereience , I would not bother trying to phone Skoda UK "Customer Service" on the number given on their website - they now have a chatbot (with a lady's voice) which asks stupid questions and then puts you to either a queueing system which then drops out after a couple of minutes or simply to a "dead line" which goes "nowhere"! This seemed to happen 9 times out of 10 times I called, and was worse at the end of the working day!

 

Even getting a "real", rather than an automated, reply to emails to their customerservices email address seems to be a lottery - I didn't get a reply after 3 working days, whereas someone else got one "by return"!

[Ootohere]

The Authorised Repairers / Network / Main Dealership got the Technical Product Information.

They know what VW Group / Skoda have said starting July 2023. 

 

There is someone at the Service Desk with a key board and a phone and probably a Service / Workshop manager a few steps away.

They can call a friend.

 

As to the Contractor working for Skoda UK / VW UK doing Customer Services they are just giving the same information, well pretty much with a few tens of thousands of Miles difference.

This comes about because they really have friends available that might never see a car anytime in their working week.

 

What stops people getting important info from Skoda Customer Services is those that keep asking stuff that Dealership Employees can or should answer easily.

[jeallen01]

Well

 

Finally got a reply from Skoda UK, and here it is (pretty much in full), and pretty much as expected after all the discussions and info here, in answer to my query last Friday which asked about the following vehicle:  2016 build/2017 model Fabia 1.2l 90bhp/66kw (Reg DF66 OEA, VIN TMBFM6NJ5HZ055263, CJZC engine) with a recorded approx. 45k miles;

Re: Škoda Fabia - DF66 OEA

Dear Mr XXXXX

Thank you for your recent contact with Škoda UK regarding your timing belt enquiry.

Please accept my apologies for the delay in my response.

I do appreciate your patience whilst I investigated your concerns.

I have contacted our internal Technical Support Team. They have advised that your vehicle is equipped with a lifetime timing belt with the recommendation of 180,000 miles or 15 years, whichever comes first. 

I hope you find this information useful. However, if any further help is needed, you may contact me using the details below.

Kindly be advised that you may receive a survey about the service that I have provided. I would be grateful if you have the time to complete this, as it will help me to provide the best experience possible.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

Kind regards

 

Thembeka Kaspile Customer Relations Advisor

T: 03330 037 504 E: *****@*****.tld   Škoda UK Yeomans Drive Blakelands Milton Keynes MK14 5AN www.skoda.co.uk www.skoda-auto.com

Edited 21 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[kodiaqsportline]

1 hour ago, jeallen01 said:

I have contacted our internal Technical Support Team. They have advised that your vehicle is equipped with a lifetime timing belt with the recommendation of 180,000 miles or 15 years, whichever comes first.

 

Yet six months ago, the same Technical Support Team said the car was equipped with a belt which they recommended was changed every 5 years.

 

If I had paid £500 quid to have a belt changed on their recommendation and then I received a letter worded like that, I'd be livid.  Wonder who'll be first to ask for a refund.  

 

But from who? The contract is with the garage and the garage were told every 5yr so they haven't done anything wrong. Do you take the garage to court and then let the garage recoup their loss from Skoda UK or do you take Skoda UK to court?  Potentially those 'no win no fee' lawyers could have a field day over this.

Edited 21 September, 2023 by kodiaqsportline

[EnterName]

I'll play Devil's advocate for a bit here:

What if Skoda's initial 5 year change interval was a conservative estimate, and now there is more data out there on how well these belts do or don't last, the conservative guesstimate can be dispensed with and replaced with a "real-world" guestimate?.

 

The main cause of cambelt failure on TSI engines seems to be ancillary device failure, causing the belt teeth to be ripped off or other belt damage. (Seized water pumps will trash a cambelt handily.)

Just out of curiosity, when was the last time someone came onto Brisky with tales of a broken cambelt on their 1.4TSI? I searched for an incidence but couldn't find on on here.

 

Disclaimer, I'm not a mechanic, so if you have better info, please correct me.

[Ootohere]

There has been a fair number of years now with 1.4 TSI & 1.4 TSI ACT with Cam belts to know if there is a failure rate.

Globally.  So a known known.

(EDIT, Enough years of 1.4 TSI with timing chain / tensioner issues & denials.)

 

Just a few more years and that will apply to 1.5 TSI & 1.5 TSI ACT,s.  At present VW Group seem to be happy that owners can suck it and see.

Edited 21 September, 2023 by toot

[jakk]

Thank You all for your responses.

Eventually we did get a car that had 56k miles (2015 1.4TSi) - and previous owner changed the belt at 32k - so we are safe now - as EnterName mentioned maybe take the approach - "if in doubt, change it" - luckily we don't need to.

Anyway, thank you all.

jakk