As above, get the brakes done - the binding needs addressing and tbh the general condition of them isn't very good. Get the brake fluid done, along with the handbrake as it's all the same job (although, I don't think it takes half an hour to adjust the handbrake - not to mention with more meat on the pads the issue might fix itself entirely)?

Leave the shocks - for now, anyway. The control arm bushes are the bits of rubber that keep everything nice and tight - the ones in question are in-between the control arm and the chassis of the car. Funnily enough, I literally had this last month - I ended up just replacing the arms (with SuperPro arms and fresh bushes) as it worked out to be the same cost as replacing just the two bushes. I didn't get under the car, but I knew there was an issue with the alignment/tracking, so it made sense it was those bushes. I would be temped to get an alignment done, and see how bad it is - if you have am RS6 GT I can understand keeping everything in tip top condition, but on an average Fabia, if it works for now, leave it till next year. Again, it depends how bad they are (tends to be they debond).

Same story with the binding - it's likely a seized caliper, however it is likely that for a Fabia, the cost of fitting the £10 seal kit will be more than buying a new caliper. Pics 1 and 2 (I think the fronts?) are absolutely fine for now, but pics 2, 3 and 4 need to be replaced - you can see that you're only utilising about 1/3 of the braking surface. You can see the lip on the discs in the first and last photos. It's an indicator that they'll need to be replaced, but considering the car and driving style, you should be fine for another six months at least. As above, rear discs on small town cars tend to suffer a bit, as they just don't get the use. My vRS brakes get regular work outs, but around town I can see the merit of drums.

BTW - ask the garage to get you OEM brake bits, not OE. OE is Original Equipment - in other words, the parts come with a VW stamp on them, in a VW bag. OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer - made in the same factory, but without the VW stamp. Depending on your brakes, they'll either be TRW or ATE. I personally went OE for the brakes on my vRS as I'm quite hard on them, but didn't want to go back to Ferodo or another performance setup. I doubt there's that much difference, but hey ho - it's just something I wanted to do. IIRC I paid north of £300 for the front discs - TRW are about 1/3 of that. Again, for an average Fabia, there's no difference and they should be about half the price for the fronts.

I agree with brakes. First pic is ok but the others are poor. Replacing discs and pads as said is easy and shouldnt cost a lot. Been using APEC discs and pads for a while now and no probs. Fairly reasonable price wise as well. If your fabia is like my sons the discs come off once the caliper is removed. No need to take carrier off. Last time took about an hour to do both fronts which included cleaning up carrier and calipers etc. Good luck with finding a decent garage. Might be worth puting a post up on here in case someone local to you can reccomend one.

I found a new garage that can do MOT same/next day as I forgot. Was reccomended it by my local motor factors. Seemed pretty decent and not too fancy. Checked car over, put in for MOT, passed with no advisories and charged me £50. I left £20-00 for the coffee jar. Proper garage without carpets!!

My go to garage when I dont have time to do it myself has retired. Its a bit of a mine field trying to find another decent honest one that doesnt cost a fortune.

Alasdair

It's the same story everywhere. I've found quite a good place near Guildford, although it's a hour hour from me. Previous to that, when I was at uni, I would travel an hour down to Bournemouth.

It's not that I don't trust most places but, I just don't. Then again, I'd probably trust a random garage more than a main dealer - they've been absolutely shocking.

Problem here in Inverness is the good ones are always very busy with at least a week waiting time. Ok if its a planned service etc but if its a breakdown then your stuck with halfords/quickfit/etc. Have had good reports about a couple of mobile mechanics but they are limited in what they can do on the drive way and also very busy. One of the reasons I try and do it myself is to keep cost down and also I know whats been done to my car. Last breakdown was a failed clutch slave which a random garage fixed at a price as I was away from home but didn't tighten gearbox bolts afterwards. Noticed them loose when I was changing oil. At least they tightened the drive shafts.

Alasdair

@ose my concern, other than braking issues of course as they're always number one priority on any vehicle, is the front, nearside (nearest the kerb) wheel slight binding is this because of the brake at that point or is the cause something else.

If new pads and discs are fitted and the slight binding continues this will cause more rapid additional wear so it needs to be established what is causing the slight binding,

You haven't labelled the photos of the discs wear but three of the photos show rust over half of the pad sweep area which isn't the way it should be. The very clear disc maybe on the wheel that's binding or just showing the work the brake at that wheel has had to do.

Also bear in mind the tyres are a very important and significant component in the car's braking system.

If I assume (often not as good idea) that your handbrake is the "traditional" manual lever type then I also wonder why it needs adjustment but I've never seen your car and the garage has (and would know more than me anyway).

The brakes (unless yours are different) were very simple to do on my wife's 2015 Mk3, and I'm not that mechanical, the simplest of the few sets I have ever done on a few various cars, I did some notes if you want to see them to get an idea. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/499752-front-brake-pads-and-discs-fitting-tips

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/517740-changing-rear-brake-discs-and-pads-notes-and-tips

The current front dampers ("shock absorbers") on my wife's car were a distress purchase, when the car was 6 years old, because factory ones failed that MoT failure, bought from and fitted by the VWŠkoda Dealership, the replacements were "misting" 11 months later and are still misting and MoT advisories, now out of their 2-year warranty.

Finding a good and decent garage or mechanic (or auto-electrician) is very, verry difficult, unfortunately, and if you can then they often have more than enough work for themselves, the one we eventually found the staff don't work weekends at all and have lunch breaks, both are very good signs to me for such a business.

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

@ose my concern, other than braking issues of course as they're always number one priority on any vehicle, is the front, nearside (nearest the kerb) wheel slight binding is this because of the brake at that point or is the cause something else.

If new pads and discs are fitted and the slight binding continues this will cause more rapid additional wear so it needs to be established what is causing the slight binding,

You haven't labelled the photos of the discs wear but three of the photos show rust over half of the pad sweep area which isn't the way it should be. The very clear disc maybe on the wheel that's binding or just showing the work the brake at that wheel has had to do.

Also bear in mind the tyres are a very important and significant component in the car's braking system.

If I assume (often not as good idea) that your handbrake is the "traditional" manual lever type then I also wonder why it needs adjustment but I've never seen your car and the garage has (and would know more than me anyway).

The brakes (unless yours are different) were very simple to do on my wife's 2015 Mk3, and I'm not that mechanical, the simplest of the few sets I have ever done on a few various cars, I did some notes if you want to see them to get an idea. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/499752-front-brake-pads-and-discs-fitting-tips

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/517740-changing-rear-brake-discs-and-pads-notes-and-tips

The current front dampers ("shock absorbers") on my wife's car were a distress purchase, when the car was 6 years old, because factory ones failed that MoT failure, bought from and fitted by the VWŠkoda Dealership, the replacements were "misting" 11 months later and are still misting and MoT advisories, now out of their 2-year warranty.

Finding a good and decent garage or mechanic (or auto-electrician) is very, verry difficult, unfortunately, and if you can then they often have more than enough work for themselves, the one we eventually found the staff don't work weekends at all and have lunch breaks, both are very good signs to me for such a business.

Hi @nta16

The first pic is the nearside front, which is the one binding, the second is the offside rear, third and fourth is the nearside rear and the last is the offside front. I have already read your linked posts (a good read) and watched a couple of Youtube videos and i am considering doing some of it myself, I was just going to get the binding issue resolved first and probably the front discs, pads and brake fluid by a professional and then do the rears myself. All the tyres are in good nick apart from the wheel that is binding where there is excessive wear (still very legal) in the centre of the tyre compared to the other tyres and will get both fronts changed before the next MOT.

From what i have read the hand brake issue is linked to the rear discs, the handbrake in mk3 fabia's are very flimsy feeling in the hand, which car reviewers have noted, and is an issue on mine.

I have had a couple of garages tried to change shocks as part of the MOT and service that were in good knick on my previous car as they had recently been replaced, seems like a goto tactic to syphen extra work out of you.

If anyone knows of any decent garages in the berkshire, west surrey area please recommend.

Edited 3 August, 20253 Aug by ose

Sorry but nothing sounds or looks good about the state of discs and possibly pads or the (unseen) tyre on the front binding wheel and it looks like both might nave been going on too long already so you want to get these sorted ASAP.

By coincidence I was driving my wife's 2015 Fabia today (I don't drive it often) and the handbrake lever when fully down does feel a bit flimsy but when raised is firm enough and works well enough, better than my wife's Vauxhall when it was brand new.

The rear brakes do need the cylinders winding back.

Good luck.

All four corners need new brakes. The rears are really not good (as I said, around 1/3 of the surface is being used) and the front may as well be done since you’ve got an issue and they’re not in the best of condition anyway.

The excessive wear is indicative of an alignment issue - I suspect to do with the worn bushes. Garages tend to try and make money, but I’ve yet to find a dishonest, reputable VAG specialist. They’re too busy doing exhausts on RS6s to need an extra £100 putting premium air in my tyres.

@Alasdair1 Ben at EightySix Automotive in Elgin is rather good. SVS in Dundee is also very good (VAG specialist) but they are a trek. There is meant to be a VAG place in Perth but haven’t had any experience with them.

Update: Got all the work needed done for £900, which included new discs and pads all around, brake fluid, new front control arms, apparently the nearside control arm was collapsed and was causing the excessive tyre wear and binding brake.