[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Yes, but it can also be that they just charged me and did not change the part and that is why the manufacture date is old. The point made by the Skoda service Engineer to the Marikar Service Manager that " if Tafe had taken more care this could ha been avoided" adds more to this doubt.

All kinds of doubts and questions.. Anyway shall wait for feedback from Skoda. I still have not lost hope ..

When you were billed for that part change did you ask then to show you the part that came out of your car? Not that anything can be done now but had you asked them to show the older part then some assurity of part change could be there. One thing I like if Maruti is whenever a service is done ask the parts changed be it air filter etc etc all the older ones are put in the boot, if the owner says it to be discarded they do so at the gate. It helps in imbibing trust both ways.


Skoda, be it any ASC of theirs they will try and blame the others and finally the customer for faulty fuel quality that had water etc etc.

Anurag.

[vidyabhushan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

If the car were in Bangalore I would have recommended that you show it to Mr Aiyanna at Vinayaka Skoda because he is a knowledgeable man as well as a nice man.

I agree with Shankar... My father has a Yeti too (after he sold his Skoda Superb, frustrated with Marikar Motor's sub-standard service). In an effort to force fit some stuff in the back, the rear hatch lock was broken. Marikar (Cochin) kept the car for 3 days only to find the problem, and still didnt have the spare lock for replacement.
I took the car to Vinayak (at KR Puram), the staff was courteous and within 2 hours fixed the lock and some other niggling issues related to AC performance etc.
As you mentioned having some relative in Bangalore, you might want to give it a try, if possible given car's present condition.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Yes, but it can also be that they just charged me and did not change the part and that is why the manufacture date is old. The point made by the Skoda service Engineer to the Marikar Service Manager that " if Tafe had taken more care this could ha been avoided" adds more to this doubt.

All kinds of doubts and questions.. Anyway shall wait for feedback from Skoda. I still have not lost hope ..

But i don't know if you can prove that they billed you for the part but did not change for the part. Either way you have upper hand. If they did not change the part but billed you then its their problem. If they changed the part according to the schedule and still the problem came even then its their problem.

[KrishD]

I think the difference between most of the Japanese manufacturers and the German/ European ones (although Nissan also has a similar system to the Europeans) is one of overall approach to ASS. The Europeans make brilliant cars but somehow feel that it just suffices to do that - their service systems are a complex interlinkage between manufacturer, dealer/ service station and on-road assistance.
As a result of this complex system, one often finds the customer bouncing around between various systems, with none taking full ownership of the situation.

Also I strongly feel that the Indian units of European manufacturers assembling the cars from CKD/ SKD units do not have the same systems in place or the dedication that the Japanese / Hyundai units bring to the table.

Skoda/ Volkswagen group will have to re-think their entire approach to India. Just having brilliant cars in terms of specs wont do. The relationship between car brand and a customer is a complex one, with much of it borne out after the sale is made. They just dont seem to grasp this concept.

Customers however are waking up to this - the lukewarm response to the new Octavia bears out this fact. Is Skoda listening?

[swiftnfurious]

I am just wondering, doesn't Yeti have a water-in-diesel-filter sensor? My 6L Swift has one and once this started glowing after filling diesel from a pump for the first time (that too just for 200-300 bucks as a stop gap arrangement). I later read more instances of fuel quality issues associated with the same pump in Bangalore. The light came on in around 10-15 kms after the fuel was filled and I immediately took it to MA$$ where they diagnosed the error.

The ONLY damage was replacement of the sensor @ 3K/- or so and absolutely NO problems for the car after that. It still runs like a dream at 90K kms, atleast 40K after the issue happened.

2. Marikar is equally notorious (atleast "was") when it comes to A$$. Weren't they handling HM / Ambassador before? When I heard them dealing with Skoda, the first thing came to my mind was "what a combination"!! Sorry for the off-topic comment, but I believe it's Marikar who is going to take up Fiat A$$ in Kottayam too !!

[Steeroid]

My car went in for an a/c compressor replacement yesterday (replacement takes 3 weeks to arrive!), probably at the same dealership where your Yeti is at. I've asked for the DPF to be checked and replaced, just in case....

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I am just wondering, doesn't Yeti have a water-in-diesel-filter sensor? My 6L Swift has one

It will be having the fuel sedimentor and the light on the instrumentation console. Can someone check and post it here?!

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

2. Marikar is equally notorious (atleast "was") when it comes to A$$. Weren't they handling HM / Ambassador before? When I heard them dealing with Skoda, the first thing came to my mind was "what a combination"!! Sorry for the off-topic comment, but I believe it's Marikar who is going to take up Fiat A$$ in Kottayam too !!

Ohho!

Now this is news, So Marikar is making the tree complete with all brands ASC and at the end of the day spoiling the whole experience of every customer on the road.

Hope they don't get permission for Maruti and Hyundai!

PS: Hope guys at Maruti and Hyundai are reading this!

Anurag.

[Passiautonate]

Well I feel sad at times for both Skoda and we "The Petrolheads". No doubt there cars are great- They are practical, have decent power, classic looks and robust build- Checks most if not all boxes for a dream car.

Otherday I was reading about a automatic Superb having a double digit service bill, reason code- Was driven on Gurgaon's so called roads in monsoon.

One more where original parts were stolen and replaced with counterfeits by an esteemed Skoda dealer. Owner is still fighting a legal case, (not sure about updates)

And then yours. As a neutral person I am just trying to figure out your fault here.

Was it you bought a Skoda?? Well there would be many on the forum who would have told you not to buy it, you never know when you are Skobombed!

Was it you (or your brother) taking the car to Skoda SS for a check up after some warning lights?

Was it you filling up "The SKODA" without checking the fuel in portable fuel synthesizer?

Was it you taking it for a long spin knowing that you would find some unknown fuel pumps??

In short, being neutral I cannot figure something you could have done (except buying decision) to avoid Skobombed. It can happen to anyone, no matter how much precautions one take.

But, why can't Skoda make their cars a bit more roadworthy. a 155mm GC for such a long base (Superb Automatic). May be borrowing some rugged and robust technology from our own Tata. Much better acquire some dealers who are managing HASS/MASS.

One last thing- Any guesses how much a dealer would make by doing some work costing 4.5 lacs under warranty?? If I am not wrong, same dealer is also offering a 30% discount- 1.35K. Whooooooo!! Are you kidding me????? And to the top of it, dealer would still make a decent profit with the repairs. Will Skoda would have offered the similar margins to dealer if repairs are carried out under warranty. Not sure but intution says "Something is fishy"

[SirAlec]

Putting the same 1.9 tdi engine on a new shell with shameless GC, putting a 4x4 that hardly worked, and pricing it like a bomb. and mate that with horrendous service. That was sign enough to stay away from this car.

Skoda when came to india, with a european cheap taxi as a luxury brand in india. Indians gave a warm welcome. It was robustly build, but the ones that had flaws from factory could not be rectified by any sort of experts. But the ones which were good are still running.

[ronin]

I have had first hand experience with Marikar and sad to say it has never been good. They would always give you some sorry reason or other and I had my issues solved only when I had contacted Skoda officials. Have never touched a skoda after that.

[bobbafett]

I own a Skoda Yeti (Ambition 4by4), and this thread has scared the living daylights out of me! While driving in Bombay, I get diesel filled from a trusted BPCL CoCo Pump. But I also do lots of out of town trips and there is no way of knowing which highway pump is selling spurious fuel! And to think that merely getting spurious diesel filled unknowingly can cost so much financially and mentally!! Scared is the word!!

Originally Posted by SirAlec

Putting the same 1.9 tdi engine on a new shell with shameless GC, putting a 4x4 that hardly worked, and pricing it like a bomb. and mate that with horrendous service. That was sign enough to stay away from this car.

Skoda when came to india, with a european cheap taxi as a luxury brand in india. Indians gave a warm welcome. It was robustly build, but the ones that had flaws from factory could not be rectified by any sort of experts. But the ones which were good are still running.

Actually, it is the 2.0 tdi engine, the same found in all sorts of VAG cars, like the Laura, New octavia, Superb, Passat, A4, Q3, Jetta, etc.

Also, the 4by4 system actually works quite well - its just not meant for deep off road, as it does not have 4L, Diff locks, etc. Otherwise its a standard 4th gen Haldex clutch unit - and in fact quite advanced compared to what is available in other soft roaders in the Indian market. For e.g. working alongside the EDLs, it is able to transfer up to 85% power to a single wheel. However, one realizes the beauty of the 4by4 in the way the softroader handles on bad and tricky road conditions (such as water logged/slippery roads in Mumbai, driving through heavy rain conditions in western ghat regions, etc) And there are many russians out there who have a lot of fun with their yetis on the snow as well - but that one is not quite relevant in India.

Point is, the car is actually very good to drive, and unlike many other Skoda cars, luckily the yeti does not have known problems (like the DSG in Superb). But then, when the service centers are out there to get you, one can only pray that the car never reaches a service centre for any untoward reason. That is the fear of most skoda owners on this forum I guess.

[ddis_dude]

Feel really sorry for the OP - was there an update from Skoda on the bill?

Man - am considering buying the Yeti later this month - what with the discounts and all - it is a real neat package to have and is a hoot to drive! A story like this then just shows up in time to put the fear of god in my mind.

Mera bharat mahaan.

[iTNerd]

I have a yeti 4x4 too and my workhorse. Done 18K in 1.5 yrs of ownership without any issues. Have gone to many long trips and of course, had filled fuel in many of the remote stations on the journey. I guess I had been lucky that such incident of water contamination had not taken place with my car. However, this incident with Catamaran is scaring me to the point that in future, I'll be reluctant to take the yeti on long trips. And I guess that pretty much defeat the purpose of owning such a capable, all rounder car. Big 'Q' is - to sell it or babysit it. sad story

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I am just wondering, doesn't Yeti have a water-in-diesel-filter sensor? My 6L Swift has one and once this started glowing after filling diesel from a pump for the first time (that too just for 200-300 bucks as a stop gap arrangement). I later read more instances of fuel quality issues associated with the same pump in Bangalore. The light came on in around 10-15 kms after the fuel was filled and I immediately took it to MA$$ where they diagnosed the error.

The ONLY damage was replacement of the sensor @ 3K/- or so and absolutely NO problems for the car after that. It still runs like a dream at 90K kms, atleast 40K after the issue happened.

2. Marikar is equally notorious (atleast "was") when it comes to A$$. Weren't they handling HM / Ambassador before? When I heard them dealing with Skoda, the first thing came to my mind was "what a combination"!! Sorry for the off-topic comment, but I believe it's Marikar who is going to take up Fiat A$$ in Kottayam too !!

As far as i know Marikar is a pretty old establishment.My grandpa who was a car mechie used to buy the spares for the ambassador in the early 40s-50ss from Marikar.Sad to see their services getting degraded.

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

I have a yeti 4x4 too and my workhorse. Done 18K in 1.5 yrs of ownership without any issues. Have gone to many long trips and of course, had filled fuel in many of the remote stations on the journey. I guess I had been lucky that such incident of water contamination had not taken place with my car. However, this incident with Catamaran is scaring me to the point that in future, I'll be reluctant to take the yeti on long trips. And I guess that pretty much defeat the purpose of owning such a capable, all rounder car. Big 'Q' is - to sell it or babysit it. sad story

Instead of avoiding long trips, I would recommend to have list of good fuel stations in the planed/potential route and stick to those fuel stations. Avoiding long trips only for the need of good fuel is not such a good idea.

I personally drive a lot and always have the list of fuel stations. When in doubt, I will talk to local car owners or Taxi owners to get the info. This I will do when car still have nearly 1/3rd of fuel left, so that I am not is desperate situation of running out of fuel.