I’ve had the following MOT advisories in summer 2024 and 2025 at 26k and 31k miles respectively.

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement. (Rear bush starting to debond).

Slight knocking at low revs from NSF and over certain bumps. I think this is likely to be the suspension bushes deteriorating further.

Do I need to replace the whole arm to repair this issue? Seems quite soon. Car is 2019 and relatively low mileage. How much would this work cost at an independent usually? Do I need to do both sides at the same time or can I just do the near side with the knock?

I also noticed that at my last (6th service) Quantum 5w30 oil has been used. My previous garage (we’ve moved) always used 0w20. Any issue running the 1.0 TSI 110 on 5w30?

I’ve been looking in to this a bit more and am thinking of replacing both sides with Meyle HD arms. Has anyone experience of these? Do you think I’ll get more than 35k miles out of them compared to the OE Skoda ones that were an MOT advisory after only 4 years and 26k miles from new?

To answer your thread title - my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 needed it's front dampers changing at 6 years old, 41k-miles MoT, the Dealership resourced and fitted dampers lasted 11 months! until the next MoT and were reported as "leaking" which the Dealership and subsequent garage call "misting" and only an Advisory rather than Fail since. I hope the change of dampers would stop the clonking noise from the underside - it didn't.

Other Fabia Mk3 owners with cars of a similar age have tried to get rid of sounds from the underside by changing many parts but the sound remains, others have been more lucky. I can't remember seeing many posts here about this with 2019 Fabias though.

The clonk on my wife's car is very loud when it's verry cold, I don't drive the car often so although I know the sound and it really annoys me last winter it really surprised me when it was very cold, it got less loud as the weather and car had warmed for the return journey. My wife has the radio on, I generally don't.

So it depends on what the MoT tester might have told you about his advisory because I've obviously had my wife's Fabia suspension checked for safety and wear every check and no concerns.

Loads of posts and threads on Briskoda about the 1.0 TSI (3-cylinder) engine and debate about using 0w-20 or 5w-30 oil my take is always use the best quality oil you can and worry less about the multigrade ("weight") numbers, some Dealerships, garages and mechanics may not even use what they list on their invoices anyway.

Thanks nta16. Fortunately I haven’t had the shock absorber misting advisory yet… but from your experience it sounds as though I should not be surprised if I do.

Reading more of other threads on here, sounds like the 0w20 might be something to bring emissions down so I won’t query the oil my new garage has chosen to use and trust that they know better than me!

As I put on here, at least that I've seen or can remember the later Fabias than my wife's don't seem as prone to as many suspension noises and issues.

If you have found a good garage stick with them, we found one that unfortunately we've only been using for the last couple of years, they don't work on cars through their lunchtime time or open weekends - imagine trying to explain that to someone under 40 (50?) years of age. When we first went there I mention about if the dampers needed replacing they know all about VW dampers and said they always used better.

A 2019 car, particularly from a German marque like VW, will have even more (over) complex and entwined computer systems than a 2015 (thankfully not as bad as later years) so even more important to keep your 12v battery in a good state of charge (which can often mean using an appropriate battery charger maintainer or more frequent changes of expensive battery (and 'coding') and to avoid unnecessary warning lights, messages, issues and problem, visits to the garage or auto-electrician. Plenty of threads and posts about issues from battery in low state of charge and how to avoid this in this forum and others (many from me).

As you have the 3-cylinder even more important to do timely spark plug changes or the engine, as well as of course as required engine air filter changes. But of course that only deals with the servicing and maintenance of the relatively unimportant engine. Much more important are brakes, steering, suspension (all three include tyres) safety electrics (reflective number plates).

Good luck, if you have a good garage I would suggest you consider their advice on matters.

Thanks for your considered and detailed reply. We’ve just moved house (and counties!) so finding my feet with a new garage.

The lower track control arm rear bushes can easily end up tearing as well as de-bonding due to potholes and maybe speed bumps.

My wife's August 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI ended up with a single torn rear mounting bush before it was 3 years old - VW replaced that under warranty, when I found that the other side's rear mounting was tearing a year or so ago, I just replaced the bonded mountings on both sides - because I had the tools to do that and the arms were still otherwise okay, the original bonded mounting that I removed was obviously torn, the already replaced one was badly deformed, ie the centre steel sleeve had separated from the rubber material and had deformed the rubber so that there was now an elliptical hole in the centre.

21 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement. (Rear bush starting to debond).

Needs changing by/when they separate/debond.

Did mine at 7+ years and 76K miles, and only advise that year.

Are there many speed humps near you?

21 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

Do I need to replace the whole arm to repair this issue?

No, but can be cheaper if you are paying someone else to change them.

I just change both bushes myself.

21 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

Slight knocking at low revs from NSF and over certain bumps. I think this is likely to be the suspension bushes deteriorating further.

Do you mean low Speed not low revs?

Might be drop link noise not suspension arms.

Not had to do mine yet. Car now 9+ years and 93K miles.

21 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

0w20. Any issue running the 1.0 TSI 110 on 5w30?

I would use the 5W-30 C3 oil over the 0W-20 C5 oil any day.

The 5W-30 C3 oil has better/lower wear characteristics compared to the 0W-20 C5 oil.

I can give you the details if you want.

Thanks. AG Falco

Thank you. The knowledge on this forum is great.

Not many speed humps but rough rural roads locally. However, the majority of the miles are motorway. Don’t know what happened before 8k miles as that was before I had it.

I think I will have the garage do it. The guides I’ve seen remove an engine mount bolt and jack the engine to make space to remove a bolt otherwise blocked by the sump. A bit beyond my experience and tool selection. Would love to learn though given the time.

Maybe it is low speed. It’s more noticeable when setting off for sure. I’ll have to have another look/listen.

Thanks for your opinion on the oil. I’m definitely interested in any further details

I know of cars older than 2015 still being used on the same rough 3rd-world roads we have in the UK (since having to bail wealth bankers out) with almost no replacement suspension parts but they are Japanese and Korean built so perhaps superior to VW quality, though one at least was a lower retail cost to buy new than a Fabia.

IIRC I first notice noises from the underside when my wife's Fabia was 4 or 5 years old which is why I was hoping the new dampers would perhaps sort things, but no. The various different noises from the engine bay as perhaps the computer systems do their stuff annoy me too and I've always found VW 4-cylinder engines to sound a bit rough, no wonder some many went for diesels, you might as well for the difference in noise. Must say when I drove a VW 3-cylinder 1.0 TSI (110) engine I was surprised it wasn't noisier but it was quite new and I've no idea about if there was any additional noise insulation, the engine perform well enough for our two-person use with no luggage, luckily it had a manual gearbox and I could ignore its incorrect gear recommendations and myself driver for better power use and greater mpg.

Matty your car is lower annual mileage so if you are doing motorway mileage then perhaps shorter periods of it being parked up, more regular and frequent use, might keep things running smoother (or it might just wear some items more).

Good luck.

Yes, I’m agree my type of usage can be problematic. Often parked for a week or so and then a 300-400 mile motorway trip. I use a trickle charger to try to keep the battery conditioned after having a few electrical gremlins the winter before last which I think were caused by the battery running too low.

Anyone any experience of the Meyle HD bushes or arms please before I take the plunge?

22 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

The guides I’ve seen remove an engine mount bolt and jack the engine to make space to remove a bolt otherwise blocked by the sump

Three bolts and Lower Suspension arm is out with mine.

22 hours ago, MappyMatty said:

Thanks for your opinion on the oil. I’m definitely interested in any further details

Details I found were:-

''VW 504 is a FS LL 5W 30 C3 oil and is better at reducing engine wear with a HT/HS viscosity of 3.5 cP than a C5 oil.

VW 508, VW 509 is a FS LL 0W 20 C5 oil has a HT/HS viscosity of 2.6- 2.9 cP. They can improve fuel economy by 1%.
Engines using this oil will suffer more engine wear than one using a C3 oil.

5W oil is still a flowing liquid at -30°C.

0W oil is still a flowing liquid at -35°C.

ACEA C3

''Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use as catalyst compatible oil in vehicles with DPF and TWC in high performance car and light van diesel and petrol engines, with a minimum HTHS viscosity of 3.5mPa.s. These oils will increase the DPF and TWC life.''

As apposed to C5 :-

ACEA C5

''ACEA C5 oils are high performance, lower SAPS lubricants.
The primary goal of ACEA C5 oils is increased fuel economy in high performance petrol and diesel engines in passenger cars where advanced after-treatment systems such as Diesel Particulate Filters and Three Way Catalysts are used. HTHS viscosity must be in the range 2.6 to 2.9mPa.s (i.e. low) - typically SAE 0W-20 or 5W-20 and made with Group III base oils.''

HT/HS Viscosity Ranges for Low-SAPS Lubricants

HT/HS is the abbreviation for High Temperature/High Shear. It represents the viscosity of multi-grade engine oils at 150°C.

 

According to the ACEA European Oil Sequences 2016, for classes C1 and C2, HT/ HS viscosity values need to be higher than 2.9 mPas. C3 and C4 oils have higher HT/ HS viscosity values (3.6 mPas), C5 engine oils have the lowest HT/ HS viscosity of at least 2.6 mPas.

 

Unsurprisingly, thicker engine oils with higher HT / HS viscosity provide the engine with better anti-wear features. On the other hand, low HT/ HS viscosity enhances fuel economy but has lower protective features.''

Thanks. AG Falco

 

Thanks AG Falco. I appreciate the additional info. It’ll be interesting to see if I notice a difference in efficiency or performance. 0w20 for the first 6 years of its life.

Do bear in mind a different blend of oil (even to (an additional) VW specification) of the same multigrade weight could bring difference(s) in performance. Unless you use exactly the same oil (manufacturer, blend, specification) there would be more than the one variation than the multigrade difference. Even on very thorough oil changes it takes two thorough changes to go from one oil to another but there might be noticeable differences after the first change anyway.

The oil I use as against what the Dealership (well what is shown on the invoice(s)) used shows very slightly higher oil temperature (on dash gauge) when the engine is fully warmed up which is a difference but that alone doesn't mean that oil is better or worse than the oil the Dealership used.

The "one bolt getting blocked by the engine" is only relevant for one engine type - and it is not the EA211 versions from my experience, that did concern me when before I started working on these lower TCAs.