Two months ago I bought a MY2023 Skoda Octavia with 2.0 TDI engine and 6 speed manual transmission. It now has 184000 kilometers in it. To my knowledge, DMF and clutch are still original.

There is no knocking or tapping sound coming from the DMF when the engine is cold. There are also no vibrations even when driving at too low RPMs. Gears change very smooth and clutch doesn't feel worn at all.

There is, however, a clunking noise if I turn the engine without pressing the clutch. Can this solely be a symptom of a worn DMF? I also noticed some neutral gear rollover noise when the clutch is up. This can only be heard inside the cabin for some reason. It changes or even disappears everytime I press the clutch once.

I don't think a manual gearbox has a DMF, they are fitted to DSG gearbox. You might be needing the clutch replaced before too long or it may last for years. Probably why the previous owner sold it.

A quick google confirms your car has dmf and with that very high mileage and symptoms likely that is the issue.

The previous owner drove 60000 kilometers a year on highway. I doubt clutch is worn yet after 3 years. The car doesn't drive or feel any worse than my dad's Octavia with 60k kilometers and lots of city driving.

I had the car serviced this week. The workshop confirmed that the gearbox rollover noise is normal on VAG diesels. My old 2018 1.6 TDI gearbox was actually much louder since it had single mass flywheel from the factory. DMF dampens most of the rollover noise but some can be heard inside the cabin especially when the AC is working hard and the engine is pulsing.

Also, the workshop didn't find anything wrong with the DMF. There are absolutely no DMF rattles even right after cold starts at and the car doesn't vibrate at low RPMs. If it only makes clunking noise when turning the engine off with clutch pedal up, I don't think expensive DMF and clutch replacement are justified yet. The car has extended warranty for a year but it doesn't cover normal wear and tear despite including flywheel as a covered part. Not sure how flywheel could fail any other way than from wear.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by Lare111