That does sound like a good result and a premium product, albeit at a premium price! If this is the ONLY towbar which can be used safely with the Mk IV Superb, I think Skoda needs to be highlighting this to prospective buyers in advance; it will definitely put some people off.

The extent to which Skoda should be helping owners who have only discovered this after experiencing problems towing is a moot point. I am still having the matter on my vehicle being investigated by Skoda.

Please keep us informed if any problems occur subsequently with the new towbar. I am sometimes able to tow for 100 miles before the Proactive Occupant Protection System fires off

Hi Scotjimland. Appreciate the detailed update. Glad to know it works and you can enjoy your holiday in a couple of weeks. Ill have to take the plunge and get a Skoda tow bar fitted then 😬

22 hours ago, John_Bolton said:

That does sound like a good result and a premium product, albeit at a premium price! If this is the ONLY towbar which can be used safely with the Mk IV Superb, I think Skoda needs to be highlighting this to prospective buyers in advance; it will definitely put some people off.

The extent to which Skoda should be helping owners who have only discovered this after experiencing problems towing is a moot point. I am still having the matter on my vehicle being investigated by Skoda.

Please keep us informed if any problems occur subsequently with the new towbar. I am sometimes able to tow for 100 miles before the Proactive Occupant Protection System fires off

Totally agree with you , and if I encounter any issues will surely post ..

With the Tow-Trust tow bar I had fitted, the Proactive Occupant Protection System would activate often, in a short drive of 8 miles I counted about 8 activations.. impossible to put up with on a long drive.. so I had little option, fit the Skoda bar or sell the car .. not an option I wanted as it would lost more , a lot more than fitting the Skoda bar.

The Skoda coding only works with the Skoda tow-bar model , it wont talk to third part module .. and since they own the software there is no other option .. believe you me, I have had countless emails and phone calls to Skoda customer support.. and while they were understanding, could offer no other solution than fit the OEM bar ..

good luck and I hope you get a resolution

Thanks to everyone for raising this issue. If I'd known about it I definitely wouldn't have bought the car. I discovered the problem yesterday on my first towing holiday, so you can imagine how traumatic it was driving 200 miles with repeated alarms and not knowing the cause. I've complained to Skoda UK and awaiting reply; the towbar installer is also investigating. However the local Skoda dealer was not helpful, only saying I'd have to pay for a diagnostic! If all else fails then I will try charge back or Which legal. I'll update on any news

I think its a great car, just this coding issue with aftermarket tow bars lets it down.

I spoke to my local dealer this week and he said the reason VW group have locked down the coding from externals is that in the past someone could plug into your tow bar electrics say when you were in a car park and hack the car and then steal it. Not sure on any reports of this actually happening??

I have booked mine in with Skoda to take out my aftermarket tow bar which I bought from TowbarExpress.co.uk and fit a genuine one. Just a little over £2k for the pleasure which is crazy when the aftermarket one already cost me £800 😭.

Not booked in until July and I have three trips with the caravan of over 300 miles, so hoping the PPP alarm doesn't go off too much. More annoying and you look like a pillock driving with your hazards on.

I'll report how it is when I get the genuine one fitted as I have a couple of other 300+ mile trips soon after.

Edited 21 May21 May by FOSTER91

Latest from Skoda UK "I hope you are doing well, and thank you for contacting Škoda UK and taking the time to share your experience with us. I completely understand how unsettling and frustrating it must have been to have the Proactive Passenger Protection system repeatedly activate while towing your caravan, especially when towing was a key reason for choosing your Škoda Superb. Your safety and peace of mind are our top priorities, and I want to reassure you that we take your concerns very seriously.

Please be advised that the vehicle may not yet be fully recognising the towbar system. In some cases, even when a vehicle-specific electrical kit is fitted, the towbar needs to be coded to the car’s control unit so that all safety and assistance systems function correctly.

To resolve this, we kindly ask that you take your vehicle to your local Škoda Retailer. They will be able to check whether the towbar requires coding, ensure the installation is fully integrated with your vehicle’s systems, and confirm everything is operating as intended.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon " now to contact my local dealer ...

Good luck!

If this works pkease let us all know, so that I can March down to my local skoda dealer fully prepared.

41 minutes ago, ncb1966 said:

Latest from Skoda UK "I hope you are doing well, and thank you for contacting Škoda UK and taking the time to share your experience with us. I completely understand how unsettling and frustrating it must have been to have the Proactive Passenger Protection system repeatedly activate while towing your caravan, especially when towing was a key reason for choosing your Škoda Superb. Your safety and peace of mind are our top priorities, and I want to reassure you that we take your concerns very seriously.

Please be advised that the vehicle may not yet be fully recognising the towbar system. In some cases, even when a vehicle-specific electrical kit is fitted, the towbar needs to be coded to the car’s control unit so that all safety and assistance systems function correctly.

To resolve this, we kindly ask that you take your vehicle to your local Škoda Retailer. They will be able to check whether the towbar requires coding, ensure the installation is fully integrated with your vehicle’s systems, and confirm everything is operating as intended.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon " now to contact my local dealer ...

1 minute ago, Stuartie said:

If this works pkease let us all know, so that I can March down to my local skoda dealer fully prepared.

If you read all my previous posts you will see I was down this route , emails phone calls to Škoda, Škoda dealer visits etc etc , all to no avail and the only solution was to fit the Škoda OEM bar and have the car coded . It cannot be coded without fitting the Škoda bar and towing module .

On 22/05/2026 at 10:56, scotjimland1 said:

If you read all my previous posts you will see I was down this route , emails phone calls to Škoda, Škoda dealer visits etc etc , all to no avail and the only solution was to fit the Škoda OEM bar and have the car coded . It cannot be coded without fitting the Škoda bar and towing module .

Thanks. As you predict, Skoda are being no help at all. Dismissive even. I am so angry at the lack of customer service. Their website says Skoda website says “"Tow bar preparation" for the Škoda Superb IV means the vehicle is equipped with the necessary fittings and wiring to easily attach a tow bar, but the actual tow bar is not installed. This allows for the tow bar to be fitted later, either by a dealer or specialist garage, without major modifications. This preparation includes mounting points and electrical connections needed for towing, making it simpler and quicker to add a tow bar when required. It ensures the vehicle is ready for safe towing once the tow bar is installed and properly secured.”

Nowhere does this state that the towbar must be a Skoda manufactured one.

I am not giving up...

2 hours ago, ncb1966 said:

Thanks. As you predict, Skoda are being no help at all. Dismissive even. I am so angry at the lack of customer service. Their website says Skoda website says “"Tow bar preparation" for the Škoda Superb IV means the vehicle is equipped with the necessary fittings and wiring to easily attach a tow bar, but the actual tow bar is not installed. This allows for the tow bar to be fitted later, either by a dealer or specialist garage, without major modifications. This preparation includes mounting points and electrical connections needed for towing, making it simpler and quicker to add a tow bar when required. It ensures the vehicle is ready for safe towing once the tow bar is installed and properly secured.”

Nowhere does this state that the towbar must be a Skoda manufactured one.

I am not giving up...

Good luck and I do hope you have more success that I did..

I was at the point were the only other way was to seek legal advice.. I seriously considered this but that would have been a long drawn out expensive battle with no guarantee of success.. at may age life is too short to take on a giant like VAG .. they could have dragged it out for years .. meanwhile I would have a caravan sitting in the drive going nowhere.. so ...

I took the offer of £300 from Skoda + £300 from the dealer who gave the advice to fit a third party towbar .. because at that point Skoda had not released the kits with the coding .. They did not acknowledge any liability , they were 'goodwill' payments ..

So I had the Skoda bar fitted for £1300 .. a saving of £600, which I felt was th best deal I would get . and it offset the £700 I had paid for the TowTrust bar to be fitted.

I have to say it is a good installation , the tow ball with an integral 13pin socket is hidden above the bumper and drops down electrically when you press a switch in the boot... it also reacts the same way .. the caravan now tows perfectly with no false alarms on the car or any other issues.. speed limits are set for towing and it has a green light in the dash ti show caravan indicators are working..

1 hour ago, scotjimland1 said:

Good luck and I do hope you have more success that I did..

I was at the point were the only other way was to seek legal advice.. I seriously considered this but that would have been a long drawn out expensive battle with no guarantee of success.. at may age life is too short to take on a giant like VAG .. they could have dragged it out for years .. meanwhile I would have a caravan sitting in the drive going nowhere.. so ...

I took the offer of £300 from Skoda + £300 from the dealer who gave the advice to fit a third party towbar .. because at that point Skoda had not released the kits with the coding .. They did not acknowledge any liability , they were 'goodwill' payments ..

So I had the Skoda bar fitted for £1300 .. a saving of £600, which I felt was th best deal I would get . and it offset the £700 I had paid for the TowTrust bar to be fitted.

I have to say it is a good installation , the tow ball with an integral 13pin socket is hidden above the bumper and drops down electrically when you press a switch in the boot... it also reacts the same way .. the caravan now tows perfectly with no false alarms on the car or any other issues.. speed limits are set for towing and it has a green light in the dash ti show caravan indicators are working..

Thanks. Looks like you did reasonably well out of the good will gesture. No sign of it for my situation yet 🙏

Hi

I hope those of you still doing battle with Skoda Customer Services, have more luck than I did. In my experience Skoda Customer Services are nothing more than a go between the dealer and the customer. Skoda admit no liability, or the fact that this is a monopoly situation if you have to fit a Skoda towbar.

My dealer BURNTWOOD SKODA, admit no liability, even though the towbar was fitted at their premises and recommended by their salesman. Like scotjimland1 I considered taking legal action, but taking on the might of VAG group is futile and pointless.

I have booked in to have a Skoda towbar fitted at another dealer and they have done me a good deal. I hope you all get sorted one way or another.

Thanks. The independent installer is removing the towbar and refunding me. Very honourable, unlike Skoda. I'm being quoted £1400 for the Skoda towbar fitting. Is this a typical price?

2 minutes ago, ncb1966 said:

Thanks. The independent installer is removing the towbar and refunding me. Very honourable, unlike Skoda. I'm being quoted £1400 for the Skoda towbar fitting. Is this a typical price?

that's a good price... is it mechanical or electric operation ?

my first quote before I complained and contacted Skoda Customer care was £1879.62 mechanically operating .

final price was £1300. for electric operation

Edited Sunday at 14:114 days by scotjimland1

👍

2 hours ago, scotjimland1 said:

that's a good price... is it mechanical or electric operation ?

my first quote before I complained and contacted Skoda Customer care was £1879.62 mechanically operating .

final price was £1300. for electric operation

Sounds like a great price for electric. My quote doesn't say, so I'll assume it's non electrical operated but 🙏