This may be repeating something from elsewhere, but I thought it might be worth mentioning in case anyone is in a similar position. I took my wife’s 2021 Octavia IV in for MoT yesterday and the dealer said there was a new software update they needed to do. I said OK to that. The car drove home normally and I parked it by the house. 8pm, the alarm went off. I silenced the alarm with the fob, and got in the car and the dash was flashing like a Christmas tree. Engine would not start. Error messages around ‘put car in P’ alternating with ‘P not available’ and parking brake error. Brake pedal pulsed against my foot when I pressed it, even with engine off. The car basically went mad, so I left it and went indoors. Half an hour later, I went out to check and the car was dead. No dash, no interior lights, no response to key fob. Doors remain unlocked, but rear hatch is locked and can’t be opened.

I phoned the dealer this morning, and he tells me that this was the first car they had applied the update to. Immediately they had done it, they got a call from Skoda UK to tell them not to apply the update as it had been found to be faulty. Obviously too late to do anything about it. So we have a dead car, and are waiting for RAC to recover it to the dealer so they can attend to it.

Just a heads-up.

Please ask them for details, what exactly they were updating?

If it's an ECU then it wouldn't surprise me.

Car is now with dealer. RAC man heard the symptoms and immediately suspected low battery voltage. Sure enough, battery at 3.4V. He put a booster on it and it started first time. His guess is that the software update has left one of the computers switched on and this has rapidly drained the battery. (From driving the car home normally to the alarm incident was about 5 hours.) Anyway, the car is now being assessed and the dealer is ‘hoping’ to get a code from Skoda that will allow them to revert the update - apparently they need special permission.

If there is any more relevant info I will post it here.

Hi to all. I had a similar experience this weekend. I was supposed to fly from an airport in another country and at the beginning of the trip it asked me if there was an update and I allowed it to install. Everything was fine, I left the car in the parking lot (Friday), the trip ended on Monday night, and then the problems started. When I tried to open the car, nothing happened. My first thought was that the battery in the key had died (because that happened to me a few months ago). I looked for a battery around the airport in the night, replaced it, and the same thing happened again. I managed to arrange for the second key to be brought from home in the morning, thinking they should be paired, I didn't even think it could be the battery. And with the second key, same thing. Then I noticed that SafeLock wasn't flashing and I realized it was the battery. I managed to jump start it, but until the battery was charged, many lights on the dashboard were on.

The car is 2 and a half years old, so far I have only had software problems (like everyone else). Nothing indicated that the battery would be discharged. When I read the post above, it immediately occurred to me that it might be the same, since I did the update via OTA. And it wouldn't have been such a big problem if I hadn't been with a 5-year-old child in a foreign country at 1am. Skoda has disappointed me once again. I will follow the thread to see what response they give you.

4 hours ago, Batez said:

Hi to all. I had a similar experience this weekend. I was supposed to fly from an airport in another country and at the beginning of the trip it asked me if there was an update and I allowed it to install. Everything was fine, I left the car in the parking lot (Friday), the trip ended on Monday night, and then the problems started. When I tried to open the car, nothing happened. My first thought was that the battery in the key had died (because that happened to me a few months ago). I looked for a battery around the airport in the night, replaced it, and the same thing happened again. I managed to arrange for the second key to be brought from home in the morning, thinking they should be paired, I didn't even think it could be the battery. And with the second key, same thing. Then I noticed that SafeLock wasn't flashing and I realized it was the battery. I managed to jump start it, but until the battery was charged, many lights on the dashboard were on.

The car is 2 and a half years old, so far I have only had software problems (like everyone else). Nothing indicated that the battery would be discharged. When I read the post above, it immediately occurred to me that it might be the same, since I did the update via OTA. And it wouldn't have been such a big problem if I hadn't been with a 5-year-old child in a foreign country at 1am. Skoda has disappointed me once again. I will follow the thread to see what response they give you.

From what the OP had said this is a software update for a module in the car rather than the OTA infotainment update that you seem to be describing yourself.

I can add to this topic in that mine was booked in today for its service and when I dropped it off yesterday afternoon they said that since I booked it in a couple of weeks ago they now had a software update showing for the DSG and that they would do it whilst it was in with them.

I then saw this post last night and contacted them this morning to say I didn’t want the update doing in case it was this same update and when they looked the update had gone and was no longer showing against my vehicle and after discussing with them they also think that Skoda UK have pulled the update as per the OPs info from his dealer hence it no longer showing as being available or required for my car.

Edited 27 March, 20251 yr by WaveyDavey

Some more info on this that i've managed to glean from when i collected mine today..... I was chatting to the service guy on the desk who i usually see and have a chat with and he confirmed that their bulletin system does now say that this DSG Software update has been pulled by Skoda UK after 2 days (It was released on the 25th) due to "Technical issues with the update". He confirmed that this would have been the update mine was also due to received so it looks like i've had a lucky escape myself as if the car had been in the day before I too would have had a dead car.

With regard to what the OP said regarding his dealership waiting for Skoda UK to authorise a re-install/rollback. The chap I spoke to said that they will be seeing if it can be ascertained what is causing the bug and if it is a quick rewrite and send back out or if a longer investigation is required and therefore a case of having to downgrade the DSG software back to its previous state.... In that instance it will be a case of the car being connected up to the dealerships diagnostic tools whilst the tech boffins at the factory in Czechia access it remotely and carry out the downgrade..... Hence the dealership awaiting the way forward from Skoda UK.

Hi WaveyDavey, thanks for posting this. My purpose in posting the OP was to warn anyone in a similar position, so if I’ve saved you some grief I’m happy! And thanks for the info about your conversation. When I think back, the dealer did mention it was transmission-related, so I’m sure we’re talking about the same thing.

We’re not expecting the car back any time soon! Meanwhile she’s riding round in an MG hybrid courtesy car. She likes it. Believe me, it’s utterly horrible.

Hi everyone!

I have the same issue with my 2020 Octavia. On 25 March, I was to the local dealer ( I’m from Romania)to update the gearbox software. after update everything working fine. Between 25 and 29, I not use the car, but today when I need to use the car, surprise! Nothing works! No lights, no infotainments, no dashboard. Finally i stat the car with some cable and go to the local dealer, they don’t know abut this problem, so I leave the car to them.

I expect some news next week.

From experience with updates of different kinds .....

If the car is working fine I will not install any updates.

Maybe ignorance on my part but cannot see the need.

I understand map updates for instance and I'm sure there are reasons for some others but as said, if the car is working fine then I cannot see the need.

Years ago I allowed an update on my TomTom G0520 and all it did was remove the camera locations .............. Thanks for that.

Edited 29 March, 20251 yr by Tilt

19 hours ago, Tilt said:

If the car is working fine I will not install any updates.

Fine in principle …

This has happened to me twice. Service manager takes the key, smiles and says “by the way, there’s an update to install …”

First time was massively inconvenient, as it was early morning and I had to be 300 miles away by nightfall (in my own car, was just dropping the Octavia off for my wife). I told him this, and he said the update was safety-critical, would take a couple of hours, and Skoda would not allow the car back on the road without it. I would have had to go all Rambo and demand the keys back but I ended up walking home 3 miles after they agreed to drop the car off when they were done.

This time, I argued that we were trading the car in for another one in a couple of weeks, and couldn’t it wait until then? He said, no, Skoda audit them, and if they are found to have failed to apply a required update they’d be in trouble. For a 20-minute delay, it wasn’t worth getting upset about.

Except that it was, of course.

I find the dealership to be uncommunicative, a little arrogant, not very truthful and not all that competent. I wouldn’t set foot in the place, but she likes her Skodas and it’s the only show in town. (We’re quite rural, and not blessed with a multitude of car dealerships round here.)

So, the dealership has had the car 6 days (although over a weekend, admittedly). I called in today to ask about progress. Roughly,

1. Skoda won’t authorise a reversion of the software until they have more evidence.

2. They have recommended that the dealership puts the battery on charge and see if that cures it.

Six days before they even put the battery on charge, when they already knew the battery state was the issue. This could take WEEKS.

Ye Gods! All this is appalling. Skoda sabotaging their own cars with seriously faulty upgrades? Thankfully I got rid of my Octavia iV three weeks ago. The icon top left says I am enthusiast. Certainly not - quite the opposite!

Edited 5 April, 20251 yr by Sir_Ron_Norris
Added text.

19 hours ago, Sir_Ron_Norris said:

Ye Gods! All this is appalling. Skoda sabotaging their own cars with seriously faulty upgrades? Thankfully I got rid of my Octavia iV three weeks ago. The icon top left says I am enthusiast. Certainly not - quite the opposite!

They’ve had it seven working days now. No news. Trouble is, it’s a lease car, so to some extent it is out of our hands. She’s mobile in a Chinese MG hybrid at the moment (courtesy car) so there’s no urgency, it seems.

I sold my Octavia III estate last year. Drove well, comfy, practical, bit bland. But it kept slamming the brakes on for no reason. It was never dangerous, just alarming, but there were never any fault codes to explain it. Skoda make good cars, but their software is a weak area as far as I can see.

Almost a month in the dealership. No news, still waiting on go-ahead from Skoda HQ. No sense of urgency whatsoever. They’re not waiting for parts; it’s just a matter of reverting a software update.

Honestly, if this were my decision (it isn’t) I would be cancelling the order for the new car, losing the deposit if necessary, and going for a different maker.

Just to round this off: the lease ended and she’s now driving round in a Kamiq. Nice looking car, comfy and quite lively. The Octavia is gone, no word on whether they ever got it fixed. On the basis of this experience, I would never buy a new Skoda.