Skoda Problems

The Octavia is a ripper thing, and great value. It gets The Tick from me.

Congratulations on the new family, which you should put into an Octavia. It's a roomy family wagon, it's great value and gets The Tick from me.

Trust me on this, and take a test drive in a Skoda Superb. It's a silly name but it's in that price bracket and it's a truly great car. It will also have similar cabin space to your Commodore.

You’ve chosen well, as the Octavia RS gets The Tick from me, but it’s popularity means there is a waiting list. “Octavia RS models are not growing on trees. If only,” says Skoda spokesman Karl Gehling.

The oil fill listed in the owner's manual includes the oil filter, which will be half a litre or perhaps more. I would warm the engine to operating temperature, turn it off and drain the oil again, and check the amount of oil that comes out. Remove the oil filter and drain. Then see how much oil goes back in.

If the exhaust pressure sensor can be demonstrated to have been faulty you might stand a good chance of getting some compensation for the failure of the DPF, it would make your case easier to justify. The only way to resolve the issue is to maintain the rage at the dealer and make sure VW itself understands your frustration, and importantly, that you will not go away until there is a resolution.

I believe VW introduced a recommendation to change the belt every four years to prevent belt failures, and I would guess that the recommendation from your mechanics is based on the fact that your car is six years old. Quiz them by all means, but I would err on the side of caution and have the belt changed.

The Yeti is under-appreciated in Australia as the original styling was a bit confronting. It's a practical compact package that gets The Tick from me and should work for you.