If you’re convinced that the problem is a manufacturing or materials fault (rather than the glove-box having been slammed or forced shut) then keep at Skoda until you get a satisfactory result. Having video of the glove-box performing its unwanted trick should help with any convincing you need to do. Don’t bother going back to the same dealer, contact Skoda Australia’s customer service department and go straight to the top.

Don’t be put off by being told that nobody’s ever heard of this problem before, either. It has been raised by other Superb owners on forums, even though we’re yet to hear of it in Australia. In the meantime, here’s something to try for yourself: The next time the glove box falls open of its own accord, instead of shutting it straight away (only for it to open again) wait a few minutes and then try to close it normally. The theory is that the pins you’re talking about that hold the lid closed can be slow to glide into their proper position where they hold the lid closed. Giving them a few minutes to resume their correct position will allow the glove box to be closed and stay closed. If that does the trick, lubricating the pins to allow them to move more freely might be worthwhile. It’s worth a try.

This might sound like an small problem to some, but having a glovebox that falls open into the passenger’s lap is actually a safety issue in the case of a crash.

While I’ll admit that an average fuel consumption figure of 12.4 litres per 100km is high for your car, there are a few things to consider here. By driving just seven kilometres each way to work and back, you’re probably running for half your driving time with an engine that is still warming up. Cold engines use a richer mixture and that means more fuel. Cold starts are a real problem for fuel consumption, and you appear to be driving on a cold engine for a high percentage of your daily run.

The other consideration is your average speed. You say that there’s no stop-start traffic conditions, but if you drive at urban speeds all the way to work, then you need to be looking at the official urban fuel consumption number which is 9.0 litres per 100km (the 7.3 litres figure you’ve quoted is for a mix of urban and highway running).

Even so, 9 litres per 100km is a lot less than 12.4 litres, so maybe there is something going on. Despite your reservations about Skoda’s politics, the best thing to do is to have the car electronically interrogated to see what, if any, fault codes appear. Only then can you really know what’s going on. Are you using the recommended 95-RON fuel? The wrong octane rating (RON) can have an effect on fuel consumption, as can a heavy right foot.

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.