Fabia - Skoda cambelt question

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 14:54
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - OliverR

Hello

I have a Skoda Fabia that is nearly 5 years old. I got an email from the dealership saying that the cambelt was due to be replaced. The car has done 34,000 miles.

I rang to book it in and they said it would cost £500 which is far more than I was expecting.

They said that a garage might be cheaper but they may not use the correct parts.

I’m not sure what to do.

Would I be taking too much of a risk by looking to find a cheaper option elsewhere?

Thanks

Edited by OliverR on 03/03/2022 at 14:55

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 15:13
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - Xileno

You will get the usual range of responses including not to bother at all. At this age I certainly would not be taking the car to the main dealer, this is not a complex car and a good independent (possibly even a VAG specialist) should serve your needs perfectly.

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 15:35
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - catsdad

If it’s like other VAG cars the recommended interval for identical engines is much shorter in U.K. than other markets. This suggests there is no rush on yours.

I have a 2018 Golf on 30k miles and I aim to keep it for up to 2028 or so. I am resigned to one belt change in my period of ownership. I will probably do it when it’s about 6 years old. Although I doubt it affects trade in value much it would mean it still had a reasonable service life when I move it on.

As for main dealer or indie, my car is now out of warranty so it will be at my trusted indie. I will get it done at the same time as a service and MOT.

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 16:31
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - OliverR

That’s great, thanks.

I’ll look to see what other places could do the work – if it’s even necessary as my mileage is quite low.

Does £500 seem excessive for a cambelt replacement?

Apologies for any stupid questions, I don’t know much about cars.

I had to google ‘vag specialist’ because my first thought was ‘that can’t mean what I think it means’ and it doesn’t

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 16:40
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - elekie&a/c doctor
Cam belt replacement costs can vary depending on what engine is fitted and whether or not the water pump is driven by the cam belt . Be aware that many of these newer Vag engines need electronic equipment to set up the belt timing . Not many independents will have this as the tool is over £1k . Can’t understand Vw belt regime. I think they are living in the 70’s . Most makers have a time/ mileage limit of 100k miles or 10 years.
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Fri 4 Mar 2022 14:36
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - John F

If it’s like other VAG cars the recommended interval for identical engines is much shorter in U.K. than other markets. This suggests there is no rush on yours.

I have a 2018 Golf on 30k miles and I aim to keep it for up to 2028 or so. I am resigned to one belt change in my period of ownership. I will probably do it when it’s about 6 years old.

I find it hard to believe that there would be a serious risk of belt or pulley failure on a ten year old modern Golf with a mere c. 80,000 miles on the clock.........less than half the current age and mileage of our millennial Focus.

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 15:07
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - catsdad

John you may well be right but having it done at a longer interval will cost me about a pound a week averaged over the time I expect to own it. Cheap, if potentially unnecessary, insurance.

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 16:44
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - Andrew-T

John you may well be right but having it done at a longer interval will cost me about a pound a week averaged over the time I expect to own it. Cheap, if potentially unnecessary, insurance.

By that argument one can make any expenditure seem insignificant by viewing it over very short time periods. That could be how some people endowed with poor money management get along ?

The fact remains that a cambelt change costs several hundred ££. It all comes at once and it hurts most people's wallets.

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Thu 3 Mar 2022 22:05
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - SLO76

I’m a bit of a caution when it comes to car maintenance but even I wouldn’t change a belt at this age and mileage. Assuming you carry on doing such a low mileage I’d do it at 7yrs and 50k. Search for a good local VW/Audi specialist, they’ll have the necessary tools and expertise to maintain one of these but should be cheaper. VW are profiteering with their ridiculously short belt intervals in the UK.

Edited by SLO76 on 03/03/2022 at 22:11

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 00:30
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - OliverR

I’m a bit of a caution when it comes to car maintenance but even I wouldn’t change a belt at this age and mileage. Assuming you carry on doing such a low mileage I’d do it at 7yrs and 50k. Search for a good local VW/Audi specialist, they’ll have the necessary tools and expertise to maintain one of these but should be cheaper. VW are profiteering with their ridiculously short belt intervals in the UK.

Thanks.

It didn't feel right to me - having such an expensive job done at this stage.

It was actually a typo when I said the car had done 34000 miles. It's only done 32400!

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 09:37
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - Andrew-T

Second all the above advice. Today's belts are usually good for 10 years or 100K miles. There may be considerations about waterpumps or tensioners, but a VAG specialist will know, and there are plenty about.

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 09:51
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - John F

Ditto above. Sadly, many UK garages are renowned for inducing customer anxiety by recommending expensive and unnecessary work. At this age, IMHO the risk of a tyro mechanic doing a cack-handed job and causing present or future damage to the engine is far greater than leaving well alone. There are a number of such expensive horror stories in the archives of this site. If it works, don't mend it.

Just for your info, we have a well cared for (by me) Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec in the family which is still running with its original belts and ancillaries at over 21 yrs old and more than 160,000 miles. Since I bought it at just over three years old it has never had a garage 'service' in its life.

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Fri 4 Mar 2022 11:48
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - OliverR

Thanks for all your responses.

It's helped to put my mind at rest. I've booked the car in to have the work but I will be cancelling it now.

Thanks.

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Sun 6 Mar 2022 14:06
Fabia - Skoda cambelt question - Bromptonaut

I also have a Fabia of the same age - a 4 cylinder 1.2. Bought in October 2019 it got about 6 months of normal usage before being more or less laid up during the pandemic and after. I was wholly working at home from March 2020 until June 21.

It's a VAG recommendation on these that, irrespective of mileage, the cambelt is replaced at 5 years. An 'upsell' for the job at approx £500 was delivered when I picked it up after its service in October last year. The mileage then was approx 36,000. The cambelt does not drive the waterpump which is said to be at the other end of the block.

I might get it done eventually but compared with 10years/112,500 on my diesel Berlingo it seems an incredibly low interval.

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