Here we go again. Cambelt, cambelt, cambelt.

How can a Company (not just this one) design a car in which one of the components needing more attention than any other is so difficulty to get at and is of such poor quality. They trumpet the fact that it needs changing at 120,000 mile then quietly add or 4 years which ever comes first and that bit belatedly.

Then there is the water pump. Poor quality plastic impellers! What

It's called built in obsolescence and maximising profit. Not only do they save

It's called built in obsolescence and maximising profit. Not only do they save

I don't think the cambelt intervals are any different to a lot of other cars, and IMO not unreasonable.

The plastic pump however is a different story - some things just shouldn't be made of plastic from the outset - cambelt tensioner pulleys is another that bugs me :(

Had I known about all this poor quality engineering beforehand I would never have bought a Skoda

Out of interest what would you have bought instead?

Out of interest what would you have bought instead?

Maybe an Audi or a Golf or TT or Cupra R etc.........Oh wait a minute.

Maybe an Audi or a Golf or TT or Cupra R etc.........Oh wait a minute.

Was kinda what Iwas getting at. Not really a design fault of Skoda as such as they are only using someone elses bits anyway.

Was kinda what Iwas getting at. Not really a design fault of Skoda as such as they are only using someone elses bits anyway.

The 1.8T is probably the modern day Cosworth as far as tuning goes, it's impressively strong.

Out of interest what would you have bought instead?

Dunno BUT next time I shall study the relevant forum BEFORE buying!

The 1.8T is probably the modern day Cosworth as far as tuning goes, it's impressively strong.

It would seem that it is only as strong as its' plastic water pump.

Even cars with metel impellers on the waterpump have problems. I had an N' reg Cavalier a few years ago and when the waterpump bearing started to fail the steel impeller started to grind the engine block away. It created so many iron filings that it shorted out the level sensor in the expansion bottle...

At least the metal impella gave you a warning it was on its way when it started grinding .the plastic one has no warning it just boils your engine when you least expect it.