Skoda Octavia (2004 – 2013) Review

• September 2004
• October 2007
• March 2008
• September 2008
• October 2008
• January 2009
• April 2009
• October 2010
• November 2010
• May 2011: New SE Plus trim introduced along with two new engines
• January 0001: New Engines:
• September 2012
• February 2016
• September 2019

01-01-0001:

All engines apart from chain cam EA888 2.0 FSI from 2009, 1.6 FSI and chain cam 1.4 TSI need new timing belts and tensioners every 4 years or 60,000 miles whichever comes first. Plastic timing belt tensioners of 1.4 16v engines now failing regularly, though fortunately the belts are rarely flung off when this happens.

Individual climate controls may not work properly. A chafed cable shows up on the OBD II diagnostics as a faulty control panel. Worth knowing because the control panel is £300. Confirmed by another reader. The cable chafes between the engine bulkhead and the dashboard causing an intermittent short.

Four speed rotary switch for ventilation fan has problems running only on full speed. A resistor component that connects into to the fan circuit fails. As well as replacing the resistor, a repair also needs to be made to part of a wiring loom and costs £200 - £250. May or may not be the same chafed cable problem above.

Failure of Zexel or Valeo a/c compressors is common, usually a year or two out of warranty and dealers can quote £1,304 for new compressor, condensor and expansion valve. Sometimes goodwill of about £300 offered. But cheaper to buy a new Sanden compressor for £287 and have it fitted by an independent a/c specialist for about £150. Internet forums, particularly in USA are full of postings concerning failures of Zexel and Valeo compressors, seems a case of "when not if".

Software problem with electro-hydraulic power steering system. Reports of battery leakdown drain from radio.

2007 models can suffer water ingress through failed door seals. If this happens, Skoda will replace all seals on all four doors.

In winter, must only use Skoda approved screenwash, otherwise rear screenwash pipes can pop off filling spare wheel well with washer fluid. Skoda dealers often want £100 to fix even when car is under warranty.

On diesels used as taxis, DMFs and clutches typically last around 40,000 miles.

Easy to damage the roof when fitting standard Skoda accessory roof bars.

ESP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure.

On 6-speed twin shaft manuals the gearchange from 1st to 2nd can become still. First stage dealer cure is to replace the transmission oil. If that fails, it needs a synchro ring replacing. So if your box stiffens up, make sure it is attended to before the warranty expires. Some 2006/2007 build cars with 6-speed boxes suffered from a planetary gear fault due to incorrect assembly. Cars fixed quickly by TSB when in dealers for servicing or other problems. Fairly high incidence of exploding manual transmissions due to this fault and puncturing transmission casing. Same fault also occurs on the Audi A3 and SEAT Leon. If not VAG serviced then the fault may not have been fixed by TSB.

Mechatronic unit problems with DSG can cause an initial delay when setting off followed by a sudden surge. A replacement Mechatronic unit cures this. In the USA, VAG has been forced to increase the warranty on the DSG to 10 years.

DSG failures occuring on cars as little as 6 months out of the 3 year warranty. In once case the customer was faced woth a bill of £3,583.890, reduced to £1,612.30 because the car had only done 26,660 miles.

The best PD units are mid-period 1.9 TDI with solenoid injectors. Avoid the later piezo injector engines.

All PD engines require oil to VAG spec. 505.01 (fixed servicing) or 507.00 (variable). Camshaft wear will be the result of variations from this spec. - although the fully-synth 507.00 is fine for both, but a little more expensive.

2.0 TFSI vRS suffering "coil pack failures", but the fault appears secondary to oil leakage into the packs.

If ESP/ABS amber warning light comes on intermittently and will not re-set, you might not actually have the ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS/ESP problem. First check circuits and start at the ABS fuse and holder (no 9 on a Golf, on scuttle edge by driver door). Pull it out, have a look and if okay replace it. The warning light may then go out. Sometimes they slip out a bit and become wobbly, which is enough to set off the warning. See Skoda policy on this above.

14-03-2011:

Digital LED display can be corrupted by below zero temperatures. £830 for a new instrument cluster (including the speedo and rev counter). ‘Cluster Repairs’ at www.clusterrepairsuk.co.uk quote £180 to fit a new LED unit to the existing cluster. Instrument cluster removal is a DIY job using the Haynes manual. Existing data; mileage, fuel consumption data etc. is preserved intact.

22-06-2011:

Learned of service bulletin relating to water ingress into the wiring connector for the radiator fan controls causing the fans to run. There is also a potential fault with the micro switch at the end of the ignition key switch that can cause the same effect.

07-07-2011:

1.8 TSI and 2.0 TSI vRS have dual mass flywheel that can fail.

21-08-2011:

Moisture ingress to windows and locking ECU inside drivers door causing windows to open when car is left standing.

07-12-2011:

If high level LED brake light on Octavia vRS Octavia Estate ceases to function, it poses a big problem because it cannot be accessed without removing the spoiler and the spoiler is glued into place onto an alloy surface.

17-12-2011:

Reader report that 85,000 mile 2007 Octavia Estate Laurin & Klement, used mainly for long distance driving to and from SW France, became unreliable. Since September 2011 needed a/c condenser, compressor and elecronic fan replaced in succession, followed by a throttle motor. Total cost, including a service was £3,600. This was followed by the particulate filter getting blocked as a result of oil leaks in the head, resulting in the turbo being affected, which has been sent away for repair or replacement. Also, the heating has just failed, giving constant cold air on the passenger side, and continuous hot air on the drivers side. This requires the complete dashboard to be removed and two heater motors to be replaced. The ball park figure for all this is around £5000.

15-05-2012:

Failure of both catalytic converters on lightly used 31k mile 2008 Octavia 1.6 FSI. Quoted £1,138 by Skoda dealer; £646.80 by independent.

03-07-2012:

Heavy oil consumption reported of new 2012 Octavia 1.8 TSI (7 litres in 12,395 miles).

20-07-2012:

Sporadic reports of high oil consumption of chain cam 1.8TFSI and 2.0TFSI engines. Apparently VAG considers 1,000 miles a litre to be "normal" oil consumption for these engines. The reason is probably filling the engines with synthetic oil on the production line and owners not revving the engines sufficiently to bed in the oil rings.

25-07-2012:

Columbus computer system prone to crashing due to a software problem. if this occurs when the car is more than 3 years old Skoda will not replace the system or reprogramme the software.

03-08-2012:

Report of water pump failure on a 1.4 TSI 122 at 30 months old and very poor treatment by Skoda Assist in France.

16-08-2012:

Dual mass flywheel failures seem to be quite common on 1.9 TDI at around 40,000 miles. Skoda reported to be replacing Dual Mass Flywheels with Single Mass Flywheels when this happens and crontributing 15% to out of warranty costs.

23-12-2012:

Dual clutches of 2011 1.2T SI DSG needed to be replaced soon after purchase second hand from Skoda dealer.

25-02-2013:

Rear wiper failure on Octavia estate bought in December 2012, and still no prospect of a replacement unit. Same problem reported on an Octavia in February 2013.

27-02-2013:

Another report of misfires and stalling at just under 3 years old. Dealer has fitted new EGR and high pressure pump but did not solve the problem. Probably a blocked DPF.

01-05-2013:

Seems that the problem with the rear wiper motors is the carbon brushes which are too tight in their holders. It is just a DIY job requiring a nailfile and pins. Carefully remove the brushes and slightly file down the edges so that when placed back in the holder (using pins to hold brushes in place) they move easily within the holder. When satisfied remove the pins and replace wiper motor. If successful it is far cheaper than a new wiper motor.

12-05-2013:

Very soon after the timing belt was replaced for a second time on a 127k mile 2005 Octavia 2.0 TDI, the bolt holding the tensioner in place sheared and the engine self-destructed. When timing belts are replaced on these engines every 60k miles, the waterpump. small plleys tensioner and also the tensioner bolt all need to be replaced at the same time.

22-05-2013:

Recurrent slipping out of first gear when trying to manouvre a 1.6 TDI DSG forward uphill out of a parking space. Seems to be caused by the ECU cutting revs to a level below where the gear will engage, possibly because it thinks the brakes are still on.

25-06-2013:

Clutch failure reported on 11k mile two year old Octavia and elderly driver quoted £800 to replace it. Clutch faulure on similar age and mileage Fabia reported 4 days later.

02-10-2013:

On 2007 Octavia TDI DSG, transmission fluid and microfilter changed, but report of shudder particularly when reversing up a slope. When the engine has warmed up after about six miles in town traffic vibrating coming from gearbox area. After ten miles experience of 'backlash' in the gear box.

03-10-2013:

Bluetooth part of Columbus system is not compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Ace smartphone. They appear to pair, but then drop the pairing.

06-03-2014:

2010 Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8 TSI Elegance DSG became an oil user, was repaired at a cost of £2,600 in November 2013, then started using oil again in March 2014.

28-03-2014:

Another 2010 Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8 TSI became a severe oil user after 51,000 mile service. Used 7 litres of oil in 5,500 miles. Probably piston rings. After tests, Skoda dealer said this was "normal". Skoda would not contribute towards a fix.

15-04-2014:

Proteus 17-inch alloy wheels on 2013 Skoda Octavia Scout started to blister after just 10 months. Dealer blamed stone chips and refused to replace them.

15-05-2014:

All you need to know about VWG EA288 TDI DPFs: http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/DPF-Adblue-FAQ-VW-Audi.ht

27-06-2014:

Haldex clutch problem reported on 48k mile 2008 Octavia 4WD used extensively on mountain roads in Snowdonia where there are a lot of hairpin bends that seem to have caused excess wear to the system.

29-08-2014:

Complaint that jacking points of 2004-2013 Skoda Octavia are difficult to locate and even when used correctly the car is prone to slipping off the jack.

03-09-2014:

Loss of power on accelerating of Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8 TSI eventually attributed to a faulty High Pressure Fuel Pump which needed to be replaced along with the Petrol Fuel Filter. Total cost of the repair (parts and labour) £514.00 (incl VAT). Asked about the possibility of the Timing Chain also being faulty the mechanic said he had checked this as one of the first possible causes and ruled it out - he was aware of the problem having occurred in the 1.8 TSI engine in Superb. Eventually the reader received a £200 Goodwill contribution from Skoda.

24-11-2014:

Intermittent EPC (Electronic Power Control) problems on 41k mile 2009 Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0TFSI (EA888 engine). This is the switch and cable system between the accelerator pedal and the throttle body and any faults with the throttle switch, throttle body, traction control, cruise control and Mass Airflow Sensor will on occasion trigger the light. The fault may have been cured by an ECU update under service bulletin 24k5. But stuck brake light switches on VAG cars also delay throttle response, which is a nightmare with DSG automatics causing the car to hesitate emerging from side roads or onto roundabouts. Some VWG brake light switches have two pairs of contacts in them, one for the engine and one for the brake lights.

23-12-2014:

Failure of DSG autobox of a 75k mile 2006 Octavia 2.0 TDI effectively made the car an economic write off because an independent repair was quoted at £3,000 - £3,500 for a car worth £2,000 - £2,500.

15-02-2015:

Timing chain of 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI snapped at 43,000 miles, despite annual servicing. Owner quoted £4,000 - £5,000 to replace the engine, effectively rendering it an ecoomic write-off. Same thing happened to a 27k mile 2011 SEAT Leon 1.2TSI.

15-03-2015:

DSG problems with 42k mile 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI DSG. Lost all odd numbered gears Skoda dealer said it was the Mechatronic unit and agreed to change it for a nominal fee even though almost a year out of warranty. This failed to correct problem. Gears will work when physically moved by hand but not when attached to Mechatronic unit. Dealer now says needs a new gearbox and offers some goodwill but leaves owner with a big bill.

24-03-2015:

PAS light of 45k mile 2009 Skoda Octavia came on and assistance lost. AA diagnosed a fault in the control unit and fixed it. Skoda dealer says needs a new steering rack at £1,300 for the job.

27-03-2015:

"Splasher flap" on camshaft of engine of 30k mile 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI Scout came adrift with consequential damage to the engine and turbo, necessitating a new engine and turbo.

30-03-2015:

Report of shuddering from DSG transmission of 16,480 mile Skoda Octavia L&K 1.8 TSI DSG that had a free transmission oil change at its 4th service at 14,200 miles. Turned out that a 1.8TSI could have either a 6 speed wet clutch DSG, or a 7 speed dryc clutch DSG. This had the 7 speed dry clutch type and happily Skoda agreed to meet the cost of clutch replacement in full.

09-05-2015:

Report of G201 fault code (ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS/ESC module brake pressure sensor) on 2008/58 Octavia vRS. Letter from Skoda read: " I am unable to offer goodwill towards the repair. This is because there are a number of vehicles of a specific chassis range affected by this issue. Your vehicle does not fall within these parameters.." Basicaslly what they are saying is that because the car is more than 6 years old it's outside their Sale of Goods Act liability. The answer is to send the module to http://www.ecutesting.com for a fix for about £400, plus the cost of removing the module, post and packing, and re-fitting. (The reader later reported that his dealer had agreed to do it for £400.)

15-05-2015:

EGR failed in engine of Octavia 1.6 TDI at 71,000 miles (common on the 1.6 TDI).

18-06-2015:

7-speed dry clutch DSG of Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI estate struggles to move through the gears after starting from cold. Owner was late bringing it in for transmission fluid change from synthetic to mineral (49k miles). Dealer replaced the DMF. But now refusing to change the transmission because owner did not respond to the recall quickly enough. Raises a legal query as to whether an owner can be held responsible for a failure caused by faulty manufacturer if he is late responding to a recall. It is common for 7-speed DSGs to fail after the fluid is changed because the original fluid already did the damage to the Mechatronics.

23-06-2015:

Judder in lower gears of 2011 Octavia Estate DSG, "partially alleviated" by recall transmission oil change, but now at 30k miles still there. Might be clutch pack. Might be permanently damaged Mechatronics.

11-07-2015:

Inlet manifold swirl flap motor failed on 2009 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI at 30,100 miles, estimate for repair £472.

25-08-2015:

Report of timing chain failure on 2010 Skoda Octavia EA888 2.0TSI estate at 28,777 miles. Happened whilst parking. Repair estimated at £4,900. So far Skoda UK has refused to contribute. History of car not supplied by the reader so may be due to inadequate oil servicing.

01-09-2015:

Complaint of 'stepping' of the rear Dunlop Sport 205/55 R16 rear tyres pf a 2011 Octavia 2.0MPI SE bought used at 23,000 miles. Suggested swaping tyres front to back.

12-09-2015:

Judder on upchanges 2nd to 3rd of 2011 Skoda Octavia 2.0TDI DSG L&K. Had been subject to transmission fluid recall. Probllerm probably either DMF or clutch pack.

22-09-2015:

Repeated problems with rear wiper motor of 2008 Skoda Octavia 1.6TSI L&K. Seems that the washer fluid tube pops off and drowns it in fluid.

19-11-2015:

Timing chain failure reported on 55k mile 2010 Octavia VRS 2.0TSI (EA888) with full Skoda service history. Quoted £6k for new engine. Skoda refused claim.

05-12-2015:

Timing chain failure reported on 60k mile 2009 Octavia VRS 2.0TSI (EA888). Quoted £6k for new engine. Offered 20% contribution by Skoda.

18-12-2015:

Water pump became noisy on 30k mile 2012 Octavia 1.4TSI 122. Dealer replacing FoC out of goodwill.

22-12-2015:

Oil consumption problem in 2010 Skoda Octavia Scout with EA288 CDAA 1.8TSI engine. Diagnosed as needing a new turbo and turbo oil feed and oil return pipes at cost of £1,800. But might be the piston ring failure for which this engine is also notorious and for which it has been compulsorily recalled by the NHTSA in the USA.

11-02-2016:

Clutch pressure plate of 40,000 mile 2012 Octavia Scout broke up and a segment cut its way through the gearbox casing. Apparently 5 other cars from the VW range in the Peebles area suffered the same pressure plate failure. Replacement parts quoted at £5,800 which means, with labour, a total cost of over £7,000. Car is only valued at £9,000.

14-02-2016:

Dash light of 4 year old Skoda Octavia EA189 1.6TDI came on indicating the need for a replacement EGR valve at a cost of £300 + £600 labour to install it. Garage told reader it was the 6th case in 2 weeks and that the supplier of these parts now has a pallet load of them in stock. A friend with a Skoda Fabia had the same problem a week after myself, a newer diesel car. This is a direct result of VAG fudging the emissions of a dirty engine and should be replaced FoC without question.

19-03-2016:

Report of 7-speed dry clutch DSG of Skoda Octavia failing to select Drive after sitting still for a while or cold. Repeating the selction process eventually finds Drive.

30-03-2016:

Report of TCS warning light coming on and staying on in 2007 Skoda Octavia Scout. Skoda dealer wanted £1,321 for new ABS control unit. Recommended fix of existing module by http://www.ecutesting.com.

27-04-2016:

Report that Columbus Media Communications system i.e Radio, CD Player, Sat Nav and Phone system in 29k kilometre 2012 Skoda Octavia suddenly stopped working. The radio display and language turned to German, there is no sound or volume from the radio and the Sat Nav just displays a map with my location. The phone allows the driver to speak to others but he cannot hear them. Skoda dealer first tried to reset the system to no avail. Then carried out a diagnostic test which showed up nothing and suggested it could be a cracked circuit board. They stated the only solution was to purchase a whole new system at a cost of €2,162.82, reduced to €1,527.57.

05-05-2016:

Piston ring failure reported in EA888 CDAA engine of 2011 Skoda Octavia Scout. Had been using oil. Lost power and ECU light showed. Taken to independent VAG specialist. Found loss of compression and a very bad spark plug. Pistons were removed with the aim of re-ringing and as several rings were broken. Sourcing new rings has been a nightmare for for the independent: none were available. The pistons will have to be changed to an upgrade, for which rings are available, and new con-rods are needed.

23-05-2016:

Report of failure of clutch pack of Skoda Octavia 1.8TSI 7-speed DSG within 3 year warranty. Replaced under warranty. No problems since.

04-06-2016:

Columbus satnav problems can often be fixed by a £120 're-flash' and mapping update by Hazzydays of St Albans, link Hazzydayz

16-06-2016:

Engine noise reported from 30k mile 2012 Octavia 1.4TSI 122, regularly oil serviced, turned out to be the water pump. Apparently Skoda has a service instruction for whistling water pumps on the 1.4TSI 122. They used a stronger chemical flushing agent before fitting a replacement water pump and filling the cooling system. Apparently, a very few of these engines have had multiple water pump replacements. The theory seems to be that some contaminant in the system is causing the problem and that the stronger agent will get rid of it. Skoda dealer very helpful and co-operative about this.

16-07-2016:

Report of clutch pack being replaced in Skoda Octavia with 7-speed dry clutch DSG. Two months later it started acting as if it was in neutral when it was in drive. Now it is flashing and only selects d2, d4 and d6. d1, d3 and d5 not engaging. Fault codes showing now are 01850 & 01855 but online these say the they are heat sensors. VAG is now routinely replacing failed Mechatronics of 7-speed dry clutch DSGs for £495 rather than the standard retail cost of £2,000.

29-07-2016:

On a 36k mile 2009 Octavia 1.4TSI estate, report of exhaust control warning light coming on after several minutes stopped in traffic or at the traffic lights, the EPC l fault light comes on shortly afterwards and the car then switches to an emergency programme. If engine switched off and re-started everything is normal until stuck in traffic idling again. Dealer thought maybe a sticking valve and quoted £981 sto strip engine down with no guarantee of success. Coil packs and plugs switched around to chack but made no difference. Might be cat converter. Might be the fuel system problem.

06-08-2016:

Report of 2011 Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8TSI 7-speed dry clutch DSG being recalled in Summer 2014 for transmission fluid change then, when hot, starting to shudder when changing from 1st to 2nd and 2md to 3rd. Eventually cured under warranty by Skoda dealer fitting new clutch plates FoC.

08-08-2016:

Report of 2010 Octavia recalled on 19th June 2014 at 23,700 miles when synthetic DSG fluid was changed to mineral and gear selection timing was reprogrammed.

09-10-2016:

Report of intermittent clunks from DSG transmission of 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.4TSI DSG.

15-01-2017:

Report of Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI having NOx emissions fix at 78,000 miles and subsequently needing a replacement EGR. Since then the fuel consumption and torque output have been getting worse. The dealer had it in twice and could find anything wrong by plugging into diagnostics. Owner says he has to drive pedal to the metal sometimes just to keep up with traffic. Dealer now saying it is "too old". But this conradicts the Skoda commitment (2-8-2017).

27-01-2017:

Report of repeated 7-speed twin dry clutch DSG problems with 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI DSG purchased as Approved Used Skoda from Skoda dealer in 2013. By July 2014, the gearbox failed with Gear indicators on the Dash board Flashing simultaneously with a spanner sign. Skoda dealer in Croydon took the car in and said it had been repaired under warranty. Nov 2016, same thing started again at the gearbox, even loosing drive sometime. Owner had by then moved to Kettering but contacted Skoda in Croydon where he bought the car and they asked him to bring it in which he is unwilling to do from Kettering. Skoda UK then suggested he took it to a Skoda dealer in Kettering but they asked owner to provide evidence of gearbox service. This is supposed to be a sealed for life, non-maintenance transmission, but it turns out that since the problem with synthetic oil and the recall to replace the synthatic with mineral, Skoda sets a 40,000 mile service interval on the DSG transmission. However, this particular car had done 117k miles with dubious service history so the owners claim was turned down.

28-01-2017:

Since the DSG recall to replace synthetic oil with mineral in 7-speed dry clutch 'non maintenance' DSGs, a maintenance regime of an oil change every 40,000 miles has been imposed.

1.2, 1.4 and 1.8TSIs manual petrol and 1.6 diesel models have LUK dual mass flywheels. 2.0TSIs have Sachs dual mass flywheels.

08-02-2017:

Late report that 2009 Skoda Octavia VRS 2.0TSI (EA888), bought used in 2012, suffered timing chain failure at 41,000 miles. Engine replaced under Skoda used car warranty. (Has now done 113k miles.)

10-02-2017:

Report of EPC fault showing on on 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI. Skoda dealer said Turbo had gone, about £1,500 to replace. As the car was only 3.5 years old and 19,300 miles Skoda agreed with dealer to pay for the Turbo owner would have to pay for Labour (£245). V ital to replace the the turbo bearing oil feed and oil return pipes or what happened will happen again.

22-02-2017:

Report of timing chain of fully dealer maintained 2010 Skoda Octavia VRS (EA888) failing at 65,000 miles, wrecking the engine and landing the owner with a £4,878.24 bill from the Skoda dealer. Skoda UK refused any assistance towards it.

27-02-2017:

Complaint of Mechatronics in 2011 Skoda Octavia DSG failing and needing replacing at a cost of £1,700. Indicated by displaying a warning light whereby the "PRNDS" display in the dashboard that shows the gear that is engaged was flashing.

12-03-2017:

Report of a DSG transmission fault in a Skoda Octavia. Skoda dealership in Manchester told owner that there was a fault with the gearbox and it needed to be replaced at a cost of £4,000 (parts only), adding that he might be able to get it done at an independent garage for half the cost, but either way in view of the car’s age and mileage I was best advised to say goodbye to it. Owner sought second opinion from indepenedent garage that told him there is nothing wrong with the gearbox and the reason it did not always know when to change gear was that the speed sensors were faulty, and they could be replaced at a cost of £300.

13-03-2017:

Report of problems with 2010 Skoda EA189 2.0 TDI after the emissions fix. 4 days later the engine went into limp mode with lights indicating an EGR Valve failed, Glow Plug Failure and Particle filter error. "Skoda has claimed that I am the first one and that this has no connection to an emission fix that was done days before (no problems pre)."

30-03-2017:

"Booming sound" reported from 7-speed dry clutch DSG of Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI DSG. Engine refuses to rev when transmission in neutral.

28-05-2017:

DSG transmission of 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI CR failed. Exact reason not given. Car has been purchased 2nd hand in 2015. Unsure if transmission was filled with synthetic or mineral fluid.

30-06-2017:

Same 2012 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI CR at 28-5-2017 still suffering intermittent DSG Mechatronics problems. While at Skoda dealer had NOx emissions fix and started to show glowplug light and go into limp home mode soon after.

27-07-2017:

Report of failure of dry clutch DSG7 transmission of 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI: When driver selected D it would not change up on its own. He could only manage up by shifting manually and then it would only go into 3 or 5 or 7. He limped 6 miles home and booked the car in with Skoda dealer.

02-08-2017:

Reassuring letter sent to owners of EA189 engined Skodas who have had the NOx emissions fix: “if a customer makes a complaint to an Authorised Repairer or to the Volkswagen Group in respect of a failure of the EGR, fuel injection system or emissions after treatment system within 24 months following the date of the implementation of the technical measures, in respect of a vehicle with mileage not exceeding 160,000 miles, SKODA will consider the complaint very carefully and if such complaint was established to have arisen as a result of the implementation of the technical measures, then Skoda will act responsibly and swiftly, in line with its goodwill policy, as supplemented in the annex, to respond to the consumers’ reasonable concerns.”

18-08-2017:

Report of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG of 2012 Octavia 1.8 TSI Elegance Estate failing at 54,000 miles with metal debris/particles found in the oil. Car had been serviced as per schedule. Repair cost estimated at £4720.60 and car is worth about £6,500. Applied for goodwill to Skoda but as yet no response.

07-11-2017:

Turbo and intercooler of 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI failed soon after NOx ermissions fix, but dealer says fault is unrelated and not consequential of the fix. Engine had needed new EGR and new injectors after the fix.

06-12-2017:

Report had EA189 NOx emissions fix on 85k mile 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI on 10-10-2017. On 5-12-2017 care went into limp mode and two warning lights came on. Diagnoses that injector no 4 had failed.

18-12-2017:

Report of post EA189 NOx emissions fix problems with 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI. After the engine light came on, owner's garage showed him the throttle body, which was totally gummed up with carbon. He uses only the best Shell diesel, runs at 2.5 to 3.0 revs every so often, etc. Garage said he should "use 4th gear a bit more". But he also changes up as directed by the gearshift indicator. Back to the dealer to fix the consequences of the NOx fix.

29-12-2017:

DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG failure reported in 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI DSG at £39,900 miles. New transmission and Mechatronics controller required at cost of £4,000 that rose to £4,700. Owner got 10% discount on the gearbox: £3240 down to £2916 = £340 (approx.) (before VAT), no reduction in labour costs. An Interim Service was reduced from £159 to £125 (before VAT), a Special Offer Air Con/Brake Service (normally £95) was carried out free, as a goodwill gesture, he had a courtesy car for 10 days and paid a final bill of £4273.60.

14-02-2018:

Report of timing chain slip of 2009 Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8TSI engine at 70,000 miles due to failure of "timing chain tensioner". Car uneconomical to repair so sold as scrap.

15-02-2018:

Report of injector failure on 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI, thought to be post emissions fix so should be covered by the VAG warranty on the fix.

19-02-2018:

Report of intermittent poor gearchange from 1st to 2nd in 2012 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSi Elegance with 7 speed DSG gearbox. Feels like it's letting go of 1st, but not taking 2nd quickly enough, and gives a serious jerk.

21-02-2018:

Report of various problems developing due to general deterioration of a 2009 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI estate. Happily the NOx emissions fix was not one of them but now at 80,000 miles the instrument display is short-circuiting (both R and L warning lights flash on the display when right turn is indicated, there is a repeated hissing sound from the heater fan/AC unit, the boot has begun to leak water especially when opening after rain, and three or four times there has been a coarse sound from the engine bay, like a petrol generator running for about a minute after switching off.

05-04-2018:

No official word from VAG, but ECU testing believes that the DQ200 7-speed dry cutch Mechatronics control box was finally re-engineered in 2016. This DSG 7 control unit is a common failure with engines under 2.0 litres on the Skoda Octavia (2008 – 2013).

11-06-2018:

Report of 7-speed DQ200 dry clutch DSG blowing fluid out of the transmission breather.

04-08-2018:

Report of various problems through the 8 year life of a 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI DSG estate: "All service intervals carried out as Manufacturers Instructions by Skoda Main Dealer. Broke down 18 months ago failure of no 3 injector at 35,000 miles. Yesterday, limp mode again at 46,000 miles no 4 injector. Good honest garage proprietor informs me that I should change the remaining two injectors at the same time for equilibriums sake. His view was that the 1.6TDI is notorious for injector problems. Also a tad worried regarding DSG box."

14-08-2018:

Report of recently purchased 2012 Skoda Octavia with EA888 1.8TSI engine and 90,000 miles with "good service record" using a lot of oil. Oil pressure light came on twice over 1,000 miles of driving. Advised to reject the car citing Clegg v Olle Andersson (trading as Nordic Marine), House of Lords, 2003.

16-08-2018:

Report of failure of clutch pressure plate of 2012 Skoda Octavia Scout failing at 45,000 miles and chewing its way into the transmission housing, causing a loss of trtansmission fluid. Skoda dealer estimated repair at £5,900, reduced to £5,500. Would not submit a claim to Skoda because car was more than 5 years old (actually more than 6 years old). No more than the initial, offer of £400 forthcoming. See 11-2-2016.

07-11-2018:

Report of high oil consumption of 2011 Skoda Octavia EA888 1.8TSI at 75,000 miles. Using a litre around every 1,500 miles. Taken to Skoda dealer who performed an ‘oil burn test’. The car is replenished with new oil and then driven until the oil warning light illuminates. The lamp illuminated after only 396 miles. Skoda says the test showed the engine is outside ‘their parameters’ and the engine will require a strip down with new rings and pistons etc. Skoda has yet to quote the cost but a figure of up to £4000 has been mentioned. Owner mentioned tyhat the car was acquired from his father who was a very gentle driver. That and the fact the engine was original;ly filled with synthatic oil on the production line is likely to be the reason why the oil rings did not properly bed in.

29-01-2019:

Report of failure of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in 2012 Skoda Octavia at 41,000 miles. Owner quoted £5,000 for a replacement transmission.

10-03-2019:

Report of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG of 2012 1.6 Diesel Skoda Octavia Estate failing at 120,000 kilometres. Car has full Skoda service history. Dealer says the gearbox needs to be replaced as there are ball bearings in the oil and it is locked in the reverse position. They have recommended replacing it at a cost of €4,800. Apparently their application for goodwill from Skoda was rejected via an online application.

20-04-2019:

Report of 2002 Skoda Octavia diesel needing two replacement waterpumps in 80,000 miles. First with a timing belt change in 2016. 2nd in 2019. Skoda would not contribute, so replaced independently.

08-06-2019:

Report of new injector fitted to 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI under 'Trust Building Measure' after one failed as a consequence of the NOx emissions fix which adds a third injection cycle. Now car has been called in for replacement of all of the injectors.

06-08-2019:

Stiff throttle pedal and solution reported by reader in a Skoda Yeti and this also applies to Octavias: Gravel can get under the pedal. The pedal is hinged at the bottom the throttle mechanism greatly restricts access, and you cannot see what you are doing. Eventually owner used a piece of wire coathanger to extricate a tiny bit of gravel no more than 5mm across and restore full range of movment to the pedal.

26-09-2019:

Report of NOx fix carried out on 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI on 20-6-2017 at 25k miles. Since then nos 4 and 3 injectors failed on 16/10/18 and 04/07/19 resp. Owner has now discovered 'Rebuilding Trust' whereby Skoda might have replaced the injectors (perhaps all 4) as there is a 24mth and 160K mile warranty on the fuel injection system, but had one of the injectors replaced independently.

06-12-2019:

Report of severe oil consumptiion from engine of used Skoda Octavia vRS with the CTHE engine that has used 5 litres of 15w 40 oil in 2,000 miles.

13-12-2019:

Report of failure of timing chain tensioner of 2011 Skoda Octavia 2.0TFSI causing chainmto jum and valves tom hit pistons. Dealer estimated cost of replacement engine at £6,000. Skoda Customer Care offered 10% towards the costs. (Common failure on chain cam EA888 engine from 2009 to late 2012 when the engine was substantially revised.)

17-12-2019:

Report of Skoda Octavia 1.6TDI going in for the EA189 NOx emissions recall 2 years ago and now suffering from a blocked EGR.

93 faults reported since we started dating them in 2011.