Replacing Octavia with what?

magnus500

Hi folks

Looking to sell my 05 Octavia as having reliability issues. Loved the big boot but have paid out a lot in only a year, now being quoted €900 to fix brakes so letting it go.

Question is what to replace with for a budget of about €4000? I thought skoda was meant to be reliable but have not found that. Have a couple if young kids so need space for a buggy and looking to keep tax costs down so don't really want to go over a 1.6 engine.

Reliability more important than the drive but still want to be able to overtake on a motorway! I do pretty low mileage of about 10k km a year.

Or am I better if just getting the fix done on the car? Even the skoda garage told me I "might be throwing good money at bad considering the age and mileage".

Focus? Verso? Corolla?

Thanks for any help.

MuppetCheck

What's costing 900 on the brakes exactly?

bazz26

What's wrong with the brakes that is costing €900 to fix? Also is that a main Skoda dealer's price? If so then get a quote from an independent garage, imo there is no value in bringing a 9 year old car to a main dealer when the job can be done by a good independent garage for a lot less. Also remember that there is no guarantee that spending €4k on another car will get you a trouble free car.

pablo128

900 on brakes is crazy money, unless it's the abs pump. And to be honest, if that's what they are charging for the brakes, what else have they overcharged for?
So is the car really costing a fortune to maintain, or are you just paying a fortune to maintain it, if you get me.

magnus500

bazz26 wrote: »

What's wrong with the brakes that is costing €900 to fix? Also is that a main Skoda dealer's price? If so then get a quote from an independent garage, imo there is no value in bringing a 9 year old car to a main dealer when the job can be done by a good independent garage for a lot less. Also remember that there is no guarantee that spending €4k on another car will get you a trouble free car.

It was main skoda dealership in sandyford. I had broken a wing mirror and needed a replacement part from them, asked them to look at a squeaky brake while I was there. They said brake disc discoloured, could be due to binding. Need to strip to inspect. They then recommended a brake overhaul brake, change pads and discs, break caliper handbrake cables, brake fluid change rear brake hoses cracking. Said they thought the lot would cost around €900. The main issue is a squeak starting on longer journeys on the rear right wheel. Are dealerships often more expensive than independent guys then? I have the number of a guy in bray who is supposed to be good so maybe I just go there. Thanks for all the help guys.

Dark sun

They don't call them stealers for nothing defo go to independent garage would cost almost half that not that big of a job imo.

Shady Tady

magnus500 wrote: »

It was main skoda dealership in sandyford. I had broken a wing mirror and needed a replacement part from them, asked them to look at a squeaky brake while I was there. They said brake disc discoloured, could be due to binding. Need to strip to inspect. They then recommended a brake overhaul brake, change pads and discs, break caliper handbrake cables, brake fluid change rear brake hoses cracking. Said they thought the lot would cost around €900. The main issue is a squeak starting on longer journeys on the rear right wheel. Are dealerships often more expensive than independent guys then? I have the number of a guy in bray who is supposed to be good so maybe I just go there. Thanks for all the help guys.

Stay away from main dealers. Rip off merchants, ask around and find a local garage with a good reputation and stick with them as much as you can. In the long run you'll save a fortune and have a better car under you

MuppetCheck

That seems excessive for the brakes. Get quotes from a few different garages. Main dealers tend to be more expensive but that's not always the case. There are some independents that charge more.

I wouldn't be changing the car based on it being unreliable. That's a sticky calliper and otherwise routine maintenance. But it does seem like they are going to town on you.

sandydan

in my experience €4000 is not far off what some dealers add to car you buy in order to give you an inflated trade in price,. i have a 03 skoda 1.4 petrol and apart from suspension and brake linings not much else goes wrong.
it s worth ringing around a few breakers for parts, and post a thread here and a whole lot of free good advice is usually available that's my experience anyhow. find out what you are being quoted for and post it here, and you will get good advice.
btw some newer models are not trouble free

sandydan

i had squeaky rear wheel in skoda as well apart from caliper the wheel bearing was dry , i think brake parts,linings cylinders and labour came to around €140 . cables are not usually an issue but,,also priced skoda wing mirror in breakers in perfect condition around €50. ring another Skoda dealer for brake disc price and hoses.and good luck.

i had another car with a turbo screeching so loud it would wake the d,,. so m.dealer told me they needed put it on diagnostics, i asked how much that was and there was €50 charge & €2,500 turbo fee .so i told them..and sat into car and got it sorted elsewhere for less than €1100

sandydan

i know this may sound like contradiction of advice i gave but met friend who changed from octavia, due to some electrical fault in dash or behind it ,bought 04 corolla said a lot of farmers have them and seem to have little or no suspension ,electrical or major repairs with them and still pass nct,bought off local garage, not dealer

magnus500

Yup, they're meant to be great for reliability alright. Problem is I had a look at one the other day and TBH by the time I stick a buggy in the boot I'm not going to get much else in there. Cheers though.

toyotaavensis

magnus500 wrote: »

It was main skoda dealership in sandyford. I had broken a wing mirror and needed a replacement part from them, asked them to look at a squeaky brake while I was there. They said brake disc discoloured, could be due to binding. Need to strip to inspect. They then recommended a brake overhaul brake, change pads and discs, break caliper handbrake cables, brake fluid change rear brake hoses cracking. Said they thought the lot would cost around €900. The main issue is a squeak starting on longer journeys on the rear right wheel. Are dealerships often more expensive than independent guys then? I have the number of a guy in bray who is supposed to be good so maybe I just go there. Thanks for all the help guys.

I have to laugh at this. Your brakes are squeaking. Our solution is to replace every single part of the brakes system and take 900 euro for this.
This could be one sticky caliper which needs some grease and a clean.

sandydan

are you thinking estate type for carrying childrens parafanalia ,well in my opinion you are going to up fuel consumption , or get higher road tax, verso are popular ,and you get toyota reliability in that range, in dsl avensis estate or petrol verso if going away from skoda, but im not able to advise in that field, i often recon if i was back 17 years ago again, i should have got something like vw transporter or liteace equivalent with seats,had opel ascona and vectra hatchbacks and B&B holidays with 3 kids were a nightmare, ive seen couples with those since and think they are great for that purpose, need handy car for work or town runs then as well though and that may not suit either,
good luck with whatever you choose

magnus500

toyotaavensis wrote: »

I have to laugh at this. Your brakes are squeaking. Our solution is to replace every single part of the brakes system and take 900 euro for this.
This could be one sticky caliper which needs some grease and a clean.

They said there was discoloration on the brake pad. Doesn't this mean I just need a new brake pad? I asked. Not sure, we'd have to take the whole lot apart. Told them not to bother.

sandydan

magnus500 wrote: »

They said there was discoloration on the brake pad. Doesn't this mean I just need a new brake pad? I asked. Not sure, we'd have to take the whole lot apart. Told them not to bother.

good ,a good few doses of that is required on regular basis
typical of stories from certain dealers, where do they think the money for that sort of shinanigans will come from, yet they charge top dollar and don,t allow a decent price or loyalty bonus for trade in of the cars they have been servicing in own garages.i always ask for quotation for work now and have regularly driven away telling them i need to consider price or get other quotes

toyotaavensis

Find another mechanic and ask him to have a look. I think you will find it a lot cheaper than what you were quoted.
Where are you based?

magnus500

toyotaavensis wrote: »

Find another mechanic and ask him to have a look. I think you will find it a lot cheaper than what you were quoted.
Where are you based?

Based in Greystones. I have the number of mechanic in Bray meant to be good.

Irishcrx

Good lord almighty, I really don't understand how so many people go to main dealers are hand them their wallets withoiut even questioning the rip off cost of the work. €900 is a joke , go to a mechanic who works for himself and is reliable.

I'm getting the timing belt done on my 166 V6 next week and went looking for costs , rang a main dealer just for comparision to what I was getting off the independents.

Called Alasta Auto in Ringsend and they told me €1800 parts and labour , nearly died of laughter.

Got on to Mister Auto and bought the parts belts , pulleys and water pump €370 , rang a former Alfa mechanic who now works for himself €250.

Total cost - €620
Savings from rip off dealer - €1180

sandydan

in my case the €140 covered brakes at both sides rear axle and included grease in bearings and one new set left side i think. but i had bought car from him 6 months previous will return