I had a 24 plate Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI 140 PSW. About 6 weeks after getting the car it started to develop faults. Initially started with the car not letting me reverse out a drive as it thought I was going to hit something and kept emergency braking. The car went into the garage but no issue was found.

The errors then escalated into other warning messages, mainly front error assist, hill start assist, tyre pressure warnings.

Not long after these started I got into the car to drive home and when I started the engine about 12 error messages flashed up one after the other and I was put into limp home mode.

The car went back into the garage but once again after three months no issues found.

One thing I had been told by a Skoda roadside engineer is that the error codes are cleared out 15 minutes after the car has been locked.

I managed to get the car handed back and took possession of a new 26 plate Skoda Octavia. This one has the same 1.5 TSI engine but is the lower powered version at 116 PSW. I had to take the lower powered engine to keep the prices the same due to the facelift done on the Octavia.

This new car has already thrown all the error messages on the dash when starting the engine up and now regularly shows that the front assist is not available. This happens whilst driving then clears but there is nothing blocking the radar.

This new car has also got another issue that I have read on other forums for other models with the same engine. The new issue is the car cuts out when travelling at low speed especially approaching junctions / roundabouts or in heavy slow moving traffic.

I have tried reaching out to the executive complaint team to try and hand the car back but they are now pushing me back to the branch. Given the error codes are wiped when the car is locked I don't see the point of letting them have the car to find nothing.

I would like to find out if there are any other owners who are experiencing the same issues.

The front assist issue is caused by dirty or frozen sensors, happens on all versions of the Mk 4. Not sure about the others though, sounds like the 4.5 has gremlins just like the 4 did. Hopefully an owner with experience of these issues will see your thread 🫰🏻

Actually, I should have asked, how is your 12v battery health? A plethora of faults can quite often be caused by an under performing 12v battery

The car was brand new in May so I would like to think that the battery health is excellent. I haven't checked it.

In terms of the front assist sensor, no chance of being frozen since the errors are happening in June - Aug. Also the car is cleaned regularly. The error comes on whilst driving then goes off a few mins later but no debris on the road or thrown up in front of me. Car remains at a steady speed while the front assist error is displayed so if something has blown onto the sensor it shouldn't then blow off.

I would definitely test your battery, just cos it should be ok doesn't necessarily mean it will be

On 12/09/2026 at 23:43, enyap64 said:

Given the error codes are wiped when the car is locked I don't see the point of letting them have the car to find nothing.

I would be extremely surprised if that has any basis in truth.

This new car has also got another issue that I have read on other forums for other models with the same engine. The new issue is the car cuts out when travelling at low speed especially approaching junctions / roundabouts or in heavy slow moving traffic.

If you have an auto box, I believe this is normal and its part of how the start stop works, I am sure I read about this on here, as people were complaining that when they come up to a roundabout but don't stop, they put there foot down and there is nothing there, because the car thinks you are stopping so it's trying to save fuel.

my car had some issue, on half empty road, warn of colision popped and car itself braked to the floor, driver behind me avoid collision in inches.

why is it doing? luckily it happened only 2-3 times in 2 years, no matter of weather or dirt. car decelerate and brake itself without reason, dangerous.

i wanted to turn off all assistant stuff (i can do it in settings, its 2019), because i have 35 years of driving experience on motorbikes and cars, never caused a car crash, but it is helpful sometimes.. help to avoid car crash.

16 hours ago, enyap64 said:

The car was brand new in May so I would like to think that the battery health is excellent. I haven't checked it.

In terms of the front assist sensor, no chance of being frozen since the errors are happening in June - Aug. Also the car is cleaned regularly. The error comes on whilst driving then goes off a few mins later but no debris on the road or thrown up in front of me. Car remains at a steady speed while the front assist error is displayed so if something has blown onto the sensor it shouldn't then blow off.

The car may have been registered in May, but when was it manufactured and how long did it sit unused? My Octavia had a gap of 10 months from production to initial registration. I took ownership 9 months after registration. The battery was never amazing and Start/Stop barely activated when sitting in traffic. I had a new battery fitted a few months ago and it's like a different car. Start/Stop constantly activates now even without the car being warmed up. So could be worth checking the battery health, and maybe putting a battery charger/conditioner on it?

I regularly get complaints with Front Assist, and they're always temporary. It seems to not like certain sections of road. When I take my kids to school there's always one section of road, that if Front Assist will alert, it will do it there. I've never really worked out why.

I've just checked the battery voltage and with a cold battery it's sitting at 12.33 volts. When the car is running on idle it's 14.30 volts.

Should I be concerned about the cold battery voltage?

3 hours ago, MonkeyBoy2283 said:

This new car has also got another issue that I have read on other forums for other models with the same engine. The new issue is the car cuts out when travelling at low speed especially approaching junctions / roundabouts or in heavy slow moving traffic.

If you have an auto box, I believe this is normal and its part of how the start stop works, I am sure I read about this on here, as people were complaining that when they come up to a roundabout but don't stop, they put there foot down and there is nothing there, because the car thinks you are stopping so it's trying to save fuel.

The car is a manual, would understand that if it was auto. Thanks

8 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

I would be extremely surprised if that has any basis in truth.

Skoda roadside assistant told me that the codes are cleared when he couldn't find any after being put into limp home mode. I called recovery when driving home slowly but as it was 10pm at night I asked for them to come the next day. When the guy turned up he could see there had been an issue but couldn't tell what it was as there were no fault codes showing.

12.33 volts is on the low side and could drop signifantly during start stop etc A healthy battery should read 12.6-12.8 which may point to the front assist not available and also cutting out. As for the error codes being wiped as told from skoda engineer when car is locked???? I agree with Pete. Highlly unlikley. In my opinion absolute rubbish Ecu is designed to store codes not wipe them. Think you may be getting fobbed off by the engineer/garage. I would take car back and ask for them (tell them as its under warranty) to fit a new battery and take it from there

Alasdair

55 minutes ago, Alasdair1 said:

12.33 volts is on the low side and could drop signifantly during start stop etc A healthy battery should read 12.6-12.8 which may point to the front assist not available and also cutting out. As for the error codes being wiped as told from skoda engineer when car is locked???? I agree with Pete. Highlly unlikley. In my opinion absolute rubbish Ecu is designed to store codes not wipe them. Think you may be getting fobbed off by the engineer/garage. I would take car back and ask for them (tell them as its under warranty) to fit a new battery and take it from there

Alasdair

Thanks. Will start with that and see what happens

With simpler old cars you get away with a poor battery but modern electronic systems are very sensitive to voltage drop. A low battery can cause all manner of problems. Hope a new one cures the problem.

Alasdair

So the car has been into the garage today. Prior to taking in I checked the battery again and it had dropped to 12.1 volts.

Health check report said the battery was in good health and there are no error codes to report despite twice this morning getting front assist unavailable and monitoring alerts unavailabe!

Provided that all vehicle modules are in sleep mode, 12.1 V standing voltage is about 55% SOC - I'd be very surprised if a genuine battery condition test, properly applied, would give a 'good condition' health report on a battery in that state!

2 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Provided that all vehicle modules are in sleep mode, 12.1 V standing voltage is about 55% SOC - I'd be very surprised if a genuine battery condition test, properly applied, would give a 'good condition' health report on a battery in that state!

Couldn't agree more. Feel like I'm being fobbed off. Going to ask them what they class as a healthy battery and ask how they checked it.

17 minutes ago, enyap64 said:

Couldn't agree more. Feel like I'm being fobbed off. Going to ask them what they class as a healthy battery and ask how they checked it.

Ask what device was used for test and request they show you the test printout.

Reading this I keep saying under my breath, Battery, battery, battery!....As above, many of us have experienced it, your electrickery issues are less likely to be the car, more likely the battery. Start with a good one and keep it on trickle if the car isn't used for a decent drive daily. Also ensure the car is locked overnight to properly shut down the power sapping systems otherwise they'll drain the battery quicker than dyno-rod if it sits around.

Get them to swap the battery for a known good one/new one. There a garage so I assume they will have access to a battery to swap. If it doesnt cure problem then you can rule out battery. If it does tell them your keeping new battery. A new battery would have been cheaper than a dealer checking car.

Alasdair

get a new battery delivered to your door (tayna.co.uk) and the basic version of OBDeleven 3 (£72.89) to give the battery the right code.

Job done

All from the comfort of your own driveway... happy days... no more problems....

(and get a Ctek charger to maintain it - use the negative post on the bulkhead to charge)

Edited 11 hours ago11 hr by KinderBean

1 hour ago, KinderBean said:

get a new battery delivered to your door (tayna.co.uk) and the basic version of OBDeleven 3 (£72.89) to give the battery the right code.

Job done

All from the comfort of your own driveway... happy days... no more problems....

(and get a Ctek charger to maintain it - use the negative post on the bulkhead to charge)

I agree with this, I have recently changed the battery on my 1.5 due to getting lots of random electoral errors, I bought one of these Yuasa YBX7027 Amazon Link if you don't have an OBD or are not technically minded, Amazon do offer a £50 fitting service from RAC that includes the coding.

Having had similar problems, they seem to come and go depending on usage. The "regenerative braking" is nonsense; it barely works. This adds to the battery's woes, along with poorly designed systems that drain the battery. I have recharged with a CTEK and NOT had the issues return for a few weeks. So, I'm also leaning towards:

• Poor equipment and firmware draining the battery

• Poor charging systems

• Poor electrical power management

• Insufficient (due to emisions/saving money/poorly designed) drivetrain needed to service all these newfangled systems

I've also had my 2025MY MkIV Sportline 1.5TSi e-TEC, back to the dealer, where they performed "a significant software update" that they felt would "resolve the issues with the electronics and driveability" - well... it felt so at pick-up but not really anymore, adding more weight to the battery being the source of these issues. Additionally, after a year of ownership (from new), we now have the dreaded shuddering under load and gear change, which used to disappear once warmed up, now seems to be a permanent "feature" along with the shoddy braking system. Interestingly, we hired a Fabia whilst away recently, and we nearly broke our necks when the brakes actually worked!

2 hours ago, Andacami said:

Having had similar problems, they seem to come and go depending on usage. The "regenerative braking" is nonsense; it barely works. This adds to the battery's woes, along with poorly designed systems that drain the battery. I have recharged with a CTEK and NOT had the issues return for a few weeks. So, I'm also leaning towards:

• Poor equipment and firmware draining the battery

• Poor charging systems

• Poor electrical power management

• Insufficient (due to emisions/saving money/poorly designed) drivetrain needed to service all these newfangled systems

I've also had my 2025MY MkIV Sportline 1.5TSi e-TEC, back to the dealer, where they performed "a significant software update" that they felt would "resolve the issues with the electronics and driveability" - well... it felt so at pick-up but not really anymore, adding more weight to the battery being the source of these issues. Additionally, after a year of ownership (from new), we now have the dreaded shuddering under load and gear change, which used to disappear once warmed up, now seems to be a permanent "feature" along with the shoddy braking system. Interestingly, we hired a Fabia whilst away recently, and we nearly broke our necks when the brakes actually worked!

My wife has the Fabia and I almost go through the windscreen when braking. The garage have given me a Fabia as a courtesy car and it is the same - I am slowly getting used to it! Will be a shock to the system when I get back into my Octavia and there is no brakes compared to the Fabia