2.0TSI Catastrophic engine failure, owners be aware.

[Spinifex]

This is pretty concerning, as my car is a 2016 Mk3 RS Octavia (CHHB), and over the last 5000km or so (it's just gone 57000km), it's had the startup rattling, like rattly old tappets or a loose chain.
The car has been running faultlessly, and is just excessively noisy.
I'm not sure if it's only at idle/low revs, as the exhaust/road noise is too loud to hear any rattling while actually driving.

Took it in for diagnosis and Skoda said "we need to start stripping your timing gear off, as we don't know what's causing this weird noise" :O

So the car is with them now and I'm waiting to hear the results.

It will be VERY interesting if it turns out that Skoda are still using the dodgy Mk2 tensioner, on a mid-Mk3 models.

[Transporter]

...and once out of warranty don’t hold your breath for any goodwill warranty, since it appears to me that the Skoda Australia absolutely doesn’t care about the reputation, I guess if you have no reputation to uphold it’s easy, just ignore the problems, since there aren’t any big numbers of Skoda cars on the road. The Adelaide dealer is very difficult to talk to and they are really rude people.

No one from our family will ever buy Skoda again and I cannot even recommend them to any of my customers.

[tigger73]

I’m surprised you hadn’t done the preventative maintenance on Themis one and changed the timing chain tensioner. Did this car have the upgraded part?


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[Transporter]

I’m surprised you hadn’t done the preventative maintenance on Themis one and changed the timing chain tensioner. Did this car have the upgraded part?


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The plan was never to keep the Octavia that long and it was almost traded in at the beginning of January.

No, it didn’t have the updated tensioner. Since there were already 4 revisions of the same tensioner and how do you know that there won’t be the fifth one needed? Besides, the tensioner is only half of the problem since the chain and the sprockets wear out too in this engine, which is one of the reasons why the tensioners fail. To do it right, you have to replace the the lot and the guides too, which costs more than $1000 probably just in parts.

[woofy]

This is pretty concerning, as my car is a 2016 Mk3 RS Octavia (CHHB), and over the last 5000km or so (it's just gone 57000km), it's had the startup rattling, like rattly old tappets or a loose chain.
The car has been running faultlessly, and is just excessively noisy.
I'm not sure if it's only at idle/low revs, as the exhaust/road noise is too loud to hear any rattling while actually driving.

Took it in for diagnosis and Skoda said "we need to start stripping your timing gear off, as we don't know what's causing this weird noise" :O

So the car is with them now and I'm waiting to hear the results.

It will be VERY interesting if it turns out that Skoda are still using the dodgy Mk2 tensioner, on a mid-Mk3 models.

Totally different engine in the MK3 and no other reports at all. This MK2.5 engine was reknowned for this, I've never heard of it ever for the Mk3 engines.

[Spinifex]

Well I can confirm that my Mk3 has some sort of fault in the timing gear, and they are replacing both tensioners (apparently there's 2), all guides & the chain, under warranty.
I haven't got the car back yet to find out exactly what the cause was - perhaps they are doing it as a preventative measure, but I doubt they would authorise a dealer to do $1000's of work for no valid reason.

[Transporter]

Well I can confirm that my Mk3 has some sort of fault in the timing gear, and they are replacing both tensioners (apparently there's 2), all guides & the chain, under warranty.
I haven't got the car back yet to find out exactly what the cause was - perhaps they are doing it as a preventative measure, but I doubt they would authorise a dealer to do $1000's of work for no valid reason.

Most likely excessively worn out timing chain wearing out the guides.

[Spinifex]

The car has done 57k km.... not 157k! SERIOUS engineering problem (or extreme bad luck) if the chain/timing componenets have worn out before the cars first "major"service.

[Transporter]

Just make sure they give you the paperwork what they done. Don’t leave the dealership without it.
I always tell them in advance that I need the paperwork.
It can come handy if the fault repeats itself soon after the warranty ends.

[Spinifex]

Well I got my car back on Tuesday, 2.5weeks after first dropped to service.
Happy with the results, in that it's no longer sounding like my rattly old Subaru, but unhappy with Skoda Australia advising they're not prepared to offer me any 'sweetener' for want of a better term.
I simply asked them what/if they could offer me anything, since this is the 2nd time my car has been un-driveable for a period of 2-3 weeks, since I purchased brand new just over 2 years ago.... and they said nope, we're not even going to offer you a free service!
That's bad brand reputation management SkodaAus, just sayin'

[Tuan]

Will that stop you buying another Skoda ?

If not, then they got a win out of it by retaining you without giving you a 'freebie'.

[Transporter]

I think in many cases it’s not about the freebie. It’s about the attitude.

In our case we were so put off by unprofessional behaviour and complete luck f knowledge on the side of Skoda starting at the dealer and right up to Skoda Australia customer car.

I wouldn’t certainly buy Skoda again, unless the workshop back up for the warranty has changed.

[h100vw]

That's a grim outcome Miro, have you tried GWP in Melbourne for an engine?

I fixed up a mk6 gti last month that had a tensioner fail. Just short of 5k with a brand new head from VW.

[Transporter]

That's a grim outcome Miro, have you tried GWP in Melbourne for an engine?

I fixed up a mk6 gti last month that had a tensioner fail. Just short of 5k with a brand new head from VW.

No, it’s uneconomical to repair, better sell it for parts and Skoda has very long w resale value, which doesn’t surprise me.

[Spinifex]

I think in many cases it’s not about the freebie. It’s about the attitude

1-gazillion% this comment.

I wasn't after a freebie because my ice-scraper was missing.
I was after a goodwill gesture of perhaps 1 (maybe more) services may be subsidised, since my brand-new $50k car has been off the road with MAJOR warranty failures for a period of some 5 weeks over 2.5years of ownership.

(and just because I was curious, I did some maths...... that's about 4% of my total ownership period, without being able to use my car. That's a valuation of approx $2000 based on original purchase cost. Throwing me a free $300 service is nothing, to try to keep some brand-cred)

I agree with Transporter... unless the Australian backup and knowledge (and storage of spare parts in the Skoda warehouse) improves, I'll probably stick to VW or another brand that has more local support.