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Old 5th May 2010, 00:10   #1
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My Misery of Skoda Laura AT L&K

If you still want to buy a Skoda car after reading my experience then you must either be a masochist or you don’t care enough for your life and money. I own the fully loaded & Automatic Skoda Laura L&K (Black Magic Colour) car no. MH41-C-3030. I bought this misery in the August of 2007 for a whopping Rs. 18.28 Lacs (outside Octroi).
Presently I am driving an Oven. My car ambient temperature indication shows 54-55 degrees Celcius during the Day (photographs available) and 44 degree Celsius during the nights. Did you know that Skoda gave you a Sauna system free in its Car! I did not know!
The world and its mother know how lousy an air conditioner the Laura has. As it is, a normally functional Skoda AC does not cool unless you set the temperature to 16-17 degree Celsius. Moreover amongst hundreds of warranty failures of the Skoda ACs reported, my car AC decided to give up the day warranty ended. The replacement cost is approximately Rs. 95000
This was after 3 various earlier warranty claims that I had availed in the first 2 years of buying this misery. Once for an electronic gadget (approx Rs. 45000) that always kept the emission alarm on and put the car in safe mode, next for the steering gear which locked the steering (approx Rs. 65000 + life risk) and 3rd for the Turbo replacement (approx Rs. 120000).
If you think the snail is slow then you have surely not met Skoda warranty Service. In my 3rd warranty claim of the Turbo I was without a car for 1.5 months. If I put together the time my car remained at Skoda service centres for warranty problems, it totals up to 2.5 months in 2 years. As my bank loan is only 8 lacs with an instalment of Rs. 26000 per month, I have paid Rs. 65000 to the bank when I had no vehicle in my hand. At the same time I had to pay approximately Rs. 50000 to rent out another car in those 2.5 months. Be warned, these losses are not covered by warranty.
On one occasion my car smoked in the middle of the Kasara Ghats (between Nasik and Mumbai). I thought I would soon be barbequed so I jumped out of the car. Fortunately the car was only smoking and not on fire. I had to catch a flight from Mumbai but I was instead peddling my way down the Ghats of Kasara. The Skoda Toeing service (from JMD) picked up the car and fixed some problem which they said was with the AC.
In short SKODA has given me a totally defective piece with repetitive manufacturing defects burning my time, money and heart. I am not the only one here! If you still want some more proof, just google “skoda complains” or “skoda problems” and there are over 300 complaints on government website, apart from team bhp etc.

If you still want to buy a SKODA you are one of the following:
1) Suicidal
2) Fatally Masochist
3) Have a hefty life insurance that can be cashed in heaven (or hell).
4) have hobby of drilling holes in your own pocket
5) Have more money that you can spend
6) your time has no value
7) Love banging head on the wall
8) Share holder of SKODA AUTO (Get out of these stocks in a year)
9) Clueless with no information gathering capability
10) Got a “friend (??)” or a “well-wisher (??)” (you know what I mean!)

If you have recently bought a Skoda you have an option to quickly get rid of it or test your patience like me but please don’t misguide your friend to buy one. If there is one credit you would want to give Skoda Service it would be the nostalgia of the good old days of the Premier Padmini & the Ambassador dealer services of the times of License Raj! Skoda deserves to meet the same fate.
A friend told me, “the meaning of word SKODA in Czechoslovakian means “BAD.” Now what more hints do you need?

All I want Skoda is to take back the blessed car and refund my entire money (I am working out the cost of harassment to me.)

Hope some of you - the innocent souls manage to save yourselves.
Vineet Majgaonkar
Managing Director
Armstrong mbp Ltd.
mobile: 09673707055

Last edited by Rehaan : 5th May 2010 at 10:05. Reason: Removing your company website link. You may enter it directly in your user profile if you wish.
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Old 5th May 2010, 11:38   #2
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I hope you have sent them a legal notice of some sort and going to take this to at least consumer court (provided you have all the proof) to make sure that they realise that they sold you a Lemon and need to replace the car.
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Old 5th May 2010, 11:48   #3
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You seem very frustrated with Skoda and you have every right to! There are others on this forum who are also suffering in the hands of skoda. Check out Harishv's post @
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rned-year.html

There is one thread by gagananand whose Skoda Superb was replaced @
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...oblem-now.html
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Old 5th May 2010, 11:53   #4
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Hey Vineet:

My sympathies. Contact Harish (username: Harishv) who is also fighting a case against Skoda.

You can learn more about the "Screwed by Skoda" community members, and that includes me, at the following links:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...its-users.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rned-year.html

My own misery can be read here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...signature.html

I was lucky to land on Team BHP before buying the car, unlike most others.
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Old 5th May 2010, 11:59   #5
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Yet another S(k)oda lemon. I hope you have all the necessary paper-work/service bills and patience to take them to court. It's going to be a long battle.
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Old 5th May 2010, 12:18   #6
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You may also have to wait for your children or grandchildren to actually get a judgement given our legal system - after all in the Vedas Time is Immortal (Samay Anadi Anant Hai!)
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Old 5th May 2010, 12:18   #7
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vinmaz, do you have any enemies in your professional or personal life? You could try selling your L&K to them.
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Old 5th May 2010, 12:35   #8
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@smartcat-lol,completely cracked me up.
@vineet-either sell the car and try and get over it or fight it out. you should definitely speak to harish once,he's been fighting it out for very long.

never a skoda for my family,NEVER.
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Old 5th May 2010, 12:53   #9
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All that you write about the car is true in certain pieces.

Now if you want to get the AC working it is available from Opera House (An Authorized Shop that sells only original spares with bill) For Rs. 36,000 (Compressor) add another 4K max for installation and gas.

That should atleast cool you down.

PS. My horror stories with my own Auto L&K Laura are actually worse than your. The car is not designed for the Indian Market.

They won't replace your Car - just won't happen, so getting the AC and other stuff that is down repaired outside the authorized market may serve your cause best.

Have gone through 2 turbo failures(once outside warranty), AC compressoer replacement outside warranty, Gearshift, Axel, Sterio Unit, Airbags issue etc..
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Old 5th May 2010, 12:58   #10
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Note the time on the LCD panel as well.
Attached Thumbnails
My Misery of Skoda Laura AT L&K-03052010504.jpg  

My Misery of Skoda Laura AT L&K-25042010496.jpg  

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Old 5th May 2010, 13:01   #11
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After going through all the threads pointed by rutvij and + this one, I kissed my Indica DLS.

@vinmaz, on a serious note, you know what to do next, right? Get rid of this machine ASAP at any cost and get the best lawyer you can hire.
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Old 5th May 2010, 13:03   #12
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Smartcat, I am ready to gift it to my enemy, why sell?
ACM, Thanks for your advice, today I have received a message from Skoda that 100% compressor & 70% Condenser cost will be borne by them in Goodwill warranty. Lets see what dent it creates in my pocket and how much time this takes?
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Old 5th May 2010, 13:14   #13
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Vineet,

In this forum you will find different people

1. people who will pity you
2. people who might have a good laugh that Skoda managed to fool another customer
3. people who have suffered after buying the Skoda vehicle, but kept quiet/bought peace
4. people who have sued Skoda, waiting for judgement from the courts
5. people who have made up their mind never to buy a skoda.

you need to decide which group you want to join. I am sure you will not join the first two groups.

in my view you have following options

1. sell off the car, write off your losses, buy another car, focus on your business, recover your losses quickly.

2. sue the dealer + company, spend your time, energy, money into an activity which has already consumed a lot of your time, energy, money, pride and the activity which has no end date fixed.

internet has long memories like elephants, so this experience sharing by you will guide others anyway.

choose your options wisely, apply Sunk Cost principle.
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Old 5th May 2010, 13:18   #14
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I once believed Skoda was a Pandora's Box. Now, I have come to believe its a Pandora's Chest.

I am not going to offer words of comfort as I know no amount of sympathy will undo all that you had to endure for no fault of yours.

Contact Harish, he is fighting a case against Skoda, he might be of some help.

Get rid of that junk and buy yourself a safe and reliable machine.


PS: I think, " If you still want to buy a SKODA you are one of the following: "

Should go into the Official Jokes thread.

Last edited by sachinj12 : 5th May 2010 at 13:20.
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Old 5th May 2010, 13:34   #15
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Thats a very sad post to start with at T-BHP. Sorry to hear about your experience. I hope Skoda is listening.
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