1999 Skoda Felicia LXI 1.3 MPI from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A great car, cheap, roomy but not fast

Faults:

Leaking Thermostat gasket.

Ticking speedo cable.

Broken throttle cable.

ECU fault leading to poor MPG.

General Comments:

After the Ford KA the amount of space in this budget estate was great. Performance is not that great unless you work the engine hard, although it happily keeps up with traffic around town. The seats are not quite as long as they need to be to my mind, but the car is comfortable and the fairly well thought out. The ride is excellent and with the exception of body roll when cornering it's easy to forget you're in a budget car.

I have encountered some minor failures, detailed above, which whilst annoying were not the end of the world. The dealer service has been exemplary, so much so that I can't find any complaint, even if I try hard.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th July, 2001

26th Sep 2001, 14:47

1997 Skoda Felicia L with just 18,000 on the clock. The ECU "cooked" the battery and alternator. Scouring the UK for a replacement to no avail. It appears that there is an ECU problem with this car and at £450 to replace the unit... caveat emptor.

25th Feb 2003, 09:53

1998 Felicia lxi,40,000 miles. Bought Feb. 2002 from small dealer. Since then alternator, battery, centre ( English spelling ) locking, headlight level adjustment, thermistor and thermostat have packed up. Engine now cuts out after 2 miles and a diagnostic check has found 8 faults in the circuit. Engine control unit costs over £700 and may not be the complete fault or total cost. Car will have to be scrapped although it still looks good with only 49,000 miles on the clock.

1999 Skoda Felicia GLXI 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Excellent value. Skoda.. the joke is over

Faults:

The acres of grey plastic trim are not wearing well and the cloth on the doors is discolouring after 2 years.

Car needed warranty work on the cooling system as it used all its coolant within 500 miles. This was fixed free by the dealer.

Recently it developed a serious electric fault, the battery went flat with 2 days despite the attention of the dealer and a new battery and regulator.

This took a surprising amount of hassle to have it fixed and involved a shouting match with the dealer and 'phone calls to the importer. Dented my otherwise good opinion of Skoda dealers.

General Comments:

Generally an economical and reliable car. The only serious problem being the recent electrical fault.

Car is perfect for the bad roads of rural Ireland and very economical to run.

Only problem is a lack of power when cruising 3 up on main roads and wind/engine noise at high speed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th May, 2001

3rd Jul 2001, 05:12

I am a French teacher and I wanted to add a comment to the credit of Skoda cars.

I have owned a Felicia 1.3 MPI for one year. I bought it second hand with 52 000km and have been quite happy about it. The car isn't really powerful in the typical ramps of the hilly parts of France where I live - the pre-Alps. However it's a very reliable & economical car, comfortable with a quiet engine and relatively fast on the motorway. There's just the front axle which becomes a little noisy when the weather turns hot...

With adequate maintenance, the engine can reach a high mileage (200 000km).

My previous Skoda was also a second hand Favorit 136LS, I drove 70 000km with no major problems.

I think next car I'll buy will be another Skoda: the Octavia TDI90 as the family is growing up...

18th Aug 2006, 06:36

Skoda Felicia L 1295cc 93,000 miles and engine still going strong - hoping to do 200,000 miles. Faults to date - ignition barrel fault, cv joint worn, alternator worn at 90K and reconditioned, exhaust system. Engine loves Duckhams 10W/40. As for interior - what can you expect for the price.

1999 Skoda Felicia GLX 1.3 carb from Bulgaria

Summary:

Good performance for the price

Faults:

No problems to date.

General Comments:

It would have been a great car if it was 1.6i :-(

Unfortunately it's not powerful enough, but it consumes too much fuel (more than 9l/100km in town).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th May, 2001

1999 Skoda Felicia LXi 1.3 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

None so far.

General Comments:

Dealer service is the best I have ever had. The car has a little to much plastic inside but for the price it is a diamond.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th June, 1999