Hi, I have a Skoda Octavia L&K, if any other members have the same model, would like to hear from you, to discuss, good points, bad points and garages that you have attended.

Hi drsteve - took delivery of my L&K Octavia one week ago. Owners handbook arrived only yesterday but otherwise a complete joy. Have just found out that the engine has to be "run in" and I have done 300 miles without this knowledge!! - I'm praying that I've haven't done any damage. Initial observations (without handbook) are good: main thing is that I can't get into the car without wrestling with the steering wheel and I'm not a big guy by any means (am I sitting too far forward?). I'm trying to get my head around the onboard computer at the moment.

I've had my car nine months now, done 4000 miles and had a number of minor problems necessitating trips to the dealer. Nice car shame about the reliability. Having said that my boss has a VRS got from the same dealer and has had no problems at all.

Can't tell you about any dealers in your area, the dealer I got mine from went into receivership two months after I got the car and my nearest dealers are now 35 miles away.

Bought My L&K March 2003. Done 92,000 trouble free miles in 3 and a half years - until 2 days ago. Temperature shot up to 130 degrees, lots of dire warnings from display.

The AA were at a loss, so I tried the obvious.

Replaced the thermostat - no good.

Replaced the temperature sender, the older black ones have been known to fail, new ones are green - still no good.

Then read the postings and bought a water pump, this was NOT fun to fit outside the house in the street.

Just got her back

L&K = reliable, comfortable,cheap to run (27,000 miles between services & 50MPG), but boring.

The chassis is far better than the 110 bhp engine.

My advise find a small local dealer and stick to genuine brake parts.