Skoda Problems

Skoda Auto is owned by Volkswagen Group. Other car companies that fall under the VW Group banner include Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT and, of course, Volkswagen.

The main Skoda factory remains in the Czech Republic in Mladá Boleslav. They also have plants in Kvasiny, Vrchlabi and Prague. Volkswagen owns the Skoda brand so outside of the Czech Republic, Skodas are made in Slovakia, India, Russia and China, predominantly in Volkswagen plants.

Australian customers currently have a choice of two petrol-powered Skoda Kodiaq models, both featuring 4x4 drive systems using electronic diff lock options for off-roading or low-grip situations. 

The Skoda Kodiaq towing capacity is officially listed as 2000kg of braked trailer and 750kg of unbraked trailer.

Skoda's Kodiaq mid-size crossover SUV is built in the Czech Republic, China, India, Russia, and the Ukraine.

There’s no way to tell if the DSG gearbox will play up in the future, all you can do now is to test drive the car in as many driving situations as you can and look for anything that might suggest an underlying problem. If it drives ok I wouldn’t be concerned about it. Brakes do tend to wear out faster on European cars than cars from Asia, and parts are likely to be a little more expensive. It’s important to verify the low odometer reading, and it should have a record of regular servicing.

It hasn’t been hit, which would be obvious to an experienced eye, and there haven’t been any repairs done to it, so how does Skoda explain that. Your options are to continue pursuing Skoda to repair your car for free, enlist the help of your state consumer affairs people in the hope they might be able to assist you, or pay for it yourself and move on.

Despite VW's plan to include the Golf GTE in its line-up, the variant is no longer available. The company anticipates that rather than introduce a PHEV, it will go directly to EVs in Australia. But it's possible that its sister brand, Skoda will get the eventual production version of the Vision RS PHEV that was shown here a while ago. We're told that wouldn't be before 2021.

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.