[Kodi1311]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice. Unsure if this is a common issue.

Got in the car after work today and went to close the door (from inside) and the grab handle just completely snapped off. Phoned dealership and apparently they have seen it once before and the guy is unsure if covered under warranty and will find out tomorrow. Knowing Skoda they won't cover it. It seems anything door related on a kodiaq is as sturdy as a chocolate fireguard. Cars done 36k. Just passed the first mot yesterday with 0 advisories. Warranty runs out on the 26th this month. No doubt it'll not to a cheap fix at the dealership.

See attached photo.

Thanks in advance

 

[Colin Lambert]

Don't stand any [email protected] from dealer or Skoda U.K.
Come back if no joy.
Good luck.

 

[FoxtrotAlpha]

Don't stand any [email protected] from dealer or Skoda U.K.
Come back if no joy.
Good luck.

Skoda U.K. no longer cares about customers anymore, become too big for their boots, hence why I will not be replacing my Kodiaq with another one.

 

[Colin Lambert]

F.A.
I tend to agree. But the real reasons I am seriously considering changing manufacturer are....
1. I do not like the BMW/ Merc attitude that Skoda appear to be adopting. that you buy the car and get the minimum in useful options, if you want more they increases the price considerably.
2.Skoda are lagging behind in EV/PHEV cars and those they do produce are too expensive.
3. I HATE HUGE wheels with rubber band tyres. they give unacceptable rides (for my poor old back) and any sniff of a 'curbing' and the rim is b*ggered as the tyre does not protrude beyond the rim.
I have already had to spend £300 on 4 s/hand alloys and tyres to make a more compliant ride and avoid any rim damage.
The only answer appears to be to go Japanese or Korean as they all tend to come 'fully loaded' with 16 inch wheels with 'PROPER' tyres fitted!
Very sad, I have enjoyed all my 8 Skodas, but I feel it will be time to move on at next change.

 

[scratch113]

F.A.
I tend to agree. But the real reasons I am seriously considering changing manufacturer are....
1. I do not like the BMW/ Merc attitude that Skoda appear to be adopting. that you buy the car and get the minimum in useful options, if you want more they increases the price considerably.
2.Skoda are lagging behind in EV/PHEV cars and those they do produce are too expensive.
3. I HATE HUGE wheels with rubber band tyres. they give unacceptable rides (for my poor old back) and any sniff of a 'curbing' and the rim is b*ggered as the tyre does not protrude beyond the rim.
I have already had to spend £300 on 4 s/hand alloys and tyres to make a more compliant ride and avoid any rim damage.
The only answer appears to be to go Japanese or Korean as they all tend to come 'fully loaded' with 16 inch wheels with 'PROPER' tyres fitted!
Very sad, I have enjoyed all my 8 Skodas, but I feel it will be time to move on at next change.

Colin, have you looked at Seat? Essentially the same car underneath, but sorts out your major complaint about options in that other than colour, there are 6 levels of trim (SE, SE Tech, FR, FR Sport, Xcellence and Xcellence Lux) to choose from, which come with more kit as you pay a bit more, but there isn't then a long list of things you can add to each trim. Seems very like the Kia/Hyundai method of selling cars to me.

That said, I don't think the Tarraco looks even remotely as good as the Kodiaq, even though they are essentially identical other than the badge branding and grill. All in the eye of the beholder though...

 

[Colin Lambert]

Thanks Scratch.
I must admit I have not investigated SEAT closely, but what I have seen of them they appear a bit 'plasticky' on the inside.
I bet they still use huge wheels and skinny rubber though.
I'm currently considering the new (not yet available) Honda HR-V e:HEV

 

[SinglePointSafety]

Colin, FWIW, I too loathe massive wheels with rubber-band tyres, for their ride quality, replacement tyre cost, fragility (roads round here would destroy these fancy items within a few months) and road noise. I 'garage' my original 19-inch wheels and have a set of 17-inch wheels with Michelin Cross-Climate+ 65-section tyres. Quiet, excellent ride, shrugs off potholes. When I sell the car, will refit originals, sell the 17-inch set,

The big wheel fetish seems to be peculiar to the UK, based on my experience of looking at cars in the EU, despite their roads being in far better condition than ours (again, based on my personal observation).

Korean cars aren't entirely immune to sprouting big wheels on the higher trim levels, with no no-cost option to downsize. Of the cars I considered as Kodiaq alternatives, Toyota, Honda and Volvo offered models with the trim/options I wanted but with sensible wheels: kudos to them.

 

[scratch113]

Thanks Scratch.
I must admit I have not investigated SEAT closely, but what I have seen of them they appear a bit 'plasticky' on the inside.
I bet they still use huge wheels and skinny rubber though.
I'm currently considering the new (not yet available) Honda HR-V e:HEV

Given that the Seat Tarraco is almost identical to the Kodiaq, if you find the Seat a bit "plasticky" then really that's the same accusation to aim at either the Kodiaq or the Karoq as many of the parts are directly carried across between the equivalent cars. That said, for some reason the Tarraco just doesn't look as good as the Kodiaq despite being 99% identical - it's really only the grill, lights and badges that are changed.

One difference is that Seat are launching a PHEV Tarraco whereas Skoda have said they will not be launching a PHEV version of the current Kodaiq, despite the forthcoming mid-life refresh, which is a real shame.

Personally I'm looking at going full electric next, possibly with an Enyaq, although I'd need to wait for the 80x model (or possibly VRs) as I would want it to be a 4x4 rather than RWD. I've still got 2 years on my current PCP deal, so plenty of time to decide which way to go...

 

[Marko72]

Any joy with the warranty?
My drivers side is starting to pull away abit now. I try not to pull hard as it feels like it will break away. The fixing brackets are breaking. Bought this car 2nd hand from dealership, only 36K on clock. still within the year warranty.
All the door pulls creak like mad. Seems like the lowest quality parts of the car. Mostly everything else seems decent quality.
So anyone know if Skoda are covering this in their warranty?
If not what is the fix?
Is it a new door card or can you get the door pull separately?

 

[Colin Lambert]

This sort of [email protected] build quality is why I am not buying another Skoda! Problems on here, Karoq forum and with the new Octavia iV PHEV are growing.
Very sad!. After being loyal for 11 years & 8 Skodas, next time I change, I'm moving on.
My dealer has admitted that there has been a lot of problems with the MIB (Infotainment system) which these days, is the brain of the car, a fault in which can cause all sorts of malfunctions. Too much reliance on untrustworthy electronics.

 

[Kodiaq21]

I hope I can give a tad more constructive reply than anything that's been said b4 ( which wouldn't be hard ). I think Colin etc really need to have a hard look at themselves. People have taken time to ask for thoughts on their particular problem, and all you people have done is ignore them and voiced your own issues. How does that help the OP? How does it help people like Makro72 who've come to look for help with a similar issue?

The original question was is this a common problem and thus far the answer has been "Don't let them give you crap" and " Skoda don't care about their customers". Yeh, very helpful guys. The OP hadn't even visited his dealer and he's being told they don't care about their customers. If you people have a chip on your shoulder then take it elsewhere because this is not the place to vent it.

@Makro72 The only way to stop speculation is to visit your dealer and see what they say. Presumably your fear is they may say the failure isn't covered under warranty?

The OP never replied. ( no wonder given the utterly useless comments ) which makes me think the problem is no longer. Dealer fix? Probably.

There are two probably causes for failure. 1: component failure and 2: misuse, something that seems to have been totally ignored here. As your car is 2nd hand, is it possible the previous owner may have removed the door card for whatever reason, and damaged it in the process? It's certainly a possibility.

No waranty would cover misuse or damage but given this is an unusual problem, if they did suggest that, I'd be asking for proof as to how they come to that conclusion. The other possibility is they may say it's not covered due to 'wear and tear'. I struggle to think of any component in a car that isn't used as much as the door pull and if it lasts a lifetime in virtually everyone elses car, then why hasn't it lasted 36000 miles in yours?Whether it's covered by warranty or not, I'd expect it to be repaired on goodwill ( or what ever they want to call it ) basis.

There's another issue where the warranty is irrelevant. How long have you owned the car? If it's under 6mth then the onus is on the supplier to prove the handle/component wasn't at fault when you purchased the car. If it's over 6mth since you bought it, the onus is on you to prove that it was faulty. Well the same arguement as above applies - the component lasts a lifetime in other cars therefore what makes your car different? The part really needs to be examined for damage. The garage may ask you to pay a basic examination fee which should be reimbursed if any defect is found.

I just think it's incredibly ignorant of others to automatically assume it's poor quality and that Skoda don't care about you. Skoda have treated me as well as any other manufacturer ( and much better than some others ) and my Kodiaq is built like a tank. I have no issue whatsoever with it, nothing has failed. Admittedly the horn failed on our Karoq but that was replaced under warranty within two days of taking it to the dealer. My Octavia never put a foot wrong in 3.5years. No door handle fell of any of my cars ( including VW, Audi and SEAT ) and I suspect no handles fell off cars of the above respondants either. Sour grapes me thinks.

 

[dappernut]

From other pictures I've seen it looks to me as if a screw or two hold the grab handle in place. From the OP's picture I can't see a screw there. Any ideas on what has actually snapped?

 

[Jersey Boy]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice. Unsure if this is a common issue.

Got in the car after work today and went to close the door (from inside) and the grab handle just completely snapped off. Phoned dealership and apparently they have seen it once before and the guy is unsure if covered under warranty and will find out tomorrow. Knowing Skoda they won't cover it. It seems anything door related on a kodiaq is as sturdy as a chocolate fireguard. Cars done 36k. Just passed the first mot yesterday with 0 advisories. Warranty runs out on the 26th this month. No doubt it'll not to a cheap fix at the dealership.

See attached photo.

Thanks in advance

I have the same thing as of yesterday! How did you get on with getting it fixed? I’d be interested and grateful to know what was involved and how much it cost! Thanks very much

 

[SaxMan43]

The issue is that the stress concentration is on a thin piece of plastic that if it were a tad thicker wouldn't break. The piece that breaks is of course integrated into the door panel. And worse the piece that could reinforce the hole where the plastic breaks is blocked by the piece that covers the screw hole.

 

[Marko72]

Anyone have any joy with this?
Mine finally snapped off. Managed to do a quick fix with some bolts and washer but can't put cover back on unless I mod the cover.
Phoned Slough, where I got it from, and they told me its not covered as it comes under trim!!

 

[Kodiaq21]

Marko72 - 3mths ago you wrote that your door handle was starting to come away on a car that was less than 1yr since you took ownership. When did you phone Slough - 3mths ago or did you wait until it snapped?

 

[Babydoc1968]

Just after happening to my 4 year old (118000km) skoda kodiaq style an hour ago
Cant understand why..
Ordered a new kodiaq sportline a few months ago..
Never did this happen on any car that i owned.
Had a honda crv for 14 years and never had an issue

 

[Nelmo]

That's a lot of miles in a short time...doors have to be pulled shut for all those miles (worse if you do lots of short journeys), so easy to see why it may have broken if, as people suggest, they are weaker than other cars.

As a new Skoda owner, I've noticed that the Skoda doors need a hefty tug to shut them - I'm still used to my old car which had no such problems; 50% of the time on the Skoda, I have to have 2 attempts at shutting the door. I'll look forward to my handle coming off in the near future... :-(

 

[Camrow]

That's a lot of miles in a short time...doors have to be pulled shut for all those miles (worse if you do lots of short journeys), so easy to see why it may have broken if, as people suggest, they are weaker than other cars.

As a new Skoda owner, I've noticed that the Skoda doors need a hefty tug to shut them - I'm still used to my old car which had no such problems; 50% of the time on the Skoda, I have to have 2 attempts at shutting the door. I'll look forward to my handle coming off in the near future... :-(

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice. Unsure if this is a common issue.

Got in the car after work today and went to close the door (from inside) and the grab handle just completely snapped off. Phoned dealership and apparently they have seen it once before and the guy is unsure if covered under warranty and will find out tomorrow. Knowing Skoda they won't cover it. It seems anything door related on a kodiaq is as sturdy as a chocolate fireguard. Cars done 36k. Just passed the first mot yesterday with 0 advisories. Warranty runs out on the 26th this month. No doubt it'll not to a cheap fix at the dealership.

See attached photo.

Thanks in advance

Same issue for me, handle snapped in same place

 

[Camrow]

Did anyone get anywhere with Skoda on this? I’ve had same issue today, grab handle snapped clean off and looking at plastic looks very flimsy and not fit for purpose. Car has just turned 3 years old and just out of warranty.

I went into dealership to price replacement and of course you can’t buy just broken part, need to buy practically whole inner door card at a cost of £470 (parts only)

To me a three year old car with 40k miles on clock shouldn’t have door handle breaking off during normal use.