An odd question possibly given this is the section for owners of such a car, but i have been reading that some are having a lot of electrical issues and gremlins, is this true and if so have any of them been reduced with the latest 2025 model since its introduction ? It fits the bill for size and price but i do understand it has significantly been brought into the 21st century with all the electronics. I was looking at a 2025 used TDI SEL estate. Thanks

the Mk4.5 is a very different car, no gremlins on my 2025 TDi SE Tech estate so far

The facelift is indeed a very different car.My first Mk4 was dreadful ( as per earlier posts ) but the facelift it was replaced with ( FOC ) is lovely car, a couple of niggles, new windscreen because a connector was crushed when the car was built so it didn't defrost well, and the infotainment screen glitches and jumps around occasionally, it's had an update but this didn't fix it. It's a minor thing compared to the first one which was a bag of nails. Facelift is much quieter and has a few more toys ( the Mk4 was I think a victim of Covid shortages and built accordingly ). Very happy with the facelift, the only thing I miss from the first Mk4 is the Petrol blue colour which wasn't available when I got the new one.

Andy

The early Mk4s are a mixed bunch. Many teething issues fixed through s/ware updates and some h/ware replacements - all electronic components. A shame that covid shortages and perceived rush to market back in 2020 got in the way of an otherwise very good car.

If the fixes are applied (Škoda shied away from what I would call a proper recall programme), they ARE a very good car, as my 5yo 1.5 TSI is proving to be.

And yes, Petrol Blue is the best colour for the estate.

Agree with @SteveTheElder that they were a bit of a mixed bunch, looking through the forums it appears to me that there were more issues with UK market cars than anywhere else for some reason. I know they are slightly different spec to the cars we get down at this end of the world, though a lot of the electronics are shared. Might just be perception vs reality though....

FWIW my vRS was new in early 2021 and apart from the occasional glitch with infotainment, usually something like a parking sensor warning that always goes away on restart it has been trouble free and a lovely car all round.

I guess some glitching is to be expected as there are so many computers/modules that all have to talk to each other at some stage you're going to get a 'computer says no' situation. This is not exclusive to Skoda or VAG cars either to be fair, seems nearly all late model cars have the odd problem, just the nature of the beast IMO, just like every now and again your PC or phone will do something weird, but nearly always solved by turning it off and on again.

I was watching Top Guns: Inside the RAF on TV last night and they had a situation where two Typhoons were scrambled to intercept some Russian planes straying to close to NATO airspace, and one of the Typhoons wouldn't power up, so the pilot had to leave it and use a spare jet.

The RAF mechanics ended up resetting what they called a "flying computer" after the glitch which was an altitude mode dropout (fairly serious!), resolving the issue by simply "turning it off and on again". And this is a circa 100 million GBP aircraft.....

Edited 6 December, 20256 Dec by CS363

The mark4 and to be honest most VAG products of the same time seemed to be plagued with software issues. I’d imagine any car you’d buy now that has had all the updates would be ok. However the 4.5 is a big step forward in many areas and seems to be pretty right from an infotainment perspective out of the box. Modern cars for good or bad are largely software defined vehicles so this is a very important point.

Thanks for all the replies, its as i first thought that if i got a 2025/2026 then i should be ok, on a slightly different note, one of the posts mentioned a heated front screen, can i ask if the screen is the type where you can see the '' wires '' through the glass or is it the same the Skoda Superb whereby i have read you cannot see anything. Thanks

Speaking from my own experience and FWIW, I think it's unfair to generalize the MK4's reliability issues. I would argue 4.5 being a 'very different' animal, or the 4.0 being 'dreadful'. My '22 build (MY23) 4.0 has been a great car, no infotainment glitches, in fact nothing other than an occasional bulb failure warning which is entirely due to a slight drop in 12v battery voltage, not a blown bulb. If anything, either the batteries or the alternators could have been a bit beefier for these cars and I see no evidence of that being different with the 4.5. Notwithstanding the teething problems some owners experienced with the 2020/21 builds, I rate this car as one of the smoothest and nicest driving cars I've owned.

2 minutes ago, SouthernComfort said:

Notwithstanding the teething problems some owners experienced with the 2020/21 builds, I rate this car as one of the smoothest and nicest driving cars I've owned.

I agree.

My September 2020 car, which I bought in March ‘21 with 2500 miles on it (ex demo), was back with dealer to fix issues on the conversion from km to miles and LHD to RHD problem with the ACC. Was with them for five months during which time I had a loan car and was tempted to reject my own. Only the fantastic rapport with my dealer saved the day; and 65k miles later I am very pleased I still have it. One of the best cars I’ve had - roomy, comfortable, huge luggage space, fabulous fuel economy and it looks good too.

Edited 6 December, 20256 Dec by SteveTheElder

FWIW - 2024 VRS mk4.0, 9k miles covered over 22 months - best car I've ever owned, zero issues.

"Would you avoid?" - absolutely not.

Forums can at times be a place to share issues with particular models of cars, rather than populated with folk saying "my car is fine." Now on my 4th Octavia (mk 4.5), and it's all good!

I think the heated windscreen on Octavia is like the one you mentioned, like the superb; although as I don't have that add-on I might need correcting by someone who does actually have it!

Correct about the screen, no wires...although I dont find its as rapid to defrost as my Mk3 wired one was

2023 Mk 4 vrs estate - 24k miles, zero issues. Infotainment updates itself but never had an issue with any version

My Octavia was registered in December 2024. Is it a 4.0 or a 4.5? How can I find out which it is?

There is probably some fancy coding buried somewhere but I’d take a look at the photos in the Mk4 Pictures thread - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/488077-skoda-octavia-iv-pictures-thread/page/4/

Mostly 4.0, but the last page or so are 4.5

The front end is subtly different, especially below the headlights. Note the VRS is different to other variants.

3 hours ago, noccer99 said:

My Octavia was registered in December 2024. Is it a 4.0 or a 4.5? How can I find out which it is?

Well if it has a 13" infotainment screen it's a 4.5. Pretty sure all the 4's have the smaller 10" screen with a home button etc down one side. If its an RS then a dead give away is no seperate front foglights on the 4.5

9 hours ago, noccer99 said:

My Octavia was registered in December 2024. Is it a 4.0 or a 4.5? How can I find out which it is?

Post a picture of the headlights and we'll let you know...

E.G..:
pre-facelift (with Matrix):

• post-facelift (with matrix):

Edited 22 December, 202522 Dec by SkOmk4

Thank you all for the replies.

The infotainment screen is 12.5" wide, which approximates to 13".

Here are some photos of the NSF wing.

Is my Octavia a 4.5?

Thanks in advance.

And a Merry Christmas to all!

I have mk4 21 plate with heated windscreen and can agree there are no wires. But it is not the quickest to defrost an icy windscreen, maybe 3-4mins ish?

9 hours ago, noccer99 said:

Thank you all for the replies.

The infotainment screen is 12.5" wide, which approximates to 13".

Here are some photos of the NSF wing.

Is my Octavia a 4.5?

Thanks in advance.

And a Merry Christmas to all!

It’s a 4.5

Merry Christmas…

Just over a year into mine and only a couple of niggles.

Occasionally won't start. Not even turn over. Had to call Assistance and seems to be a feature. The brake pedal goes hard and needs a really firm push to bypass the interlock and start.

2nd is a squeaking rear suspension.
That and Royal Mail deciding to cut across 3 lanes and clip the rear end. Being fixed in the new year.