I've been told by a mechanic that I need a new electronic power steering pump in my Skoda Fabia (2000). The reason for this is that he thinks the wrong type of power steering fluid was put in before. Apparently they found a reddish/orange fluid in there, instead of the required green fluid and this means the pump is banjaxed. I think he mentioned having found 400ml of this fluid in the pump. This is further to a lot of work carried out to this particular part of the car recently, which has cost us quite a bit of money with this garage already.

We took the car back because it wasn't steering properly after a day or two. I'm wondering could this garage have put the wrong fluid in? Thing is, though, we've had the car two years and not been near this part of the car. Previously the car would have been serviced through a Skoda dealership under its previous owner. Would this issue of the wrong fluid being used not become apparent earlier? Or do problems emerge over time?