My Octavia has its 1st major issue: How I saved 70% of the repair costs

The car has been absolutely trouble-free over the 4.5 years of ownership.

BHPian amitmanjul recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So, after a lovely 4.5 years of absolutely trouble-free ownership, I have come across my 1st issue with the EA888 Gen3 engine, in the shape of a coolant leak.

A quick background:

I drove to Hassan for work a few days back, taking the lovely Hassan highway out of Bengaluru. (Apart from a few under-construction sections close to Hassan, the road is a dream - a superb mix of straights & twisties & nicely laid out asphalt). Before embarking on my return journey, I popped open the hood & was surprised to see the low levels of coolant (pic attached).

I spoke to a knowledgeable person, topped up the reservoir with distilled water & returned to Bangalore. When I checked after a couple of more days, the coolant level had again dropped a bit.

I got the issue checked by Mithun from Forza Automotives (a reliable & knowledgeable SKODA FNG, if you want to look up one in South Bangalore) & the issue has provisionally been diagnosed as a possible water pump/thermostat failure. Here's a video link.

And to top it all, such was my seamless ownership till now, that I did not bother investing in extended warranties So many questions swirling around in my head now:

1. Does it really require a replacement or is there a fix around it?
2. Can I somehow cajole SKODA to offer a goodwill replacement?
3. What is the likelihood of it recurring again?
4. Any possible preventive measures?

Will be grateful to tap into the reservoir of knowledge available on this group.

Update:

Skoda may offer some goodwill warranty. Ask for it formally & politely but firmly.

Hi, I am pleased to share that after I put in a request through my SA, the TAFE service centre offered a 70% goodwill discount on materials. I didn’t negotiate further as I quickly needed my car back.

They completed the job in 24 hours, and I am collecting my car tomorrow.

My total expense is coming out to Rs 16,035. This includes Rs 9,507 as materials cost and Rs 6,527 as labour charge. (redacted invoice attached for reference).

Hoping for many happy years of driving ahead!!

Here's what BHPian cogWheel had to say on the matter:

Water pump leak is a known issue in the Octavia / Jetta twins. Have it replaced immediately. It is not repairable.

The pump leak can lead to a coolant drip on the timing belt and damage it. Remember to have the timing belt inspected and replace that too if there are signs of damage.

There is no specific preventive measure. Checking the coolant level frequently for early detection of a leak and saving the timing belt is the only thing one can do.

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