I completely agree. I'm guessing at two and a half years old your car pre-dates the stutter issue, which has completely ruined my ownership experience.

The stutter issue cost me £2 and 10 minutes to fix. I no longer even think about it now. Granted, it's an issue that shouldn't be there, but nonetheless it's easily remedied.

Sorry but a rant.

Well what can I say is it the car or is it the dealer? I have had a Octavia 1.9TDi which was bought with high mileage but aren't Skodas meant to do high mileages, that car was a piece of junk thank goodness for warranty. It never ran right and I took a loss trading it in for a low mileage Octavia VRs in black. well its never let me down as such but 1 1/4 of the paint just fell off! as I washed it with a soft sponge. Then a rear coil spring broke an almost unheard of thing I believe. But to add insult to injury during the time the Octavia was running fine I bought an 05 Fabia with 15k on the clock. I have just got it back from the dealer having had the head replaced at 23k which beggers belief. It took them over 2 weeks to fix it with no up dates given as to progress ok I had a a loaner from them but thats not the point. they managed to get my car back to me 2 days later than promised. Yes they had washed the outside but the drivers mat was caked in mud, and a for Gods sake a rag left under the bonnet. It still carries on, 30 miles after into my journey to work in the car the engine electronic control light came on and I had to limp the car into London, now I have the prospect of limping it home and back to the dam garage again while then trying to get a sleep in before my next night shift. So is it the marque or the dealer? I feel its both and will never ever buy a Skoda again. I feel so cheated

83K now and fine (touches wooden head). 04 reg 1.4TDi. No rattles and unbelievable economy. When new it had a noisy transmission. The dealer told me it was due to matching a Skoda gearbox to the VW engine - and I believed them at the time. This problem and other odd queries were all fixed easily thanks to Briskoda. Personal conclusion is that it is generally well built and suits my needs well, but the dealer seemed quite happy to say anything to get me off the premises whilst charging top prices for work not carried out (e.g. power steering fluid level never checked) or not profitable work avoided( brake fluid not changed). They also lost my tools and sometimes washed the outside whilst leaving the inside in a mess. Once to 60K I serviced it myself and the local garage did the cam belt.

If SUK don't get this sorted then they will lose customers like myself as the next time I buy a new car, I will not be willing to put up with this service, and, seeing that you don't know the standard of service until after you've bought the car, then I won't risk another Skoda.

I completely agree. I'm guessing at two and a half years old your car pre-dates the stutter issue, which has completely ruined my ownership experience. That aside the car is just not very well made and that a modern car should not at least be waterproof is beyond belief. Also, I have a ten year old VW Transporter van, which doesn't rattle at all, so it can be done.

I can only think the JD Power respondents are easily satisfied and quite happy with mediocrity.

As for the dealers and Skoda UK; a more incompetent and ignorant bunch of morons I have never met - and I've owned Fords in the past!

I got to agree. My car is coming upto 24K and I've never owned a car with more rattles than the Vrs. Bad points rear brakes grind and squeek and have done so since day one. Parcel shelf and surrounds rattle more than a geriatric on a fair ground ride. Dashboard plus glovebox rattle, engine vibration at 1500 rpm when acelerating. Thin paint leading to bonnet looking like it's been hit by shrapnell. Plus the fact it's been at the dealers 6 times this year for warranty issues makes me agree that the Fab is not what it once seemed.

Solution: car now sold and purchased a SEAT. Hope I have better look with this one.

I got to agree. My car is coming upto 24K and I've never owned a car with more rattles than the Vrs. Bad points rear brakes grind and squeek and have done so since day one. Parcel shelf and surrounds rattle more than a geriatric on a fair ground ride. Dashboard plus glovebox rattle, engine vibration at 1500 rpm when acelerating. Thin paint leading to bonnet looking like it's been hit by shrapnell. Plus the fact it's been at the dealers 6 times this year for warranty issues makes me agree that the Fab is not what it once seemed.

Solution: car now sold and purchased a SEAT. Hope I have better look with this one.

Few points there: The rear brakes are a known warranty issue, and would have been fixed for free if you'd told the dealer - perhaps on one of the occasions when you had it in for something else (and seeing how they're bought-in units made by Bosch, you can't blame Skoda entirely for it, so it's good they take the hit on the repair IMO); Same applies to the rattles - and you should have heard the noise made by a colleague of mine's Cooper S when he first bought it! ; As for the paint, assuming you had metallic paint, which is 'soft' anyway (which is why it needs a lacquer), if it was a dark colour, then of course stone chips are going to show; Finally, what on Earth were you doing accelerating from down at 1500rpm? It's no wonder you got vibrations! Assuming your Seat has the same engine, you'll almost certainly have the same issue - try keeping the revs a bit higher so the turbo's on-boost before you floor it...

And my 2ps - 3 years and 55k in, and sure, there have been a few niggles but nothing like on my previous cars. Got rid of both my previous cars long before now, but I really don't see me wanting to ditch the Fabia...

I actually found this an interesting read and am wondering whether build quality has dropped over the years as more cars are produced. I'm basing that on the fact that most of those complaining have newer cars whereas the older cars seem OK. Our fabia estate is seven years old with over 115k mls on the clock and, although we've had the odd problem (worn ARB drop links, broken exciter wire on the alternator, power steering sensor failure and worn front suspension bushes) the car still drives extremely well and doesn't rattle. I've had experience of a good range of cars (BMC, Vauxhall, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda and VW as well as Skoda) and this includes pulling them apart extensively over the years and in my experience the Skodas are by far the best built! That may be because they are more modern etc. but I'm not so sure. They have also proved to be more relaiable than most, being beaten only by my 12 year old MX-5 which I've had for nine years and possibly the Mitsubishi which we had for 11 years.

I actually found this an interesting read and am wondering whether build quality has dropped over the years as more cars are produced.

You might be onto something there... :(

0k - Creaky doors - Still an issue

4k - Creaking clutch pedal - Warranty 2 hrs

16k - Front offside wheel bearing went - Warranty 2days

22k - Paint peeled from bumper seam - Warranty 2 days

25k - Flywheel went, took the clutch with it - Warranty 1 week

35k - Rear brakeline cracked - Did this myself because the dealer would take too long

37k - Rear window delaminating - Waiting for it to get bad enough to get it replaced under warranty

39k - Turbo went - Warranty - 4 days

40k - Headlamp washers - Fitter didn't attach pipe after above repair, not the cars fault but still part of my experiance - 1 hr

48k - Drop link failure - Did this myself because the dealer would take too long

52k - Boost leak - Seemed to fix itself the day before it went into the dealer

Thats over about 20 months.

When you look at like this, it seems bad. Then I think about the milage and then all the other cars I have had that have been just as bad doing the mileage.

No better no worse.

And I have just bought another one because I know Ill have issues no matter what car I buy.

well ive only really been into skodas for over a month, but being at a dealership i see both sides of issues. down here all the taxi firms use octys, all the police use octys and furby estates. speaking to taxi drivers and the police when they pop in, or when they are buying skodas for themselves ive found that the quality and durability of these cars to be expectational!

one bobby told me he had a go in the vectra that some forces were looking to buy in, he told me if they did that down here he would quit it was so rubbish!!

i think you need to look at the bigger picture, how many skodas are out there? even how many people are on here? and now look at how many cars have issues? i bet its a tiny proportion! you will alweays have a few issues in any mass produced item. plus product development no matter how good it is can never forsee every eventuality. so things like leaks and squeaks can and will happen.

ive driven LOTS of cars and vans over my time and ive found that some cars have issues and some dont, its luck of the draw

But if i were going to buy a car myself, well ive got a 51 plate vrs with 40k on the clock outside, i'd buy that any day of the week i can tell you

Yeah, the percentage rule.

Mobile phones on average have a 4% failure rate (Which is about the same as a lot of other electrical goods). If you think that over 4 million are sold each year that means 400,000 will go faulty. It sounds like a lot but it's actually not bad considering what is sold.

0k - Creaky doors - Still an issue

4k - Creaking clutch pedal - Warranty 2 hrs

16k - Front offside wheel bearing went - Warranty 2days

22k - Paint peeled from bumper seam - Warranty 2 days

25k - Flywheel went, took the clutch with it - Warranty 1 week

35k - Rear brakeline cracked - Did this myself because the dealer would take too long

37k - Rear window delaminating - Waiting for it to get bad enough to get it replaced under warranty

39k - Turbo went - Warranty - 4 days

40k - Headlamp washers - Fitter didn't attach pipe after above repair, not the cars fault but still part of my experiance - 1 hr

48k - Drop link failure - Did this myself because the dealer would take too long

52k - Boost leak - Seemed to fix itself the day before it went into the dealer

Thats over about 20 months.

When you look at like this, it seems bad. Then I think about the milage and then all the other cars I have had that have been just as bad doing the mileage.

No better no worse.

And I have just bought another one because I know Ill have issues no matter what car I buy.

sounds like youve had some tough times with the car :(

i had a similar thing with a pug and a rover. both cars were constant problems! but then i was recommended the cars by friends who had the cars themselves and hadnt had a peep from them :confused: funny things cars, you either love them or hate them lol!!

What I don't get and don't think I will ever understand is if there are common problems on major parts of the car for example on the Fabia Head gasket, steering pump, suspension surley this has to be because the parts used are not good enough. Like the chap above says HG at 25k thats just silly and all the PS pumps that go.

Surley there have been major manufacturing faults with these parts somewhere along the line a faulty batch etc? yet we end up having to live with all the problems and even pay for them to be corrected unless you have warranty. What I want to know is do car companys (not just skoda) do re calls on such issues when they first come to light?

I've only had my Vrs nearly three weeks and it rattles somwhere near the bonnett release lever but apart from that I'm well impressed with the build quality of the car, It feels like a more expensive car when you shut the doors, call me old fashioned even through I'm 25 but I take off my dad who when he hears a squeek, rattle turns the stereo up and I have to admit I'm the same unless it is a really bad sounding noise then it goes to the garage.

Apart from that It is a well put together car compared to my focus which had bits of trim broken when I bought it and when you put in a ice install the trim would not go back together again which I fins shocking prompting me to think that once you take a car apart you cannot put it back together unless you buy new trim.

David

What I don't get and don't think I will ever understand is if there are common problems on major parts of the car for example on the Fabia Head gasket, steering pump, suspension surley this has to be because the parts used are not good enough. Like the chap above says HG at 25k thats just silly and all the PS pumps that go.

Surley there have been major manufacturing faults with these parts somewhere along the line a faulty batch etc? yet we end up having to live with all the problems and even pay for them to be corrected unless you have warranty. What I want to know is do car companys (not just skoda) do re calls on such issues when they first come to light?

look at rover, they had a cracking little engine in the K series, all they had to do is sort out the weak coolant system and redo the head gasket and they wouldnt have gone bust!

amazing that one gasket could cause the downfall of a entire company!!

don't mention Rovers to my girlfriend she had a rover 214 on a k plate as her first car, the head gasket went big style!

David

don't mention Rovers to my girlfriend she had a rover 214 on a k plate as her first car, the head gasket went big style!

David

sorry but

ROVER!!!!

look at rover, they had a cracking little engine in the K series, all they had to do is sort out the weak coolant system and redo the head gasket and they wouldnt have gone bust!

amazing that one gasket could cause the downfall of a entire company!!

I think it was more down to the heads being porus...

I think it was more down to the heads being porus...

I've heard this to be the reason as well, but...

How hard can it be to make a solid lump of metal non-porous!?! Honestly!

I think it was more down to the heads being porus...

well me and a few mates had rovers and it was mostly gaskets that caused it. i got rid of mine though when tested on the head proved it was porus, but that was well into the 100k's. the early red top 2ltr engines from vauxhall had the same issue but they solved that, which if rover had done the same they could have been still going!

ROVER?

Really Orrible Vehicles for Elderly Relatives

I bought a 53 plate Fabia in June and it came complete with a rattle from the dash (drivers side) Removed the lower panel and out fell an old polo mint.

Passenger rear door leaked so removed both rear door cards and used some silicon sealer on the door carrier so all problems sorted.

Took the car on a 1400 mile tour of scotland and it ran faultless returning around 58MPG.

My previous car was a Ford fiesta TDCi, it felt flimsy compared with the Fabia, it suffered a broken coil spring, the welding on the exhaust was bad causing the pipe to break and it rattled and knocked like a goodun, now my previous Peugeot 306 HDi on the other hand...........

Don't knock Skoda's until you have owned a french car:thumbdwn:

Any ideas? Skoda Fabia estate and central locking doesn't work on tailgate. Frustrating that I can't open it. Climbed in through back seat and squirted some WD40 but to no avail

Does the manual release nt work... the one down by drivers door sill?

Don't knock Skoda's until you have owned a french car:thumbdwn:

very true a garage once said to me "the problem with you car sir is it's French" when I had a 106