Hi all, looking for some advice please re a 19-ish month old Superb PHEV estate with 28k miles on the clock.

I’ve been advised it has only just had its first service as it’s on variable servicing but I believe this should have happened at a maximum of 20k miles.

Is this a major red flag and reason not to buy the vehicle, would you see this potentially causing major issues in the future?

I should add that it’s being sold by a Skoda main dealer as an Approved Used Car.

I’ve very little knowledge on these sort of things so any advise would be really appreciated, thanks.

28k miles, just over 18 months old and Variable servicing, that shouts company owned car to me. On fixed servicing that would have had two oil and filter changes and be due its third between 27k and 30k Draw your own conclusions. From what I’ve read over the years on the VW forum from one of the admins (who is an indie VAG garage) the consequences of variable servicing hit the next owners.

As a Skoda approved used car it will be serviced and given a warranty. However it still has 18 months of its original warranty to run. How long do you intend to keep the car? If longer than 18 months I’d haggle for an extended warranty to start AFTER the 3 yr Skoda warranty expires. Also look carefully at the wording around the gearbox, PHEV and transmission components. If they fail it will be expensive. Also Skoda warranties usually say vehicle must have been serviced to manufacturers specification - this car clearly hasn’t been!

If i had a PHEV 1.4 TSI and had not serviced it to the Manufacturers Guidelines, Recommendations, Advice or Specification they would tell me the Manufacturers Warranty or an Extended Warranty was void.

So,

get in Writing that the Service Regime for the particular car was not to be Fixed Service Regime as the VW / Skoda service sites showed.

VW said @ 9,300 miles & Skoda @ 9,400 miles.

Servicing is one thing.

Oil & Inspection Services. Brake fluid at the first 2 years.

Oil & Filter Servicing is fixed service regime for 1.4 TSI PHEV,s is it not.

VW / Skoda said so.

Maybe someone asked it to be put to Variable Servicing due to miles annually & charging regime.

1.5 TSI PHEV,s seem not to be 'Fixed Oil & Filter changes'.

. But this should surely be on how used. ie, is the engine fired up much in 9,400 miles / 372 days.

If not change the oil regularly even though it is Long Life oil.

Some might run on the engines lots and some mostly on Electric.

EDIT.

I see VW Have changed their advice. Maybe since 1.5 TSI PHEV,s though.

So 18,000 miles was when first service was due according to them. That was before 2 years.

Edited 11 August, 202511 Aug by Ootohere

Afternoon,

Thanks very much for getting back to me, it has now come to light that it was serviced at around 10k, 20k and most recently around 28k which somewhat puts my mind at ease. I will get it confirmed that the Škoda warranty will still be valid and will see if they will chuck in some sort of extended warranty.

Thanks again