Hi

 

Mk 2 owner here - I started having a few problems with the digital dash / infotainment system............this progressed into the Automatic Braking System applying on it's own with no other vehicle anywhere near to me - when this happens on the motorway it really concentrates your mind !!

 

Took my car into dealer today.........they just called and said it needs a new softare update which wont be available until March - the current update is bricking some vehicles it is applied to so they need to write a new one. The cruise control unit being faulty was mentioned as well.

 

Great car............sadly let down by not being tested thoroughly enough before launch.

 

My dealer has been absolutely brilliant - not their fault at all (Simpsons Preston)

 

BTW My car is 2.0l diesel sel.

Edited 20 December, 20241 yr by whiteswan

that's pants. How do you check what version you are on and if you are affected? 

 

What are they giving you in return whilst they "fix" it?

And what will they do with all the other vehicles? Full recall? 

Skoda / VW UK should take ownership of the Faulty car to see as a Used one after repair.

They have Cars suitable in the UK to give as a Loan car until they get a Brand New one for you.

 

Not worth accepting a repair that is to take as long as they say and which could be longer. 

On 20/12/2024 at 15:25, whiteswan said:

 

Great car............sadly let down by not being tested thoroughly enough before launch.

 

A crying shame that Skoda has gone this way. I feel your pain re the braking - a Golf of mine did it randomly when I worked for VWG - what happens if a motorbike is following you...

 

I suspect that Skoda were under massive VWG commercial pressure to launch on time and testing was shortcut. Product Margin and return to the business is king - purchasing drive it relentlessly. We had a system a few years back where testing couldn't be completed because the software modules were incomplete / full of bugs, but it still went live and was put down to 'teething troubles'. Big money and big turnover plus damage (spend) limitation to deal with results.

On 20/12/2024 at 17:25, whiteswan said:

Took my car into dealer today.........they just called and said it needs a new softare update which wont be available until March - the current update is bricking some vehicles it is applied to so they need to write a new one. The cruise control unit being faulty was mentioned as well.

I was on the same boat until yesterday. Luckily they were able to get it going (I had issues with all systems the day after I bought it in September), so I have been happy with it until recently. Finally, I brought it in for that MAJOR update that took 2 days to apply. I am picking it up tomorrow.

Did you get your software update? Do you see any difference? And, yes, it's a shame that they did not do this right. I was told it also affected many VWs, since the screens are pretty much the same. Car manufacturers still cannot write good software. I had the same issues with many AUDIs.

On 21/12/2024 at 22:56, Prezafab said:

A crying shame that Skoda has gone this way. I feel your pain re the braking - a Golf of mine did it randomly when I worked for VWG - what happens if a motorbike is following you...

 

I suspect that Skoda were under massive VWG commercial pressure to launch on time and testing was shortcut. Product Margin and return to the business is king - purchasing drive it relentlessly. We had a system a few years back where testing couldn't be completed because the software modules were incomplete / full of bugs, but it still went live and was put down to 'teething troubles'. Big money and big turnover plus damage (spend) limitation to deal with results.

I beleive many of the issues VWG have in terms of software is because they decided in their wisdom to bring the software development for their vehicles in-house a few years ago, rather than continuing to use external specialist suppliers. They set up a whe new team in 2020 that were probably OK in terms of software but weren't experienced in terms of automotive software. That has been coming home to roost in recent vehicles across the VW group.

https://cariad.technology/de/en/company.html

https://germanautopreneur.com/p/cariad-volkswagen-software-failure-lessons

Things seem to be Improving but it's slow going and it seems they would have been better sticking with the original knowledgeable suppliers.1

Edited 17 July, 202517 Jul by skomaz

Yes, I totally understand 're services coming back in house and centrally, after years of being outsourced. That was my time to leave. Purchasing over pragmatism.

Hi All,

How did you get on with the software updates and service from Škoda? I’m having the same issues within a month of purchase (sudden braking, safety system faults and failing to start).

Would appreciate any feedback on how things went!

I just updated mine. It took them 2 days to install it and test it. Considering the issues I had before, this is something I had to do no matter what. So far, everything looks good. I will report again in a month.

Have you had any issues with the battery voltage being low and issues starting or just the safety systems?

I’m guessing it will need an update but not happy with the October date suggested by the Customer Service!

Battery low many times. The last time it just died completely. I could not even unlock the car. I had to unlock it using the key, although that did not help me. I had to call road assistance (in my driveway) to start it. The other 3 times it was a milder version of this. I was able to start it after waiting a bit.

Issues with the safety systems was the other problem I was experiencing. It happened to me the DAY AFTER I bought it last October.

Honestly, I am happy to hear that other drivers have exactly the same issues. That means that there is hope. I would give it a try, if I were you. But, why October?

Not sure. There communication has been a disaster!

Aparently for my car that’s when the update will be released?

I would ask another dealer. That makes no sense. I have a 2924 Kodiaq and the patch has been available for 2 months now.

I will see what they say tomorrow, but I’m tempted to hand the keys back unless it’s something that can be sorted ASAP. I wish I had looked on this forum sooner!

I’m guessing this is a very wide problem that they need to recall and update every vehicle.

Such a shame as apart from this issue I really like the car!

Yes, it's a recall, but the fix is a software update that should take one day to perform it.

On 24/07/2025 at 05:55, GreekGeek said:

Yes, it's a recall, but the fix is a software update that should take one day to perform it.

Do you have a link to the official recall notice and what version is the latest "fixed" software? Thanks!

I am away without my car. I will let you know when I return, but I have no official recall notice.

On 27/07/2025 at 15:25, BabyDog said:

Do you have a link to the official recall notice and what version is the latest "fixed" software? Thanks!

I am sorry. I wasn't able to find any version numbers and the dealer did not provide any information.

HOWEVER, I have good news. After installing the new software, I went away on vacation for over 2 weeks and when I came back, the car started without any problem. That was never the case before. I always had issues when leaving the car without running it for so long. This time everything worked really well, so I am happy (so far).

It seems the software update solves the issue but I think it’s really bad they are letting the cars out with the out warning the customers.

As you say it’s bad when you’re not expecting it and the brakes apply on the motorway. How there hasn’t been serious or fatal injuries I’ll never know.

Škoda should let customers know about the issue, offer a patch to turn off the safety systems for longer than one journey and keep customers updated about the potential update timeline.

I’m still waiting for an update about when I can have the update…

I was told about the "issue" when I bought the car in October of 2024. I was told that there was an update that, unfortunately, affected Skoda and VW, since their electronics are the same. I was also told that the update would not be available until early 2025. However, the issue is/was about the systems that assist your driving, which would randomly fail and become unavailable.

Now, the fact that it breaks abruptly (really abruptly) is an option and will not go away. I think it's an EU regulation and cannot be disabled permanently. I am able to disable the breaking when I am reversing. That can be disabled permanently, because - for me - it's an even bigger issue.

This "safety feature" is indeed dangerous at times, but it behaves the same on many cars. My Audi Q5 would break abruptly EVERY time I would back into my garage at 5 mph! It was hopeless. I had to disable it before entering the garage.

All those manufacturers know how to build cars, but the developers that write the software cannot get it right, it seems. That's why my wife requested a "no frills" car, whichever that may be.

@GreekGeek how do disable in reverse permanently?

I’ve been in reverse, nothing near and the brakes are slammed on

1 hour ago, Bear3011 said:

@GreekGeek how do disable in reverse permanently?

I’ve been in reverse, nothing near and the brakes are slammed on

Here is how I did it. Actually, my dealer showed me.

1. Click on the "P" option, or find it on the Car menu. That's the one that activates the rear camera.

2. Click on "Settings" on the lower left corner

3. Disable "Rear Traffic Alert"

That worked for me. Permanently disabled.

I park at stores on a 45-degree angle on a 2-lane road with a double white line. As I back out of the parking space, Skoda recognizes the traffic moving in the opposite direction as a threat and brakes abruptly. If there is traffic coming, I would never be able to pull out of that space!

3 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

I park at stores on a 45-degree angle on a 2-lane road with a double white line.

Isn't it illegal to park on a 2 lane road, where there are double white lines.

Your post appears to incriminate yourself.

21 minutes ago, SurreyJohn said:

Isn't it illegal to park on a 2 lane road, where there are double white lines.

Your post appears to incriminate yourself.

This is my private backyard.

24 minutes ago, SurreyJohn said:

Isn't it illegal to park on a 2 lane road, where there are double white lines.

Your post appears to incriminate yourself.

Double white lines separating the two directions. There is 45-degree parking on both side of the road.

But ... funny.