Faults:

Loss of coolant.

Rear washer hose came apart in engine bay.

Washer system fuse blew resulting in the front wipers being inoperative.

Rear washer hose came apart at C-post.

General Comments:

Since early last year there has been a steady loss of coolant. The dealer diagnosed a faulty water pump which was replaced but didn't fix the problem. The dealer then suspected the expansion bottle which was replaced again to no avail. Last April the dealer said that there was a faulty gasket at the bottom of the radiator which was replaced which solved the problem until

December last year. The dealer then found that there was a faulty head gasket which was replaced. The dealer was informed that there was emulsion forming on the oil filler cap and signs of oily deposits in the expansion bottle, but they were considered this to be "normal" and nothing to do with the head or gasket.

The other items I "fixed" myself as no special tools were needed and I'm not overly confident with the local dealer. Each time the car has been returned with the coolant level below the minimum. The dealer told me that air locks do form in the system and it is alright for me to top it up with water!!

I am generally very pleased with the car, particularly the ride and handling although the fuel economy is slightly dissapointing. I feel that the major let down is the dealer.

Faults:

Over torqued cylinder head and subsequent problems meant a new engine.

Illumination problem with the speedo on the dash meant a new dashboard.

Pipe detached from the rear wash/wipe.

Door locks broken on TWO separate occasions.

Window winder mechanism (broken pin) broken on FOUR different occasions.

Glove box release catch broken.

Chipped paintwork when new.

Dealer neglected to put any coolant in the radiator at the last service.

General Comments:

It is such a shame that a car that is so nice to drive, is let down by what can only be described as appalling reliability. When this is coupled with indifferent and unsympathetic dealer service, it just creates very dissatisfied customers.

On average, we are back at the dealer every 6 weeks with another fault. The journey to the dealer is a 70 mile round trip and has caused huge amounts of inconvenience and loss of annual holiday.

Many of the problems appear to be caused by poor build quality. Components such as door locks and window winders just 'feel' like they're not built to last.

It appears that we have a 'Friday afternoon car' that Skoda have refused to replace. We will, of course, be offloading the car before the 3-year parts/labour warranty expires.

"It's a Skoda - honest".