Hello,

I've recently had a front coil spring break on my 02 octavia elegance 1.9 Tdi, the car has only done 62k miles !

I've kept the broken bit of spring and you can see a hairline crack running across half of the coil, an obvious fault in the material..

Does anyone have an address for skoda technical services ?. I'm going to write to them showing the material defect, also I will tell them how many posts I have seen on this forum highlighting the regular occurrence of low mileage cars with broken springs.

I'm not expecting any financial assistance from skoda but think the info may be of use to them.

Cheers

Ed.

tel: 0845 7745 745

Wrtie to:

Skoda customer service centre

Freepost CN2774

Wallington

Surrey SM6 7AH

Any chance of a picture? I did a bit of metallurgy, and would reckon to spot a manufacturing fault.

Thanks for that..

The picture shows the length of hairline crack on the surface running towards the centre. (The photo lighting shows the surface rust worse than it really is)

When looking at it close up it seems to have broken half way through and stopped, the surface rust is heavier along the top, then since I have had the car (3 mths) there has been knocking in the past few weeks (I thought it was the anti roll bar bushes) but then it suddenly got worse and metallic grating noises were heard on turning corners and bumpy roads.

On investigation that evening I found the broken piece in the bottom of the remaining spring.

I was looking for an idea of cost to fix using this forum and others when I found a few more octavia's suffering the same problem.

I'm not certain that the crack was there from new, but it certainly was there way more than 3 months.

What seems to have happened is that there was a crystalisation flaw in the wire, which must have been there from new, and gave the original crack and rust someplace to start from, then the crack developed until it got so big, at which point the spring broke, hence the large clean looking area. I'm not qualified, but I reckon someone who is would back up this diagnosis, and give you a case for replacement at Skoda's expense (or at least at the expense of whoever you bought the car from).

Hi Ed,

Mine has just gone.It's an 03 130 tdi with 55k miles.I will see my local independent garage tomorrow. My broken piece looks remarkably similar to yours. I may also write to Skoda

Cliver.

(

I posted my letter to skoda on friday, will let you all know if I get a reply. . . .

bit of a worry as the missus also owns an octavia, 03 plate, 45k. . . .

FYI Cliver, I got the work done at an independant, cost me £200 all in for both sides done and wheels aligned...

mine went a month back.70+ k miles,and not on factory dampers.(koni fsd)

I've got a response to my letter from the customer service centre...

".....whilst we make every effort to ensure that our vehicles are manufactured to the very highest standards, we cannot guarantee that components will never require replacement through mileage and / or over time. Had there been any manufacturing or material defects in the spring, they would have most likely become evident in the warranty period. I can also confirm there are no inherent defects in the part..."

and as the car is out of the warranty period they can't offer anymore assistance.

At least I got a prompt civil reply.

Hi Ed,

Had one spring and top bearing replaced at independent £121. Skoda replied to my letter... "no Known safety concerns with coil springs" The info may be of use to them.

cliver

perhaps we should all write to them every time a spring breaks. mine lasted toil almost 80k, so i cant really complain, but springs breaking is NOT a common occurrence on any other marque.

Perhaps that sticker on my back window that says 'oh no, another great skoda' should say 'oh no, another broken skoda spring'

Skoda treated me like poo also

Edited 3 September, 200817 yr by mluton

I'd tentatively suggest that the heavily rusted portion of the crack is probably a fatigue crack (in simple terms every time the suspension is loaded, the crack would've grown a tiny bit). If the heavily rusted bit is quite flat, this would be consistent with this type of failure.

Once a fatigue crack in a component reaches a critical size (after a period of time/loading cycles) it will then fracture by overload (the less rusty bit) which would finish off your spring. The 'curved' shape of the less rusty portion of the fracture surface is consistent with a torsional failure (typically how springs fail in overload).

It's difficult to see clearly what the bit described as a hairline crack is from your picture.

The difficulties you face are twofold. Firstly, you'd have to definitively prove that the crack originated from a manufacturing defect, as opposed to surface damage introduced at some point during the life of the spring. This would require someone to physically look at it and provide you with a proper failure analysis, which ain't cheap. Secondly, you'd then have to prove that the life of the spring was impaired by any defect present, which is the tricky part.

I hate to say it, but I think Skoda have covered themselves with the statement "we cannot guarantee that components will never require replacement through mileage and / or over time."

Well put Dave. I'm pretty sure that started as either a crystalisation flaw or a fatique crack.

I think the only way of proving that either way would be a "proper expert analysis", and the only way you'd ever convince me it couldn't be a manufacturing flaw would be by doing 100% crack testing on all springs at time of manufacture. Somehow I just don't believe that Skoda do that!

I would've thought Skoda buy them in off a third party supplier, who probably specify a steel grade, bend it into a spring, coat it, and forget about it!

I guess in the automotive industry it is statistics that lead to action. So if enough springs broke, then they'd risk their reputation and have to act (e.g. 1.8T engine cam belt intervals). But if the problem is restricted to few enough cases, then it can be ignored. Also, if outside the warranty period, then they I suppose Skoda don't really have any comeback.

While your at it write to VW as well as the Golf does the same, good luck with that.