Well I've had my 02 Fabia estate for 1 month now.

So far so bad.

A knocking sound requires 2 weeks in the dealer for a gearbox stripdown and possible replacement.

The back doors leak too.

My Focus never had any of these problems. It was just a bit thirsty being an auto.

I traded it in for the Skoda becuase of their VW reputation and it was a 5 speed manual.

I'm beginning to regret the decision.

I don't think I'll be keeping the Skoda after the 12 month approved warranty has expired.

Manufacturers get one chance to get it right, this is the 21st century cars should be pretty well sorted from day 1. Leaks are inexcusable, the original Mini leaked 40 years ago you'd have thought lessons would have been learnt since then.

I'm using my Fiesta Zetec now the Skoda is stuck on the drive through fear of the gearbox falling apart on the M1.

Well, my Octavia has been pretty reliable in the 3+years i've owned it, though recently i've been through a bit of a bad patch. I'm picking up a Mondeo Tdci next week so hopefully I'll have a similar good experience to your Focus. The more i read/think about surveys like JD Power, the more i think they are basically just a reflection of customer perceptions e.g. Mondeo owners rated the driving/handling lower than Octavia owners yet the Mondeo is recognised as pretty much the driving standard for 'normal cars'. Only tonight i read this on Parkers:

Scores high for satisfaction in JD Power but only average in Which? Good scores in FN50 and Parker’s boost its hand.

It finished 15th overall, some way off what JD Power would have you believe.

Don't get me wrong, my Octavia has been a great car and I would be more than happy if the Mondeo achieves the same level of reliability. However, there probably has been as many problems with the Octavia as other cars but the sophistication of the on-board diagnostics and a good dealer has made all the difference.

Give the Fabia a chance, once these small problems are sorted the car should be trouble free. I am on my second skoda now, and neither have been any trouble. One was brand new, and my current one was less than 12 months old when I bought it. Dare I say it, with an older car most people tend to p/ex when problems start arising that need fixing.

The previous owner may well have been aware of the geabox problem but obviously didnt tell the dealer, hence it was to expensive for them to fix so they exchanged it. All will be sorted, thats what warranty is for.

The Focus is no more reliable than the Fabia. You've obviously got one or two issues but at least it would seem they are being fixed for you.

Dare I say it, with an older car most people tend to p/ex when problems start arising that need fixing.

What? me? never.