[sgiitk]

Skoda were particularly notorious, but dealerships have similar issues. Now that the entire VW family will be handled by them, watch out. I m only aware of one dealership which lost the franchise, this was (I think Pearl) in Gurugram.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by navin

I would have thought so too, IF the original verbal quote from Mr Sameer was not 2.5L or thereabouts and why the manager (Mr. Mudassar) still sent a written quote for Rs. 1.43L + 25,000 after discussing with the owner that the only issue with the car was this sudden failure. Not the brakes, air-conditioning, tail lights, or anything else.

I do not want to doubt your version. But these are not some fancy name components which a regular person would not know or have heard off. How did they expect to explain the tail light change for instance in this said car?

I have always disliked Skoda and been very vocal about it too, since I read about Harish's case and multiple threads thereafter. But in this instance I still am unable to understand the dealership's intention. I still do feel it is a miscommunication and they might have suggested and clubbed all these together as premature maintenance or whatever you want to call it. It is still cheating in terms of pushing off premature replacements in the name of regular maintenance.

Since you have owned a Skoda car before, are the said replacements expected for this car's age and odometer reading?

[navin]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Service center managers are given monthly targets to meet.

So the service centers pounce at any opportunity to inflate the bill, not because they want to, but because they are mostly compelled to in order to meet their monthly target.

I am quite sure your hypothesis is right. Some hospitals in Mumbai also operate the same way (doctors are expected to bring is Rs. X per month in billings).

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I do not want to doubt your version.

It is still cheating in terms of pushing off premature replacements in the name of regular maintenance.

Since you have owned a Skoda car before, are the said replacements expected for this car's age and odometer reading?

Firstly I will start with my own experiences.

I did not have much trouble with Skoda. However I had developed a good relationship with the Service Manager there and he knew of my association with TBHP. That may have helped.

For the record, when I gave my Camry for it's first service I noticed that they had added an item about some treatment for the front windshield. I questioned the Manager about this and flatly told him that I will not pay for any work that was not authorized by me. Shinrai Toyota relented and deducted that charge. This seems to in line with sagarpadaki's contention that these workshops have targets to meet.

The owner of the Skoda in question is quite knowledge about cars. She is about my age (ok a year older) and knowing her she would have discussed each item on that list with the Autobahn people (both Sameer and Mudassar). At that time they should have told her why these items were included (preventive maintenance, regular replacements because the car had done 60k, etc.). I know she had at least 2 conversations (1 with Sameer and 1 with Mudassar) before that estimate and email of 1.43L + 25k labour was sent to her.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by navin

At that time they should have told her why these items were included (preventive maintenance, regular replacements because the car had done 60k, etc.). I know she had at least 2 conversations (1 with Sameer and 1 with Mudassar) before that estimate and email of 1.43L + 25k labour was sent to her.

Exactly my point. There is definitely cheating involved here. I am just trying to understand the level of the same. Let me say it is wrong at a certain level to club unnecessary repairs and replacements without telling the owner when the car has come to the workshop for a certain issue. And it is a whole lot worse to actually make it sound as if it is being done to address the issue in question.

So as per your post they did the latter by making the customer believe that all these repairs and replacements were needed to get her car to start again i.e. the issue for which it had been towed to there service centre.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by navin

A friend of mine suffered a sudden failure of her Skoda Laura on August 16th at night. The engine suddenly started revving and then slowing down.

Her son, who was driving the vehicle at the time, pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and switched it off. Then the car refused to start again.

I’m interested in understanding what was wrong with the car in the first place:

So this is how it all started.

Engines started revving and then slowing down, after switching off the engine it would not start anymore.

The apparent diagnosis and fix is to replace a belt? Why would an engine exhibit such symptoms due to a belt? I assume this is not the timing belt but just the belt that drives ancillaries such as alternator, waterpump, cooling fan and AC.

Or was it a timing belt? In which case I would have expected quite some other symptoms, if not some spectacular damage to the engine. Going by the part number on the estimate it is just an aux belt and not the timing belt.

Jerome

[ROG_AK]

Seems like news of this is catching on

https://www.cartoq.com/skoda-dealer-...d-for-rs-1000/

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

The apparent diagnosis and fix is to replace a belt? Why would an engine exhibit such symptoms due to a belt?
Jerome

It could be due to the erratic voltages from alternator and its failing belt caused the engine rpm to vary. Probably the battery might have died too and the user may not have noticed the battery check light on the console.
My friend had mentioned about similar behavior when his alternator had failed (Not due to belt, but the rectifier) and he was forced to continue driving to the nearest service center. His engine died before reaching the service center and the symptoms were similar before the engine shut off.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I assume this is not the timing belt but just the belt that drives ancillaries such as alternator, waterpump, cooling fan and AC.

Or was it a timing belt? In which case I would have expected quite some other symptoms, if not some spectacular damage to the engine. Going by the part number on the estimate it is just an aux belt and not the timing belt.

Jerome

Your assumption is correct. Have a look at my post on page 1 of the thread. I checked the part# and it is indeed the ancillary belt.

[SoumenD]

This news is gaining traction over social media and I sincerely hope skoda takes notice and reprimand the said dealer.

Btw on a side note, this is an usual practice even by our country's favorite Brand's dealerships as well. I had a small accident last year with dent on my rear hatch and cracked front & rear bumper. MASS quoted 24k+ . Later I got it done at local FNG for ~7k. Agreed not as exorbitant as Skoda but still 3-4 times quote is just daylight roberry.

[fiestarry]

Originally Posted by Guna

It is clear that while they were fixing the car for the engine problem (which is to change the belt) they also checked what else is in bad condition.

The customer has visited the service centre with a specific complaint. It is unacceptable that irrelevant repairs are included in the estimate for a specific complaint!
The centre could easily have changed the alternator belt, charged the few hundred rupees that it costs, and given a separate estimate for repairs recommended by them clearly mentioning the same.
Irresponsible and greedy behaviour !

[strawhat]

I believe Skoda's A.S.S division is controlled by the dealer network rather than the opposite. That explains the monopolistic practices of these dealers. With very few alternatives, owners are literally cornered.

Glad to know that the owner is well informed and therefore did not fall for their tricks. But it is easy to imagine a gullible chap succumbing to soft-spoken, sweet talking "advisors" who entice them into traps from which there is no escaping. How many such horror stories have we read already. Skoda's silence is the answer.

Thankfully nothing escapes the eagle eyes of Team-BHP. This is our saving grace.

[sudev]

As many have said this is not apples to apples comparison in cost. Apart from the fact that there are non belt related items some times the belt is effected by related component failure.

e.g. fan belt can get destroyed by tensioner pulley bearing or misaligned compressor. The workshop may have quoted whatever charges but did the owner question them about why for each item?

To me belt in question is symptomatic clue. When the car stopped the problems that occurred cannot be due to belt. There has to be more to the issue that occurred.

My two cents

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

It could be due to the erratic voltages from alternator and its failing belt caused the engine rpm to vary. Probably the battery might have died too and the user may not have noticed the battery check light on the console.
My friend had mentioned about similar behavior when his alternator had failed (Not due to belt, but the rectifier) and he was forced to continue driving to the nearest service center. His engine died before reaching the service center and the symptoms were similar before the engine shut off.

I don't think so. The only part replaced was the belt, nothing wrong with the alternator or the battery as far as we know.

A belt works properly, it slips or it breaks. None of that causes the engine behaviour as experienced here. If it snaps you will get a red warning for no charging, you could drive on for quite a long time. But if the cooling water pump is affected your engine is likely to be overheating pretty quickly which also gets you an alarm. If you ignore you will very quickly have some major damage to your engine.

Belts that slip tend to squeak and you might see the occasional warning light pop up.

So we have an engine with a belt problem. It won't start. The belt is replaced and it will start again. That doesn't even begin to make sense.

What is the correlation between a belt and starting?

Jeroen

[Prash]

Any official reply from Autobahn or Skoda on the entire issue?

[Altocumulus]

I had a similar experience with Skoda with my Laura Tsi. Due to the worldwide known fact of Timing Chain tensioner (one of three) failure of 2009-2011 Tsi engines , I wanted to change the same on my car. They were adamant that I dont need to change it. After numerous followups I got an estimate of 81k to change a 3k part. They even wanted to change the dipstick god knows why among other parts which did not need a change.

I went through the internet and ordered an entire timing kit consisting of 3 tensioners, the chains, guide rails for less than 15k. 4k for labor at Bosch Service Center. The kit used was Borsehung who sell rebranded OEM parts and was brought in from Dubai.