Hi all!

This is my first post here but I was really hoping for some advice. The post regards my experience managing my first car on my own, and all had been going well until now! For context, I have had my Skoda Citigo 2017 for 4 years. I purchased it outright at 5 years old from D. M. Keith Leeds, before relocating to the west midlands where it has since been managed by Johnsons Skoda Burntwood. I have generally maintained a low threshold for escalating concerns as I am the only driver in my household currently to notice any issues.

When taking my car in for its service and MOT (at Skoda Burntwood) on the 17th August 2026, I informed the dealership that I had noticed corrosion around the fuel cap over the summer. Quick google revealed its a common issue and should be covered by the warranty. Great! Weeks pass since I informed them and no word, I keep touching base with the dealership. Finally, on 8th September 2026 the dealership calls me to tell me the warranty claim (12 year body protection warranty (anti-perforation warranty)) has been rejected on the basis of "Skoda should have been informed 4 to 5 years ago". I push back, initially without full understanding of the specifics of the relevant warranty, but with the rational of my ownership of the car has only just gone on 4 years, and I didn't drive my car much following purchase due to my father falling ill and unfortunately passing a few months later. I was flying back and forth between Belfast and Birmingham a lot. So my car largely remained in the garage and used for short trips. And as mentioned, I was pretty vigilant about the cars condition so I absolutely would have brought it to the dealerships attention sooner if there had been something to notice. I ask for the contact details to escalate and was provided with the contact details for Skoda UK customer services.

Over a month later, 6th October 2026, the advisor informs me of an second reason for the rejection now - that service history was incomplete. Yet over the course of my ownership, the service history is complete and all with Johnsons Skoda Burntwood. They quote an extended scope service missing from 2021. Also note, the 4 to 5 years reason has since not been mentioned. With awareness of the conditions of the warranty now, I continue to push back as it is not relevant per their warranty preconditions. It is now 26th October 2026 and I'm no closer to getting this resolved. I've requested transcripts of the call from the 8th September and the 6th October as evidence of the rejection reasons and when I have been informed.

I'm just at a loss at this point. I know others have had the same issue and similar rejection reasons as me, yet they have been successful in getting it resolved (such as https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/528055-successful-warranty-claim/). Can someone please help me?

Sorry you're dealing with this. Neither reason you've been given sounds right to me from the published terms, so it's worth pushing back in writing.

**What the terms actually ask for.** In Skoda UK's warranty terms, the body protection (anti-perforation) warranty has two conditions: you report it to an authorised Skoda repairer as soon as you find it and within the warranty period, and the repairer confirms the perforation has come from the inside (the cavities) and is a manufacturing or material defect. It excludes damage from outside influences and from insufficient care. It also transfers to the next owner. I couldn't see anything that says a later owner loses cover because a previous owner didn't report it, or anything that makes a full dealer service history a condition of the body warranty.

So you reported it as soon as you noticed it (17 August, at a Skoda dealer), well inside 12 years. That looks like you've done what the terms ask.

1. Ask the dealer to put the rejection in writing, quoting the exact clause they're relying on. "Should have been told 4 to 5 years ago" and "incomplete service history" are two different reasons, and neither is obviously in the terms.

2. Ask what inspection they did. The key question is whether the rust is coming through from the inside (cavity, perforation) or is surface rust from outside, for example a stone chip by the filler cap. That decides whether the body warranty applies at all. Ask for photos.

3. Escalate to Skoda UK Customer Services directly, not just the dealer, with your dates and photos.

4. If that fails, Skoda UK signs up to The Motor Ombudsman's New Car Code, and you can take a warranty dispute to them free of charge.

There's a Guardian consumer column from 2022 where Skoda initially refused a Fabia corrosion claim over a paint inspection condition that wasn't in the terms, then ended up paying for the repair in full, so it's worth persisting.

One more thing: if you go the Consumer Rights Act route instead, after the first 6 months it's on you to show the fault was there from new, so an independent bodywork report would be useful either way.

I've been down the same road. They will throw a number of reasons at you but Skoda's ultimate response will be the warranty doesn't cover seams and edges which is where the rust starts. Unfortunately the ombudsman has now accepted Skoda excuse for not honouring their warranty and doesn't support claims.

As you will have found it is a well known issue that could have bean easily solved if Skoda had bothered to spend a fiver on rear wheel arch liners but they decided to go cheap then when the claims started rolling in they panicked and threw out excuses until they found one the ombudsman would accept.

Absolutely disgusting from Skoda.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by thebrighton

I've been watching this all as my daughter recently bought a Citigo. It has no rust at present as far as I can tell but I'm intending to check and fit arch liners. However, I have a fear that it will rust around the fuel filler (they all do) over time and probably already has (it's a 2017 model).

Having said that I think it's totally pointless trying to get Skoda to accept responsibility for it given the Ombudsman's ruling and the usual push back from dealers and Skoda. As and when I'll therefore use a local bodyshop for the repair as the hassle and stress of trying to get it done through the warranty on a 9 / 10 year old car simply won't be worth the effort given the likely cost of the repair. It's crap from Skoda for definite but life's too short IMHO.

I pushed as hard as I could and went down numerous avenues. The first visit to the dealership and first rejection was a joke as they didn't even bother to take any photos. After numerous exchanges with Skoda customer services I was asked to return to the dealership for photos and the claim to be resubmitted.

I knew what the outcome would be because, yes, the dealership took photos but only of the exterior of the car. Surely they needed to take photos of the inner wheel arch where the rust started?

It was this second visit when it was no longer a matter of not having it serviced at Skoda and annual bodywork checks as I had pointed out it had just started so wouldn't have been seen at a service but seems and edges came into play.

Next stop was the ombudsman but then finding out they are toothless and have accepted Skoda's poor excuse to get out of paying up.

It is now booked in with a local bodyshop to get sorted at my expense. That's another area to be wary of as you can get quotes from as little as £300 but I wonder what the quality of repair would be. The local bodyshop is a Skoda approved one amongst numerous other manufacturers and I have had them do work before on other cars. We are looking at just over a grand but hopefully it will cure it and not return.

11 minutes ago, thebrighton said:

I pushed as hard as I could and went down numerous avenues. The first visit to the dealership and first rejection was a joke as they didn't even bother to take any photos. After numerous exchanges with Skoda customer services I was asked to return to the dealership for photos and the claim to be resubmitted.

I knew what the outcome would be because, yes, the dealership took photos but only of the exterior of the car. Surely they needed to take photos of the inner wheel arch where the rust started?

It was this second visit when it was no longer a matter of not having it serviced at Skoda and annual bodywork checks as I had pointed out it had just started so wouldn't have been seen at a service but seems and edges came into play.

Next stop was the ombudsman but then finding out they are toothless and have accepted Skoda's poor excuse to get out of paying up.

It is now booked in with a local bodyshop to get sorted at my expense. That's another area to be wary of as you can get quotes from as little as £300 but I wonder what the quality of repair would be. The local bodyshop is a Skoda approved one amongst numerous other manufacturers and I have had them do work before on other cars. We are looking at just over a grand but hopefully it will cure it and not return.

Just out of interest are they using the available repair panel and welding that back in or just doing their own thing? I'd expect at my local bodyshop (who have done decent quality repairs for me in the past) it would cost in the region of £250 - £350.

I believe they are doing their own thing as they have done this work numerous times and the small repair panels available are just for the outer skin but that area is double skinned and the inner layer will be where the rust started so just replacing the outer area will hide the main culprit.

For the cheaper quotes it will be cutting out a square, welding the new bit in then filling and sanding. Really the whole rear quarter would need repainting. A 5 door would probably be cheaper but mine is a 3 door so to be sprayed properly the rear window will need removing whereas the 5 door has a handy door!