Hello all, new here and still learning....

 

2 months ago I bought a 2023 ex-demonstrator Kodiaq 2.0 TDI SE L Executive using a Personal Contract Plan from VW Financial Services UK from my local Skoda dealer.  There is much about this car that I really like - matrix LED headlights as one example of excellent technology. However, based on my experience, the standard cruise control as fitted is shocking.  It appears to function as a minimum speed requirement system in that it cannot deal with overspeed going downhill.  I am told that retrofitting Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) would fix this and I have found someone who can retrofit the system and recode the vehicle accordingly. I am assured that this is entirely reversible should I need to do so including recoding back to the original spec.

 

I asked my dealer about the effect that a retrofit of this nature would have on the warranty and the serving plan. This question was elevated to Skoda UK and then to VWFS UK who have now told me that if I make any modifications to the vehicle while it is under finance then this would invalidate the warranty and the service plan. They initially told me that I cannot make any non-removable modification but have now walked back on that to disallow any modifications.  At that point I decided no to to them that I had fitted mud flaps!!!  I said I would happily have the work done by Skoda if their price and timescale was similar but apparently their dealers are not capable of doing this work!

 

I have raised this issue with VWFS UK CEO directly and have explained that the cruise control system as fitted is not fit for purpose using a couple of examples in my locale. On the hill coming into the village where I live, if I set the cruise control to 30 mph (the speed limit) the car will be doing 42 mph at the bottom of the hill.  This is not a particularly long or steep hill. On a slightly longer and steeper hill just outside the village if I set 60 mph at the top of the hill the car will be doing over 80 mph at the bottom of the hill.

 

It seems to me that either my cruise control is defective (the dealer tells me it isn't) or it is a serious design defect since the cruise control system does not control the cruise. I traded in a 16 year old SUV for this vehicle and that used the vehicle brakes to maintain the set speed in all situations. My wife's 12 year old sports car does the same.

 

I find myself in the situation now where I am obliged by contract to drive a car for the next 4 years that I might not have bought if I had known that the cruise control system doesn't maintain the set speed. I am effectively banned from retrofitting ACC by VWFS UK and think I will take this up with Skoda UK as a design defect.

 

Any suggestions?

If I've selected the correct option at Parkers the MK1 Kodiaq in that trim level was not offered with ACC and only with conventional "dumb" cruise control which is likely why VAG have advised their dealers cant do the work.

Reading between the lines of your post ACC can be retrofitted by a 3rd party but this would not be a VAG approved retrofit and if you want to DIY it and lose your warranty that's at your self risk.

Now on to the other part, should "dumb" cruise control (DCC) maintain the speed going downhill? I have no experience of the Skoda (or any other VAG vehicle) with DCC however I know that my old KIA Ceed with a DCC would hold speed downhill.

Does that mean its a fault or a feature witht he Skoda DCC? No Idea?

Maybe other owners with Skoda DCC can comment.


https://www.parkers.co.uk/skoda/kodiaq/suv-2017/20-tdi-se-l-executive-5dr-dsg-[7-seat]/specs/

Edited 12 September, 20241 yr by Winston_Woof

Thanks.

You are correct that ACC is not standard on the Kodiaq but it is a-pay-more option that then includes lane assist and, I think, blind spot warning.  The car I bought was the ex-demonstrator and had 1,600 miles on the clock.  Based on my previous experience with dumb cruise control in other cars, I was shocked to find it just doesn't work going downhill.  The car can use its own brakes autonomously since it will brake if the front assist system thinks I'm going to hit something or if it detects a pedestrian stepping out into the road. I have tried using the speed limiter system but that doesn't do it either... it simply blinks and beeps to warn you that you are exceeding the set speed.  I have experimented by going to manual gear mode and have to lock in it down to 3rd gear (out of 7) to hold it at 30 mph going downhill.  It's a 1.6 tonne vehicle with a relatively small engine and a deliberately low rolling resistance to maximise fuel efficiency.... I cannot believe that VW/Skoda thought that engine braking alone via an automatic gearbox was a good idea on this car!

What would the system you want to keep the speed down differently from you will need to.

What is wrong with you taking control of the vehicle and you slow the car down, gear changes or brakes since you know down from up. 

Edited 12 September, 20241 yr by Ootohere

I absolutely agree but what is the point of cruise control that doesn't control the cruise?

Do not use it in adverse weather either. 

Just follow your original plan and have ACC retrofitted. Next time don’t ask Skoda UK.

 

If you’re having it retrofitted using genuine parts and it is properly coded, no dealer is going to ever notice if in for any warranty work.

6 hours ago, NSW said:

It seems to me that either my cruise control is defective (the dealer tells me it isn't) or it is a serious design defect since the cruise control system does not control the cruise.

 

I hate to break it to you, but that’s how the most basic cruise control systems have always functioned - they will keep the vehicle up at the speed you set, but they have no control over the brakes. In recent* times, some manufacturers started selling ‘cruise control with braking’ (the ‘62 plate BMW 1 series I had was the first car I remember driving with this). But not all cruise control systems are equal - some still do not control the braking (such as, I think, all VAG systems).

 

Adaptive Cruise Control is guided by the radar in the front of the car and the whole point is that it keeps distance etc. so it needs to have control over the brakes… entirely possible that VAG decided there’s no point in ‘developing’ a cruise control with braking function when customers could pay extra to have ACC.

 

So, your cruise control is not defective, does not have a serious design defect, and is fit for purpose. It’s just not designed for, nor fit for the purpose you want. Unfortunately, sometimes we only find out there are different ‘flavours’ of these systems through situations like this (I’ve been disappointed many times when stuff hasn’t done what I thought it would), but the only thing to do is chalk it up to experience and add it to your checklist of things to make sure of when it comes round to the next purchase.

From the comments in the original post the cruise control is working as it should and as ours does in our Kodiaq with basic cruise control.  The only 'braking' function it has is engine braking which in our manual car is fine.  On a long downhill stretch it picks up a few mph and that's all 

 

I imagine on a DSG equipped car it would pick up much more speed as there's likely to be less engine braking and also the DSG may slip into coasting mode if that is something that year of Kodiaq does.

 

By all means have ACC fitted but I believe the system is working as intended so you have little or no cause for complaint.

drop it into sport mode and it should hang on to the gears when braking and going downhill - the system will learn if you do it more (mine learnt this from the summer with the caravan and it's much nicer to drive).

19 hours ago, silver1011 said:

Just follow your original plan and have ACC retrofitted. Next time don’t ask Skoda UK.

 

If you’re having it retrofitted using genuine parts and it is properly coded, no dealer is going to ever notice if in for any warranty work.

 

Thank you, I kind of agree and then worry.... VW Financial Services have absolutely instructed me in writing not to make any modification or they will invalidate the warranty and the service plan.... Not sure I want to risk a potential warranty claim which could cost thousands! 

 

19 hours ago, Yogi-Bear said:

 

I hate to break it to you, but that’s how the most basic cruise control systems have always functioned - they will keep the vehicle up at the speed you set, but they have no control over the brakes. In recent* times, some manufacturers started selling ‘cruise control with braking’ (the ‘62 plate BMW 1 series I had was the first car I remember driving with this). But not all cruise control systems are equal - some still do not control the braking (such as, I think, all VAG systems).

 

Adaptive Cruise Control is guided by the radar in the front of the car and the whole point is that it keeps distance etc. so it needs to have control over the brakes… entirely possible that VAG decided there’s no point in ‘developing’ a cruise control with braking function when customers could pay extra to have ACC.

 

So, your cruise control is not defective, does not have a serious design defect, and is fit for purpose. It’s just not designed for, nor fit for the purpose you want. Unfortunately, sometimes we only find out there are different ‘flavours’ of these systems through situations like this (I’ve been disappointed many times when stuff hasn’t done what I thought it would), but the only thing to do is chalk it up to experience and add it to your checklist of things to make sure of when it comes round to the next purchase.

 

Thank you. I understand that now but guess I have been spoilt.  For the last 9 years I have driven a 2008 BMW X5 (E70, launched in 2006) which controlled its speed absolutely perfectly in cruise control in all situations by impressive downhill gear shifting and use of the vehicle brakes when needed.  My wife drives a 2010 Mercedes SLK 200 Kompressor (R171, launched in 2004) which also uses its brakes autonomously in cruise control.  It never occurred to me that a car so much newer and more advanced in many other ways described as having cruise control would have a system that does not actually control the speed.  I am genuinely shocked.

 

18 hours ago, skomaz said:

From the comments in the original post the cruise control is working as it should and as ours does in our Kodiaq with basic cruise control.  The only 'braking' function it has is engine braking which in our manual car is fine.  On a long downhill stretch it picks up a few mph and that's all 

 

I imagine on a DSG equipped car it would pick up much more speed as there's likely to be less engine braking and also the DSG may slip into coasting mode if that is something that year of Kodiaq does.

 

By all means have ACC fitted but I believe the system is working as intended so you have little or no cause for complaint.

 

Thanks.  I am not sure I would describe it as a few mph on my DSG 7-speed box.  On the hill entering the village where I live in a 30 mph zone, if I set 30 mph at the top of the hill the car will be doing 42 mph at the bottom of a reasonably short and not-very-steep hill.... there is often a radar trap at the bottom!  On a longer hill outside the village in the 60 mph zone then the car is doing over 80 mph at the bottom of the hill.  In either case it takes you straight into speed ticket danger and I have used habitually cruise control for years now to avoid a speed ticket..... I really would not expect a new and technically advanced vehicle to be so uncontrolled in that sense.

 

17 hours ago, brettikivi said:

drop it into sport mode and it should hang on to the gears when braking and going downhill - the system will learn if you do it more (mine learnt this from the summer with the caravan and it's much nicer to drive).

 

Thank you, I will try that.  I have tried it in every mode so far but not long enough for the system to do any learning.  The only mode that holds it back in the 30 mph test is manual mode and dropping to M3. It is far worse in Eco mode when the automatic clutch disengages and the car simply freewheels until you either accelerate or brake when it immediately re-engages a gear.  Brilliant for economy, crap for everything else.

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I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions.  I have to admit to being shocked that a car that uses beam forming matrix headlights that tracks oncoming traffic and vehicles going the same way in front of me and then makes sure they are always in a dark spot while brilliantly illuminating the rest of the road; while checking I'm not going to hit something and braking if it needs to; while looking out for pedestrians that may step out and braking if it thinks it needs to; described as having cruise control, cannot actually control its own cruise when travelling downhill.

 

I am equally shocked that VAG would rather invalidate the vehicle warranty and service plan than allow the fitting of one additional control stalk and a few software changes.  It is particularly irritating given that the stalk is an OEM item identical in every way to the one that they fit if someone chooses ACC at build and the software changes are their own coding.

 

Suffice to say that I have learnt a lot.... if I ever buy another than I would opt for ACC, 4 wheel drive, matrix headlights and more power..... Despite the matrix headlights and other clever things, I am still missing 4 wheel drive and the 139 horses that escaped with my old X5 that was unfortunately too old to continue on....

1 hour ago, NSW said:

 

I have to admit to being shocked that a car that uses beam forming matrix headlights that tracks oncoming traffic and vehicles going the same way in front of me and then makes sure they are always in a dark spot while brilliantly illuminating the rest of the road; while checking I'm not going to hit something and braking if it needs to; while looking out for pedestrians that may step out and braking if it thinks it needs to; described as having cruise control, cannot actually control its own cruise when travelling downhill.

 

 

I tend to agree with you - my Suzuki Swift of the same age, a car that is priced at less than half that of the Kodiaq, has radar controlled 'active' cruise control that is much better.

 

However, I do think what you are experiencing is compounded by the fact that it is a DSG Automatic as our manual gains nothing near that amount on a 14% downhill slope on the way to our house...   if I remember I'll try to check it again (and whether it does actually brake) over the weekend

Btw unless someone is in front of you it’s entirely possible the ACC may do the same thing #justsaying

16 minutes ago, Winston_Woof said:

Btw unless someone is in front of you it’s entirely possible the ACC may do the same thing #justsaying

 

No, the ACC has control of the brakes, and so will control the speed of the car down a hill by applying those brakes, even if there is no other traffic around.