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Old 15th September 2020, 19:08   #1
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Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Hello to all TBhpians. I have a problem that I need advice for. Thanks in advance.

I own a 2018 Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo (then called “X edition”), diesel DSG. I’ve driven 24,000 km and it is under warranty.

Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn-rapid.jpg

10th August:
I was driving on the expressway at 120 km/hr and suddenly the speed dropped to 80 km/hr. Engine vibrations increased and gear changes would only happen at 4000 rpm. I switched to manual mode and the gear changes were normal, but it still wouldn't go above 80 km/hr.

I drove it like that to the Autobahn workshop at Sewri, approximately 50 km away.


13th August:
Service Advisor (SA) called me and said that diesel is less, and they need to refuel in order to go for a long test drive to diagnose the problem.


19th August:
SA mailed and said that there is fuel adulteration in the vehicle, and "we have to diagnose the same and will take time for the process". He said he will update me if there is any cost to me.


20th August:
SA informed me that the fuel injector has rust. He said he has raised a query to Skoda India to cover the part under warranty but he has not got a reply from them.


21st August:
I went to Autobahn, SA gave me the news that Skoda India has refused to cover it under warranty. I was told the cost would go up to 1.5 lacs (fuel injector and other parts) and would take 20 days to repair.

I said I'm not going to pay, it's under warranty and not my fault. I told him to keep the car, I don't want it back, and that I didn’t expect this service from them.

SA said since you're a loyal customer (I also own a Yeti since 2011), he'll put another query stating it's not customer’s fault and that Skoda should cover it under warranty.

The manager then stepped in and showed me a pic of the injector having rust. He assumed that the car was standstill in the lockdown and that’s why the injector has rusted so much. I told him that the car was running in lockdown for essentials and groceries.

Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn-injector.jpg

The manager then asked me where I fill fuel, stating that I shouldn’t use random pumps. I told him we ALWAYS fill from the same pump.

Manager then said we'll put a query again to Skoda and get back to me.

I don't believe any adulteration has happened at the pump from my side. We’ve used the same pump for 30 years. (It’s right outside our building.) It also HAS A ROOF. How can water leak in while refuelling? We’ve filled petrol/diesel for 30 years at this pump and never had a problem.


24th August:
I called SA and he said there's still no reply and we're trying our best.


28th August:
SA said he’s still waiting for Skoda’s response.


9th September:
SA called and said Skoda has agreed to pay for 70% of the repair, and that he’s trying to get Skoda to cover 90% of the cost. He said he’ll get back to me in few more days.


I want to know what can be done in this situation. Who is at fault? Is it poor/faulty parts? Why is Skoda taking so long to reply? It’s been a month now that the car is with them. They did offer me another Rapid as a temporary car, but I refused since it was a manual and I have another car.

I’ve made it clear I’m not going to pay for this. I’ve driven 24,000 km in 2 years and I have a quotation for 1.5 lac for no fault of mine. The SA told me it’s not your fault and it’s not Skoda’s fault either.

I have been servicing my Yeti at Autobahn since 2011 and they did do a goodwill AC overhaul once.

They did not give me a written quotation and I didn’t ask for one because I was clear I have no intention of paying whatsoever.
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Old 15th September 2020, 20:12   #2
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re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Completely sympathize with your situation and rightly with no fault of yours. In 2018, Skoda had the 4 years warranty. I am not very sure however the fuel injector should be covered under warranty. Another Skoda After Sales Service fiasco been reported. I wonder with Vento being the same car how come such horrendous issues do not crop up in it. Or is it that they are not reported on such forums?
I believe Skoda will cover 100% of the cost. I can only advice you to tweet to their official handle, send an official complaint on their email ID and keep following up with Autobahn. Reading Skoda service issues back to back, I felt dubious of them filling the diesel for a long test drive.
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Old 15th September 2020, 20:19   #3
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re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Quote:
Originally Posted by VWAllstar View Post
I am not very sure however the fuel injector should be covered under warranty.
In general, performance failure of Injector or fuel pump will not be covered under warranty since the fuel quality plays a vital role. But the cases like this (Rust) or early mileage failures will be honored (by default. if not, after a little pressure)
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Old 15th September 2020, 20:22   #4
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re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Injector issues have plagued VAG cars since a decade now and am shocked that they have the audacity to tell you it is your fault. Rust on injectors blamed for car standing still in lockdown makes no sense to me at all. Your car is in warranty and you should not pay a dime to get this replaced under warranty.

As for fuel quality being blamed, when Mercedes and Bmw cars can run without any trouble on Indian diesel, i see no reason why these injectors can not bear it.

Why do VW/Skoda negotiate for repairs with customers like buying 5 kg potatoes, 60% claim, 70% claim etc. This is a part which does not go bad till 1-2 lac kms, please put your foot down and refuse to pay a penny. Escalate this to Zac/Skoda, there are some demerits when you buy a Skoda and this is one of these, escalate and hope they approve the claim.

Last edited by coolboy007 : 15th September 2020 at 20:24.
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Old 15th September 2020, 20:38   #5
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re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

This is bizarre. A model running since 10 years still has injector problems. 24k kms is too low for an injector to fail. Even if it fail they are bound to replace it without asking for any penny.

Usually when an injector fails, Check Engine light comes up and then the engine goes to limp mode. If it did and you failed to notice, ask them for the logs. Error must be stored in the ECU and they can easily retrieve that along with the odometer reading, time and date.

If there are no logs then I don't think the injector is causing any issue.

Even I faced a similar problem, but in my case check engine light showed up. Perhaps, Your problem could be because of change in fuel, from BS4 to BS6.
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Old 16th September 2020, 06:35   #6
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

What the heck is the point of "warranty" if Skoda won't honour their commitment? What a farce. Incidents like this continue to damage Skoda's reputation, and rogue dealers like Autobahn (who have so many customer complaints) just make it worse. Would suggest you to fight tooth & nail and get 100% of the repair costs covered under warranty.

The frequency of Skoda complaints sure is on the rise since the lockdown lifted. I'm not buying that their after-sales quality has been "magically" overhauled.

Quite sad how they are treating a repeat customer who also owns a Yeti.

Last edited by GTO : 16th September 2020 at 06:37.
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Old 16th September 2020, 07:45   #7
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Off topic,

Why can't manufacturers come up with some system to detect & warn drivers about fuel issue to take corrective steps to avoid these issues I wonder.

Skoda service is notoriously famous all over India & internet is almost 100% negative with their feedback. No comments there.

But as in for the issue, first Gen Figo too had injector issues as there are few mentioned here in forum & a friend of mine too faced issues with his Figo First Gen. Being a repeat customer of Ford (he bought an EcoSport too), they covered a good portion of his bill under goodwill gesture.

But my point is how they hell I am supposed to know that I got bad fuel & particles are there to ruin my fuel injection system. I wonder what is the role of fuel filter here

Why can't there be some early, preventive warning system for the user?
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Old 16th September 2020, 09:08   #8
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Does Škoda expect people to get lab tests done at every fuel station before tanking up? Did your car throw a CEL? Rust due to the lockdown is hilarious. Škoda should replace then under warranty and not play these % games.
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Old 16th September 2020, 09:44   #9
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

It is a part that is 100% covered under warranty. Come what may, put your foot down and get it 100% covered by Skoda. You shouldn't pay even a single penny in this case. All this 70% and 90%, I believe, is a game played by the dealership to push you to see the limit where you breakdown! I even doubt the dealer has written to Skoda. You can ask your SA to forward the emails to you, that he has supposedly written to Skoda for warranty claim. When Skoda and VW has silently replaced innumerable DQ200 gearboxes, this is beyond me to believe Skoda is trying to bargain with the customer on % responsibility. Don't let this go, and teamBHP is there to support you. Injector failure is even more common compared to DSG failure and Skoda with all their right mind will replace it FOC.
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:02   #10
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

I smell fraud all over. It's very unlikely that fuel injectors will rust like that. I have a feeling the dealership is seriously playing around to earn some cash so as to survive the recession and pandemic.

Ensure this thread and all the required info reaches Zac Hollis on Twitter and on Facebook.

Skoda and it's dealerships need to realise that they can't fool all of the people all the time.
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:04   #11
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

This forum is plagued recently with posts about failures in new cars. A 2 year old Car with 24k on the Odo has a fuel pump failure!

The manufacturer should replace the part with no cost to customer. Skoda/VW dealers have the worst service experience of all manufacturers in India.

I remember checking out a Passat belonging to the Director of a MNC Bank. He was keen to sell it to a dealer and not to an Individual. On further prodding him on the stance, he said I can't bear having to sell this to an Individual after going through the horrendous service experience with VW dealers.

Last edited by Sheel : 16th September 2020 at 10:12. Reason: thru = through. No SMS language / short forms please.
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:08   #12
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

Why should corrosion happen in such a new car? Skoda had not tested it in Indian conditions? How and why are people buying Skodas despite such disgraceful feedback?

I have a 2002 car from Maruti that hasn't required a major service so far, and I am not alone. This car has seen everything from Shell petrol pumps to remote village bottle based filling up. Yet no rust.

Skoda is taking customers for a ride in India. How can rust occur if a car is less than a decade old, in any part not just the fuel system?
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:19   #13
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

I dont know which car should buyers choose. One from Tata which will have a niggle on first drive but with supportive dealership or from Skoda, who apparently make fantastic cars but have a sword over your neck during each crank!

I get nightmares thinking about such bills as I have a Polo which is technically an identical car.
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:21   #14
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

I had given up on Skoda the day Mahavir Hyderabad tried to hide the horrible history of my pre-owned Superb. I think it's about time Skoda should pack up and leave the country for good. If you cannot keep parts, have an extremely incompetent dealer network and a bloody AC blower fan costs 26.5 grand and two weeks of time, then don't serve us. Pack and leave! I'd happily give my car away for a Fortuner/CR-V.
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Old 16th September 2020, 10:41   #15
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Re: Fuel injector rusted in 2 year old Skoda Rapid within warranty! Astronomical quote from Autobahn

I have a technical question: can one repair a rusted injector? I have never seen a fuel injector up close. How much components if fuel injector are electronic?
If Skoda can honour sensor and ecu claims then injector should also be covered.
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