I have a chance to buy a face lift 103tdi 4x4 yeti for 3k aud but it has 400k km on the clock, others around 200k are around 9-12k from what I have seen.

I am thinking of using it as my daily and something I can take light offroading.

I'd like to go to the car yards and upgrade some bits and pieces as I go to make it better. (Would love some suggestions what to upgrade).

So I have seen a yeti on YouTube 400k plus, is that a one off or will I still have life in it,

I wouldn't mind later on getting a reconditioned 125kw/170bhp engine to swap in at a later point.

Would love to hear everyone's insights to this.

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by db-skoda

Welcome.

If it runs OK and everything works then fine. The Haldex Works.

Have parts been replaced and now good for many more km?

Brakes, Suspension / steering parts.

I assume there is a record of servicing and maintenance carried out over that 1/4 of a million miles.

I'm yet to find the service records yet, but that is my next step.

I thought I'd see if it was a major red flag first.

(It has full service history, but ill need to investigate what and when things have been done)

From what I have read, I'd want to check the timing belts been changed, and as you said the haldex serviced

Is there anything I should look out for?

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by db-skoda

Welcome @db-skoda 👋.

Providing there is service history for the car and things that need to be changed have been changed in a good and timely fashion, then the engine side of things should be good. Being in Aus-land I'm guessing you don't have to worry so much about salty roads through the winter rotting things away? 😁 With it being a 4x4, I'd check to see if there is any service history on drivetrain items such as any sort of oil change on the Transfer Bevel Box which sits on the front axle and rotates the drive 90 degrees so it can be sent down to the rear axle. Also see if it's had any sort of Haldex service. This should be done every 3 years with the mesh screen in front of the Haldex pump being cleaned or changed together with an oil change with Haldex oil. Also look for any rear differential oil changes.

As for taking a Yeti off-road, my partner and I take ours off-road and have done some modifications to it. You can see a playlist of videos over on our YouTube video to give you some idea what we have done 😃. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9yw83K_tIVfMYleR8YLkttjBcDS8MGBO

As above, I've bought very cheap cars to do up (and sell after a while) so I would just make sure it's cheap enough for you to be able to do all the right things to it.

6 minutes ago, Scott_4x4 said:

Welcome @db-skoda 👋.

Providing there is service history for the car and things that need to be changed have been changed in a good and timely fashion, then the engine side of things should be good. Being in Aus-land I'm guessing you don't have to worry so much about salty roads through the winter rotting things away? 😁 With it being a 4x4, I'd check to see if there is any service history on drivetrain items such as any sort of oil change on the Transfer Bevel Box which sits on the front axle and rotates the drive 90 degrees so it can be sent down to the rear axle. Also see if it's had any sort of Haldex service. This should be done every 3 years with the mesh screen in front of the Haldex pump being cleaned or changed together with an oil change with Haldex oil. Also look for any rear differential oil changes.

As for taking a Yeti off-road, my partner and I take ours off-road and have done some modifications to it. You can see a playlist of videos over on our YouTube video to give you some idea what we have done 😃. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9yw83K_tIVfMYleR8YLkttjBcDS8MGBO

OK so what I am hearing is check oil changes have been done on all of the drive line and that the haldex has been serviced.

Salt roads are not a thing here luckily.

Anything I should look out for when test driven.

I've been told that the car has done big commutes 5 time a week hence the milage, which sounds best case scenario to me.

usually on cars below the real price you have a lot of investment waiting for you. maybe there is some serious defect. you need to investigate it well.

it is possible that there is no DPF or EGR for a long time, everything has been deleted.

get ready to invest, if you don't do it yourself, but go to a service station for everything, it may not be profitable for you.

this is a newer model year, on those from 2010 or 2011 I can already see corrosion, which is incredible, I had a cheap renault megane 2010, sold it to a colleague and there is still no corrosion anywhere and it is 15 years old.

i hope the karoq won't corrode at 12 years old.

10 minutes ago, imart143 said:

usually on cars below the real price you have a lot of investment waiting for you. maybe there is some serious defect. you need to investigate it well.

it is possible that there is no DPF or EGR for a long time, everything has been deleted.

get ready to invest, if you don't do it yourself, but go to a service station for everything, it may not be profitable for you.

this is a newer model year, on those from 2010 or 2011 I can already see corrosion, which is incredible, I had a cheap renault megane 2010, sold it to a colleague and there is still no corrosion anywhere and it is 15 years old.

i hope the karoq won't corrode at 12 years old.

I have bought and restored old motorcycles from the 90's and am willing to learn about a new engine. So I am prepared to do some work on it to get it in a trustworthy and reliable state

The car was a part ex, so I'm sure the dealer wants to move it on quickly.

That was my car. I traded it for $500 so you have some bargaining power. If it is being sold as is then the DSG needs new clutches. Car has had regular oil changes for everything except haldex which has only been done once at about 150,000ks. As the car has never been used for any off-road adventures the odd time it. Did need extra grip it al worked perfectly. The other main issue with it is that when the timing belt was last changed they must have nicked the seal as it is now leaking oil which had never done before. There is a sticker under the bonnet with the date and mileage for when the belt was changed. Belts were done every 100-120,000ks. Car still drives very well. Everything is original (with the exception of radiators and other front bits) due to a kangaroo incident. Brakes are good recently done. Will most likely need new struts as they have never been changed and the front right one is a bit soft. Also the mount for the rear left needs to be replaced. Motor is excellent. Also no rust that I am aware of and never been submerged.

26 minutes ago, db-skoda said:

Anything I should look out for when test driven.

I'm going to talk from a purely 4x4 perspective because there are far more knowledgeable people than me to talk about all the other bits on a Yeti 😄. Make sure that when turning tight corners that the backend of the car doesn't feel like it's skipping or jumping. This can be a sign that the Haldex hasn't been serviced or is faulty. Also, if you can find any form of loose surface on your test drive, do a nice aggressive standing start if you can. It's a good way to make sure the 4 wheel drive system actually works and you're not buying a 4 wheel drive car that's been converted to front wheel drive to avoid a costly bill... 😃

Edit: Posted at the same time as the previous owner but I'll leave my post as-is 😃.

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by Scott_4x4

?

@Scott_4x4 have you seen the post above yours by @Meyannos

EDIT. I missed your Edit, sorry.

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by Ootohere

1 hour ago, Meyannos said:

That was my car. I traded it for $500 so you have some bargaining power. If it is being sold as is then the DSG needs new clutches. Car has had regular oil changes for everything except haldex which has only been done once at about 150,000ks. As the car has never been used for any off-road adventures the odd time it. Did need extra grip it al worked perfectly. The other main issue with it is that when the timing belt was last changed they must have nicked the seal as it is now leaking oil which had never done before. There is a sticker under the bonnet with the date and mileage for when the belt was changed. Belts were done every 100-120,000ks. Car still drives very well. Everything is original (with the exception of radiators and other front bits) due to a kangaroo incident. Brakes are good recently done. Will most likely need new struts as they have never been changed and the front right one is a bit soft. Also the mount for the rear left needs to be replaced. Motor is excellent. Also no rust that I am aware of and never been submerged.

Wow small world hey, ha ha ha

Thanks for sending me that information. Super helpful.

So I can understand better why does the haldex clutch plates need replacing what was happening with the car.

Did you get a quote for this by any chance?

What seal was nicked? Where do I look for the oil?

Offer them $1000 to take away today.

@db-skoda DSG Clutch plates. In the 6 speed wet clutch DQ250 DSG..

The clutches in the DSG do need to be replaced. Nothing in the haldex. I have been told that it would be about $1,600 to do them (but not by Skoda). Plus probably the same to fix the oil leak as it’s a big job. But otherwise it’s a good car. Never let us down. Averaged about 6l per 100klms. Did not use a drop of oil.

As per the other comment there was no issue with binding of the 4x4. Oh the other weird issue is the A/C. When you first start it, it takes ages to get cold (about ten minutes of driving) leaving it idelling does not get it cold. Had it checked and gas seems ok.

Oil leak should be obvious if you look under the car. It leaks onto the plastic guard. If they have washed it may be a bit hard to see. You may also be able to see it on you left of the motor (as you look at it). The plastic engine cover pulls off so tgat makes it easier to inspect.

3 minutes ago, Meyannos said:

The clutches in the DSG do need to be replaced. Nothing in the haldex. I have been told that it would be about $1,600 to do them (but not by Skoda). Plus probably the same to fix the oil leak as it’s a big job. But otherwise it’s a good car. Never let us down. Averaged about 6l per 100klms. Did not use a drop of oil.

As per the other comment there was no issue with binding of the 4x4. Oh the other weird issue is the A/C. When you first start it, it takes ages to get cold (about ten minutes of driving) leaving it idelling does not get it cold. Had it checked and gas seems ok.

This Is all gold, thanks,

the dsg clutch seems better news,

I may budget for a new clutch and timing belt and seal, then the rest I can chip away at.

Now it's how low I can get them down too.

It is out of regulation unless they have renewed which would mean they would need to RWC and have fixed oil leak and front struts at least. But when fixed it’s a good car with plenty of life left. Almost all highway klms. I can’t find an ad for it anywhere. Even on their website.

The ad says

2014 Skoda Yeti 4x4 - Priced to Sell at $2,990!

Vehicle Details:

Model: Skoda Yeti 4x4

Year: 2014

Mileage: 399,920 km Car was used to drive from Venus Bay to Melbourne 5x week

Condition: Sold as is

Price: $2,990

About This Yeti: This 2014 Skoda Yeti 4x4 is a fantastic deal for those seeking a reliable, all-wheel-drive adventure vehicle! With 399,920 km on the odometer, the previous owner used it for long daily freeway commutes, ensuring those miles were easy on the engine. Traded in at our used car dealership, this Yeti is priced to move fast!

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by db-skoda

Ok so that’s not good. I traded it with 402,000klms apparently(photo attached was a my least a month before traded). The car is manufactured 2013. Was the first of the face lift cars here. Does not have all the outdoor features. It was first registered by VW. They had it for two years I bought it from Bayside VW. IT HAD 8,000 klms on it. It was used mainly for highway driving to work and back. Round trip about 250k. 5 days a week. 10k wa dirt road to our house.

Is this the same it says 402k and has a dodgy steering wheel

The stitching on the left and right had started to come apart and yes 402,000 is about right. Which site?