I had a couple of new coil springs fitted to the VRS (front nearside failed at 45k !!!). I've not noticed any difference in the handling, but the ride height at the front doesn't seem right - about 25m higher than the rear. The guy at the garage said that they would "settle down over time", but two months later, it still aint right.

Measuring from ground level to the underside of the wheel arch gives approximately 685mm at the front and 660mm at the rear.

The garage (non Skoda franchise) claims that they are the right spings for the job and that the rear one are probably just sagging with age - I am not convinced.

Any advice on how to persuade them that whatever they've done, it ain't right and needs fixing?

Could the springs off a diesel engined car have heavier springs due to engine weight.Could they have fitted these instead of petrol ones.

Sounds like theyve used normal springs to me.

Ive jus braved the cold and measured mine and they are 660mm front and back as you have mentioned. Definitely something wrong.

They could have also used normal (non-vrs) octavia springs, these are longer than the vRS ones.

Did you not get an invoice for the springs? Doesn't seem right though go back and kick of a bit of a fuss

Sounds like non vRS front springs to me too. As John says, check the invoice.

I had exactly the same thing happen to me on my vRS. non-skoda garage replaced my 2 fronts after the nearside snapped. Car looked like it was taking off. Never settled. I reckon they just put 1.8T springs on. Handling was 'interesting'. Never had time to go back to them. In the end when I did have time it was too late so I just decided to do the job properly (as the rear shocks were suffering) and bought some FSD shocks and H&R springs.

Thanks one and all for your input - particularly Liverpool-Lad for braving the cold !!!

JohnRS - thanks for mentioning the Invoice - I went into the local Skoda dealership who checked the part number on the receipt - definitely not VW Group parts, but they couldn't tell me any more than that.

So it looks like I'm off back to the garage that fitted them to put my negotiation skills to the test (failing that, there's always my Mr Angry impersonation).

get someone who has a vrs to go with you to show what should be looking like.

IMO it doesn't even need that; a correctly sprung Octy (any model) sits level or slightly nose-down, not nose-up!

The story has a happy ending - the local garage replaced the springs with genuine Skoda parts, thereby correcting the ride height. Their supplier had indeed sent standard items (i.e. non VRS springs), though it took a bit of effort to get them to admit it.

The garage didn't charge me either for fitting the new springs (which I had expected), or for the difference in price between the non-Skoda items and the genuine Skoda parts (a very nice surprise).

So I guess my advice to others is to insist on Skoda genuine parts if you need to replace coil springs - if you end up with a ride height greater than 660mm at the front, you've got the wrong ones !!!