Title: Škoda Approved Used – should outstanding scheduled maintenance have been completed before sale?

I'd appreciate some opinions from experienced Škoda owners, particularly anyone familiar with the Approved Used programme.

I've recently purchased a 2019 Octavia vRS Challenge DSG from an authorised Škoda dealership in North Wales.

The car had covered approximately 41,500 miles and cost £19,250. It was sold through the Škoda Approved Used programme and came with a 12-month Škoda Approved Used warranty.

I was provided with the vehicle's service history printout. The first three years were serviced through Škoda, followed by a period where the car was serviced by an independent garage, and then a more recent service.

The dealership also gave me an A4 preparation sheet listing various items they had attended to before collection.

However, shortly after purchasing the car, I contacted my local Škoda dealership in Worthing and asked them to check the vehicle's maintenance requirements using its registration number.

Their system identified three outstanding items:

• Engine air filter – £55

• Spark plugs – £140

• Front differential oil service – £199

Total: £394.

These were identified as due according to the vehicle-specific maintenance information in Škoda's system.

I also have an issue with the Start/Stop system, which isn't functioning and hasn't done since I bought it.

I've contacted the selling dealership to ask whether they would contribute towards the outstanding maintenance. Their response so far is that the service history documentation was discussed before purchase and that they cannot contribute towards additional work.

My question is:

When buying a vehicle through the Škoda Approved Used programme, would you reasonably expect the dealer to have checked the manufacturer's service schedule and completed any outstanding scheduled maintenance before handing the car over?

I appreciate that it's a used car and that not every service item necessarily needs replacing before sale. However, I thought part of the reassurance of buying Approved Used was that the vehicle would be properly prepared and its maintenance brought up to date.

Has anyone had a similar experience with Škoda Approved Used or another manufacturer's approved used scheme?

I'd particularly welcome opinions from anyone who has worked in a Škoda dealership or is familiar with the Approved Used inspection process.

I'm trying to establish whether my expectations are reasonable and whether it's worth pursuing this further with the selling dealership.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

I'd consider it a very reasonable expectation for the vehicle maintenance schedule to be fully up to date, particularly as it was being sold through the Skoda Approved Used system.

Has the brake/clutch fluid been replaced at the recommended intervals?

Inoperative SS could simply be low battery SOC due to it sitting on the Stealer lot for a while - but it could also be due to a failing battery!

52 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Welcome to the forum.

I'd consider it a very reasonable expectation for the vehicle maintenance schedule to be fully up to date, particularly as it was being sold through the Skoda Approved Used system.

Has the brake/clutch fluid been replaced at the recommended intervals?

Never thought to check them as well. Don't think they have been. What intervals are both of those?

51 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Inoperative SS could simply be low battery SOC due to it sitting on the Stealer lot for a while - but it could also be due to a failing battery!

Yes that's what I hope it is, just a battery issue. But again, I think that they should have checked that it was working before selling it. I paid a premium by buying it from a dealer assuming everything would be working and all servicing up to date

I purchased my current Octavia, a year ago under Skodas approved used scheme, yes the servicing was up to date to Skodas service schedule, I checked, prior to buying. Although their oil change was 1/4 of a litre low on the max level of the dipstick, as I checked it when I arrived home, cold & hot read. I just topped it up. My car has just been in again for it's last Skoda service (a year later), as the supplying dealer offered me a one off free MOT with them. Plus they collected & dropped my car off for free. Again I checked my oil level, again a 1/4 of a litre down from the maximum level, may just be standard practice. I've just paid them £230 for the minor service, inc the free mot. Next year, I'll be using an independent.

I also purchased a previous Octavia, within the past, different dealership, under their approved used scheme. This time they deceived me with regards to it's previous service history, it was missing one service, they promised me that it had a fsh, just their systems were down, couldn't print off a copy. After I purchased it, I again chased the service history up with them, eventually I received a printed copy, 1 service missing. Fortunately with a bit of detective work, I tracked the missing service down to an independent, checking it's mot history. I rung the independent, explained the situation, they emailed me proof of the service.

Regarding your original question about missing servicing items, I'm not surprised. I've been buying used cars for a very long time, generally speaking dealerships just want the sale, often cut corners to achieve it.

I'd first ring the service manager up within the supplying dealership first, explain that the car is not fully serviced, would he rectify this for free? As it's an approved car.

If he won't, I'd then possibly take it up with Skoda directly, put in an official complaint in writing, stating that you'd expect an approved car to be fully up to date with it's servicing, what resolve you are expecting, await their response. Or another option, as you are within the 30 day rejection period, look to reject the car with the supplying dealership, due to it not being serviced up to a satisfactory standard & it being faulty, not fit for purpose, as the start & stop system is not working at all. Again you'd need to put this in writing to the dealership, send it recorded, so that you have proof of posting. Regards to your S/S, sounds like your battery is getting down a bit, may need replacing, coding in. I've never found any S/S system to fully work 100% of the time, but if I were to use it (I don't), I'd expect it to work at least 50% of the time.

All really depends how strongly you feel about this, how far you want to take it. I've always found the friendly option, ringing them directly, first, the least stress option.

I purchased my current Octavia locally from a Skoda dealer, not for better service, just closer to go back to within the event I had an issue.

Edited 7 minutes ago7 min by Phoenixboy