Skoda Problems

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.

You’ve covered some important things, like reversing cameras. All of the current cars come with ISOFIX baby seat mounting points, which are also must-have items when you’ve got kids to transport. It probably comes down to what your wife is comfortable driving, so I would suggest test-driving a number of different cars before making your decision.

It's hard to give you a definite recommendation, as most cargo measurements are in litres rather than floor length, but I reckon most mid-size wagons and large SUVs would do the job for you. 

Most of these have a flat boot floor with the seats folded, and likely have ample body length for sleeping. 

So Mazda6, Skoda Superb or Ford Mondeo wagons are worth a look, plus large SUVs like the Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe. 

Don't be afraid to try them out for size at the dealers either. You'd certainly test out a mattress before buying right?!

The demand for manual gearboxes is so low today that it’s not worth car companies doing all the compliance work needed when they know they would only sell a handful of cars. You might have to loo at something like a Holden Commodore.

The Skoda Kodiaq is available with either a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine or a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. The claimed fuel consumption of the turbo petrol engine is 7.6 L/100 km; the consumption of the turbo- diesel is 5.9 L/100 km combined.

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.

All model years 2008-2013 appear to be affected.

We understand a new tensioner was fitted from 2012.