How reliable is the 2002 Skoda Fabia?
How reliable is a 2002 Skoda Fabia? The one I'm looking at has 49,000 kilometres on the clock.
Charlie Kelly (Dun Laioghaire)May 2013 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Charlie,
Skodas tend to be very reliable and well-made, but there are a couple of recurrent niggles on the first-generation Fabia that need checking. Both fuel and water pumps can prove fragile, so check that the engine isn't cutting out and that there's plenty of coolant in the water tank. Check also for 'mayonnaise' - white deposits of mixed water and oil that give away a leaky head gasket.
The sensor for the power steering system can fail (a red steering wheel-shaped light on the dashboard is the tell-tale) and water temperature sensor failure is the most common cause of engine management warnings. The on-board computer that diagnoses when the car needs a service needs to have the correct grade of oil (it measures the quality of the engine oil to decide on the service interval) so check that the recommended oil has been used.
Check for a heavy clutch (the master cylinder could be on the way out), collapsing driver seat, broken speedo illumination and water getting in through the rear door seals. If the dashboard is rattling, it's usually a mounting bracket behind the air vents and can be easily packed with foam to stop it.
If it passes all of those tests you've found a good one!
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser@Shane_O_D