Hi everyone!

I am new to this website, so I do apologise if this is posted in the wrong place/in the wrong format.

Today is a very sad day for myself as my pride-and-joy MK1 FabiaCombi from March 2007 (1.2HTP engine, Ambienté) has failed its MOT and I have been quoted over a grand to get it to pass (paid £1,250 two years ago with 100,000miles. Now has 121,000mi).

It is a great shame as this car has never broken down on me and I have been all over Europe in it - I was even five miles away from Russia and never missed a beat!

I really do not want to get rid of it but at the same time, it does not make financial sense to pay more than the car is worth to get it to pass its MOT. It is such a nice and comfortable car and to be honest, I am scared to buy a new car in case I have less luck than I did with the FabiaCombi and this car has been trustworthy. My budget is up to around £2000.

This may sound silly, but the Combi is pretty much part of the family and it would be a genuine loss for myself.

I look after my disabled family and I am the only person in my family who can drive which means that the Skoda was/is a life-line and a great quality of life improvement for us.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

*Sorry for the long-winded message - but I am passionate about this car.

What did it fail the MOT on?

This is what my car failed its MOT on:

I have been quoted over a grand to get it to be MOT-worthy.

The mechanic said that Volkswagen AG no longer make the Power Steering parts compatible for this car.

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

• Nearside Power steering pipe/hose excessively damaged leaking (2.1.5 (g) (i))

• Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

• Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

• Nearside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

• Offside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

• Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

• Offside Front Inner Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Front (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

• Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

• Emissions unable to be completed exhaust leak (8.2.1.2 (d))

Repair as soon as possible (minor defects):

• Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

It is really sad as this car is not common in Britain. The Sedan and the Combi estate are very rare and I have only seen one or two here. The hatchbacks are pretty common, which tends to be the trend in Britain (until SUVs came along).

They are pretty common in Central Europe though, seen several in Germany and Poland.

Edited 19 March19 Mar by tvaccts

14 minutes ago, tvaccts said:

This is what my car failed its MOT on:

I have been quoted over a grand to get it to be MOT-worthy.

The mechanic said that Volkswagen AG no longer make the Power Steering parts compatible for this car.

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

• Nearside Power steering pipe/hose excessively damaged leaking (2.1.5 (g) (i))

• Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

• Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

• Nearside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

• Offside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

• Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

• Offside Front Inner Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Front (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

• Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

• Emissions unable to be completed exhaust leak (8.2.1.2 (d))

Repair as soon as possible (minor defects):

• Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

16 minutes ago, Liger1956 said:

What did it fail the MOT on?

This is what it has failed on: @Liger1956

Edited 19 March19 Mar by tvaccts

How confident are you in doing some of the repairs yoursef or do you have a competent friend who could help?

1. Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a)) - Does not say where the leak is but probably needs at least a new section. Better left to an exhaust place.

2. Nearside Power steering pipe/hose excessively damaged leaking (2.1.5 (g) (i)) - Only appears to need a new piece of pipe that should be available as a pattern part, in my opinion, and not a new rack.

3. Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii)) - Could be just a new bulb needed that you could replace

4. Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a)) - Needs investigation. Is the washer reservoir empty, blown fuse (does the back washer work?), a pipe come off or the nozzles blocked?

5. Nearside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii)) - If the lenses are cloudy, it does not say what is wrong with them, then polishing them externally with a mild abrasive (DIY kits are available) may be sufficient for it to pass the MOT

6. Offside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii)) - See above

7. Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b)) - Unless you are competent this is best left to the garage to replace.

8. Offside Front Inner Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Front (5.3.4 (a) (i)) - As above

9. Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c)) - Could just need the cable adjusting which is a DIY fix if you are competent.

10. Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i)) - Should be fixed by adjusting the cable.

11. Emissions unable to be completed exhaust leak (8.2.1.2 (d)) - Hopefully it will pass the emmisions check when the exhaust leak is fixed.

If you can do the "easy" fixes then I would ask the garage to itemise the costs of the other ones and then shop around.

As regards whether you should save or scrap the car it is your decision. You would need to do some research as to what you can get for your money and the size/type of car that you need. Buying a second hand car, especially within your budget, has some risks and it is always better to take someone else with you when buying a car if only to distract the salesperson whilst you inspect it properly.

From memory, the cat's on the downpipe on these engines, so I'm guessing that's a bit chunk of the bill.

17 minutes ago, StevesTruck said:

From memory, the cat's on the downpipe on these engines, so I'm guessing that's a bit chunk of the bill.

No, it's a 'manicat' which the front pipe bolts to the bottom of.

It'll be failed flexi, for sure.

Someone at Pirtek might be able to help with the PAS pipe.

Re exhaust pete is right. Flexi bolts onto cat. Sons is the same. I bought a flexi repair but wasnt enough left to clamp it to so bought a new front section including flexi only £60 from partsinmotion (BM catlyst BM50199K). Winscreen pump may have failed but there not expensive. Rear shocks are fairly cheap as well. As for the front suspension bush they are fairly cheap as well but need a puller/press to remove an install old one. Is it the same garage that did the MOT thats quoted over 1k. I use MOT only garages. Found in the past some garages seem to be a bit hard on you for an MOT if they think they may get the repair job.

Might be worth phoning a few independant ones to get a quote for the fail points.

Alasdair

Indeed it is. The mechanic said that if he was me, he would not bother with this car and would buy a new one.

I am hesitant to do so as I know this car and worry about another car having issues. This is my pride-and-joy.

On the other hand, I paid £1250 two years ago and it now has 121,000mi. I do not want to spend a lot of money on it as the car is probably on borrowed time to be honest.

If worst comes to worst, I do have a budget of under £3,000 for a car - but I am only interested in Skoda/VAG. Japanese considered as well.

Edited 19 March19 Mar by tvaccts

Thank you for your contributions! I did not expect this post to be so popular!

Time is of the essence as I have disabled family to look after with no car and we are currently in between houses due to a situation that has occurred recently. I do not have a driveway, so cannot even attempt some D.I.Y. patches. (nor do I have time)

Son has the hatchback and its 20 year old and generally rust free. Best thing about car is its simple so if it goes wrong then generally repairable by me fairly easily. The MOT fails seem to be fairly straight forward repairs by any garage. Power steering hose may be problematic sourcing a new one otherwise parts are relatively cheap if going for aftermarket ones. Problem these days is labour cost. Still think it would be an idea to try around some of the smaller garages if you have any left near you as they are dying out near me and being taken over by Arnold clark etc. and cost a fortune in parts and labour. The only thing that would worry me is that engine has a timing chain and at 120k could probably be needing changed unless its been done previously, Same with the clutch. It may be noted in any service history that came with car. Last thing you want is to spend money and then have to spend a lot more if its needing done. If the chain fails it will wreck engine. There may be someone on here that could reccomend a friendly cheaper garage near you or possibly a mobile mechanic.

Have a look at Volvo as well. Had older ones years ago and they never gave me any bother at all.

Alasdair

I have a 2003 Volvo V40 1.6 on my bookmarks. It is not far from me. It is a sedan, so just right for family. 70,000mi with full service history.

Edited 19 March19 Mar by tvaccts

Hi Alasdair,

I am aware of the clutch and the timing chain. The mechanic even told me not to bother with it as even if I was to repair it, the timing chain could go at any time and that would be an additional cost. So far, I have not had any clutch issues but at 120,000, I am aware that it is probably something that is on its way out.

The mechanic is an independent one in a small village, not a chain. They are the only ones that provide hire cars, which I need. However, today, I have to give it back as they have a backlog of people so I will have no car...

I do not want to scrap the car as it is quite rare in the U.K. and I believe that it still has a potential if someone knows what they are doing?

Edited 19 March19 Mar by tvaccts

If its in really good condition with not much/no rust someone will buy it and fix it or use as a donor car for parts. Folks had the 1.9tdi estate version that I then inherited when they gave up driving and was one of the best cars I've had. Loads of space in rear and mpg was 60plus plus power when you needed it. Alas a slight arguement with our postie van and it was written off. If he had been 1sec slower or faster he would have missed the door pillar.

Daughter has the V40 D2 R design which is newer and she is very happy with. Been in it once and feels very solid and safe plus supposed to be very reliable although visability not as good as the fabia. Wasnt too expensive at around 3k. Only problem with modern diesel is the DPF so she has to take it for a decent run from time to time.

I used to drive volvo petrol 940 estates which I reckon have the most space in rear. I loved them but £400 road tax plus 30mpg became too expensive. I would have another tomorrow if I could afford to run it or ideally a 240 saloon as I used to have one.

A 23 year old volvo v40 1.6 with only 70k and a full service history may be a very good buy as long as its clean and free of rust. Thats only done 3k a year. Maybe factor in a timing belt if it hasn't already been done. Used to be 70k or 7 years from memory and perhaps a clutch if someone older has been driving it and slipping it a bit. Cant be many v40 of that age with such a low mileage. Really hope you get something sorted soon.

Alasdair

4 hours ago, tvaccts said:

Indeed it is. The mechanic said that if he was me, he would not bother with this car and would buy a new one.

I am hesitant to do so as I know this car and worry about another car having issues. This is my pride-and-joy.

On the other hand, I paid £1250 two years ago and it now has 121,000mi. I do not want to spend a lot of money on it as the car is probably on borrowed time to be honest.

If worst comes to worst, I do have a budget of under £3,000 for a car - but I am only interested in Skoda/VAG. Japanese considered as well.

The only real killers of these cars is rust and the timing chain skipping on the 1.2's. If it's ok for these, and you like it, might as well keep it in my opinion.

It's that old gamble really, if you bought another £1200 car, there's no saying it's not going to need the same amount of work in the first year.

I have a rough rule for buying cheap cars, whatever you spend on the car, put the same aside for anything it needs in the first year, if you don't spend that, you've won.

If the garage has got a poor attitude towards your car and doesn't want to work on it, time to find another garage.

I am thinking to sell it to a more knowledgeable enthusiast who may be able to give it a new lease of life... I do not want to scrap it as the engine is still good at the moment and the interior is in great condition for its age.

There is a little bit of rust by the wheel arches which is the usual spot for it to start. And, a couple of days ago, an inconsiderate person has scraped me at the back. But, pretty minor stuff. I will take the Fabia logo as a memento though!

On 19/03/2026 at 10:33, tvaccts said:

It is really sad as this car is not common in Britain. The Sedan and the Combi estate are very rare and I have only seen one or two here. The hatchbacks are pretty common, which tends to be the trend in Britain (until SUVs came along).

They are pretty common in Central Europe though, seen several in Germany and Poland.

Is that right? I recently bought a 2001 Fabia Combi (after owning a succesion of small vans, I like to have space to carry stuff about..) when no decent van was available. I quite like it, it's got 84.000 on the clock, in very decent nick, and I like the system of a timing chain and pushrods. I didn't know it was a rare model?

On 28/03/2026 at 23:53, charon said:

Is that right? I recently bought a 2001 Fabia Combi (after owning a succesion of small vans, I like to have space to carry stuff about..) when no decent van was available. I quite like it, it's got 84.000 on the clock, in very decent nick, and I like the system of a timing chain and pushrods. I didn't know it was a rare model?

I can count on my fingers how many times I have seen the Combi version in Britain. Even less so the sedan. The hatchback is quite common though.

On 28/03/2026 at 23:53, charon said:

Is that right? I recently bought a 2001 Fabia Combi (after owning a succesion of small vans, I like to have space to carry stuff about..) when no decent van was available. I quite like it, it's got 84.000 on the clock, in very decent nick, and I like the system of a timing chain and pushrods. I didn't know it was a rare model?

I eventually had to part-exchange mine to great disappointment as it failed the M.O.T. due to the power steering dying - The mechanic said that Volkswagen AG has discontinued it and he would have to spend time to hunt one down and even then it is not guaranteed that it will work for long...

Mine had 121,000mi when it failed the M.O.T., so I guess that yours should last for at least that long.

It was a sad day for me when we parted ways - I am sure that you will be able to get plenty of use out of the Combi. It spent most of its life taking disabled apparatus, house moves for myself and helping others as well along with covering most of Europe without missing a beat!

My new car is nowhere near as big, but I was (and still am) not in a position to wait around for a car that would have been more preferable (definitely Skoda and other VAG).

Edited 24 April24 Apr by tvaccts

4 minutes ago, tvaccts said:

I eventually had to part-exchange mine to great disappointment as it failed the M.O.T. due to the power steering dying - The mechanic said that Volkswagen AG has discontinued it and he would have to spend time to hunt one down and even then it is not guaranteed that it will work for long...

Mine had 121,000mi when it failed the M.O.T., so I guess that yours should last for at least that long.

It was a sad day for me when we parted ways - I am sure that you will be able to get plenty of use out of the Combi. It spent most of its life taking disabled apparatus, house moves for myself and helping others as well along with covering most of Europe without missing a beat!

My new car is nowhere near as big, but I was (and still am) not in a position to wait around for a car that would have been more preferable (definitely Skoda and other VAG).

Sorry for spamming - To be fair, if the power steering hasn't kicked the bucket, I may have been able to eke out a few more years out of my Combi.