how many kilometres before a timing gear, timing chain, and water pump need to be replaced on my 2012 Skoda Fabia?

Despite the Skoda badge, there’s an awful lot of Volkswagen engineering in the Fabia. In fact, as part of the broader VW family, all modern Skodas have essentially VW platforms, engines and transmissions fitted to them. It will come as no surprise to many VW owners that the engines and transmissions of the era of your car were more problematic than they should have been. Many Golf and Polo owners have found out the hard way that the 1.4 twin-charger engine (in particular) was prone to problems and early failures of components including the timing chain. If caught within the warranty period, these components should have been changed by Skoda as part of its warranty responsibilities, but ten years down the track, the picture is a lot blurrier. The way to proceed is to approach Skoda Australia’s customer service department and explain the situation. Perhaps the company will help with the cost of repairs on a pro-rata basis (given the low mileage your car has covered) but don’t count on it. You also have recourse to the ACCC on the basis that the car was not of an acceptable quality or fit for purpose (this would probably need to be independently verified). Meanwhile, the short answer is that 48,000km of normal use would not be considered to be an acceptable lifespan for a component such as an engine’s timing chain. Timing chains are designed to last the entire life of the engine. But in too many cases, we’re seeing that that simply isn’t the case.

What caused my 2013 Skoda Fabia to go into limp-home mode?

Your situation may be caused any one (or more) of about a thousand faults that is making the car’s on-board computer think that there’s a major problem. In turn, the computer switches the engine to operate on minimal power to make it home without destroying or further damaging any component. A car’s limp-home mode system is triggered by a range of protocols that are acted upon whenever the car perceives a drama. Anything from low oil level to a hot transmission can cause the limp-home system to intervene, and it can be an actual fault or, sometimes, simply an erroneous signal from a sensor that isn’t telling the truth. Have the car scanned and see what error codes are produced.

Skoda Fabia 2017: Would it make a good first car?

I think that a Kia Rio would be an excellent choice as a first car. Especially since a Rio built in the time frame you’re looking at will still have a big chunk of its factory warranty left to run. The Kia seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is the best around, really, and provided the car you buy has a complete service record, that warranty will be real peace of mind. Also, the Rio is known to be a good, solid car that has a good reputation for reliability and durability. The Skoda Fabia, meantime, suffers from the poor reputation of is dual-clutch transmission. The Fabia is also a bit of an orphan in Australia, meaning that it’s largely overlooked by buyers. That means it will potentially be more difficult to unload when you daughter looks to upgrade her car in a few years.

Does the Skoda Fabia have any known issues?

As part of the Volkswagen family, Skoda cars suffer from the same reliability cloud hanging over them in terms of transmission and electrical problems. The era of Skoda you’re shopping for was also one of the most problematic for such maladies, too, so just because your friend’s car has been perfect, doesn’t mean the next one will behave the same. The Subaru XV is generally regarded as a more reliable long-term prospect but you’re right in suspecting that it will use a little more fuel. Depending on what engine the Fabia is fitted with, the official combined fuel consumption can be as low as 5.3 litres per 100km, while the XV’s will be anything from 7.0 litres and up. That’s mainly to do with the Subaru’s all-wheel-drive which makes the car heavier and requires more fuel to overcome the drag and friction of driving twice as many wheels and axles. The pay-off is in the superb grip offered by the Subaru’s all-wheel-drive which gives it an active safety edge over two-wheel-drive cars on less than perfect surfaces. However, if fuel efficiency is your holy grail, then a Subaru might be a disappointment.

Which hatchback should I buy?

The best times to buy are usually the end of the financial year, or at model run-out times, that's when the specials are on. The CVT and dual-clutch autos are both still unknowns in terms of long-term reliability, but either should be ok over the five years you plan to keep the car. Any of the cars you list, and the list is a long one, would be ok. It really comes down to what you like.

Gearbox problems with a 2017 Skoda Fabia

It’s still under Skoda’s new car warranty, so they are responsible for fixing it. You should continue to attempt to deal with the company to get it fixed. If you feel that Skoda is not taking the appropriate action than take them to the ACCC and try and get something happening that way.

Fun and reliable first cars

Both are fun cars to drive, they’re relatively new, so should be reliable. I would prefer the Swift; I reckon you’ll get a better run out of it.

Skoda Fabia auto opinion

It's a car that gets The Tick but be careful with the fine print covering the extra warranty, as you often must have it serviced only at the selling dealer.

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Skoda Fabia 2016 Problems

No car is perfect, but we've gathered everything relating to the Skoda Fabia 2016 reliability here to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Were Skoda petrol models affected by the VW scandal?

Answered by CarsGuide 22 Jan 2016

So far the scandal has only affected diesel models, so you could be able to buy a petrol model with confidence.

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Skoda Fabia 2016 Problems

Were Skoda petrol models affected by the VW scandal?

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