Octavia vRS 1.8T – High mileage problems?

Ok, so I know a man that's got a relatively recent one of these (estate obviously as it's STW), and I am sorely tempted by it, but I have a little bit of a worry about the high mileage for the age of the car: It's an '06, but it has done a healthy 137k miles.

Now, I'm no stranger to high mileage cars (current 4×4 has 215k, my old Golf had 135K when I bought it and over 200k when sold), but this has got a lot of things on it that could be problematic at that sort of mileage, and I don't want to have to spend a lot of money in the first six months getting head gaskets changed (like I did with my Omega), or the gearbox changed (like my old Rover), or the engine changed (like my Golf).

So, the question for those Octavia owners out there: What should I be looking for as potential problem points in such a car with such mileage?

Cheers all

what kinda money are we talking?

A few grand. Less than five in fact.

That engine is pretty reliable. I have had a couple in different cars (Golf GTi and Leon Cupra). For that mileage in that space of time i would want a robust service schedule showing it had been well looked after. And by all accounts it should be on its second Cambelt.

The only real problem i had with mine was the water pump, they were supplied with plastic impellors which failed after a couple of years, the replacement has brass impellors.

Everything else is pretty bombproof – clutches and gearboxes etc. Certainly of a car of that mileage I am assuming its been sitting in 6th on the motorway most of its life?

What sort of use has it had.

From what I have been led to believe, it has had a "road warrior" life to date… So lots of trogging down motorways, followed by a few blasts down B-roads at the weekends.

I'll see if I can get a look at the service schedule and report back, but I would also be expecting it to have servicing done on the dot.

Who was the owner? Ask whats on the V5. Then call the company, even if you can't speak to the fleet manager – get the reception talking and ask them what they do/how they deliver etc.

Personally I think its too high a mileage to buy into.

If you owned it from 80k and ran it upto 140k yourself- fine. I'd rather buy a year older and average mileage for circa 5k. (if it was my money).

I'd steer clear – that's a lot of miles and it's a high(ish) performance car so will have had a hard life.

You'll get a sorted Focus ST170 or Puma for that money with low miles – I'd go for that.

I know, I know… I just saw the shiny new car and was tempted to be able to travel at faster than 65 mph. Also, the wife has been pestering me to ditch the 4×4 and an estate car is about the only option with the dogs. At least this way I can get something that does that job at the same time as having a bit of poke…

Mk 11 models with high mileage are now floating about 4.5-5k – much better car

Surely if it's mainly motorway miles then high mileage is not really an issue? On the proviso that it has a full service history.
Even brakes and suspension don't really get a workout on the motorway & the engine will barely be trying at 70mph.

current 4×4

Burn Him!!

The only real problem i had with mine was the water pump, they were supplied with plastic impellors which failed after a couple of years, the replacement has brass impellors.

What he said, and look for major service stamps inc. cam belts.

But I think hora has nailed it down, you can't be sure how many are miles are steady motorway miles which it'll churn out with no problem and how many are qualifying laps into work.

Even brakes and suspension don't really get a workout on the motorway & the engine will barely be trying at 70mph.

I can't get ON TO the M4 at 70! Or the A34 bcome to that 😀

Mk 11 models with high mileage are now floating about 4.5-5k – much better car

Still a used car though with high miles where components are only designed to last so long…?

Plus- I spoke to a lad who has a 100k/mk2 VRS and his entire coil pack had to be changed. Still I'd LOVE one!!

Surely if it's mainly motorway miles then high mileage is not really an issue? On the proviso that it has a full service history.

For me, there would have to have been THREE services a year stamped in the book still then. so basically 12 stamps.

Any less suggests corners cut, or didnt bother. Cars really do love fresh oil in their engines.

how many stamps does the car have?

Yeah… I should have really learned from the ex-police Omega really.

You think that ex-police cars, like repmobiles, would be a decent buy given all that servicing, but after I had to take the V6 apart and get both heads welded, the cheapness of the purchase suddenly seemed a little less cheap.

Don't burn me… The 4×4 was cheap too and I do spend a fair amount of time going across fields in it.

I love AWD. A car with decent AWD drives amazingly compared to a front wheel drive car.

Its ex-force?

I have had an 04 Vrs estate from new its now got about 110K on the clock.

I have used it for transporting bikes and also for towing my toy car to race tracks. I drive it fairly hard but not crazy.

It was fine upto about 95K miles since then its had.

2 Wheel bearings
Wiper linkage
Wiper Motor
Front anti roll bar and mountings
Rear high level brake light.

I think thats about it.

Bazzer

£5k should get you something with far lower mileage and not that much older.

5 grand sounds way too much for that. I would have though somewhere between 2 and 3 grand was more like it.

For comparison I bought a 55 plate mark II octy vrs estate with 80,000 miles in October 2008 for 7k.

I would bite someones hand off if they offered me anywhere near 5k for mine !!!

Willard

Offer him 6.4k 😉
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201020359531197/sort/priceasc/usedcars/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/price-to/7000/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/model/octavia/make/skoda/page/1/postcode/m41ld/radius/1500/keywords/vrs?logcode=p

Willard

Offer him 6.4k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201020359531197/sort/priceasc/usedcars/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/price-to/7000/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/model/octavia/make/skoda/page/1/postcode/m41ld/radius/1500/keywords/vrs?logcode=p

That's MUCH more like it – a properly nice example.

Off topic- Just had ANOTHER T5 Transporter trying his best to "race" me then when he realised he had no chance, he got really flaming stroppy.

What is it with T5s and their drivers? Make us BMW drivers look like saints!

I've been thrashing the bollox of a vrs for 90k miles.

One wheel bearing so far.

When you say 'thrashing' what do you mean? I don't do fast on motorways but thrashing to me means getting the car sideways fairly frequently and hitting the redline…

Red line, red line, red line. Wheels sliding.

Admitting to much more is a question of legality.

So… one careful owner… are you interested?

The Southern Yeti whats your email? Mines in profile.

Sorry hora, it ain't for sale. Thinking of getting it chipped then driving it to destruction.

The Southern Yeti, I borrowed the bro in laws 03 Audi S3 (1.8T) for a weekend from Manchester to Edinburgh a while back. It was lovely but the engine felt 'nervous' (slightly jilty/hesitant). A couple of months later he had it remapped (to 270 or 320?) one of the two. It was suddenly bottomless, smooth delivery and felt like a large cc engine. I kept banging on at binners to get his VRS done but hes resisted 😆

Get the free trial dialled in first- its time-linked so after a few hours of driving it removes itself from your ECU but you'll be sold by then….

Anything else to look out for on them? If I can't find a VRS I'm going to pick up a Octy 1.8T 4×4 and map it.

Free trial you say?

Can't really think of other things to look for.
I'm told that only Skoda can set the variable servicing properly…
Only other things with mine are cosmetic, front bumper has hit a lot of curbs, have grounded it once too. Also if it's had lower profile tyres fitted it definitely handles better.

Its worth it- it feels like a different engine. There is some bollocks about better mpg (who cares!)

Be wary of remaps. Seem like a bargain but often lead to premature wear and drivetrain issue.500 quid gets me from 300 to 350 Bhopal and 430 to 520 lbs-ft but I'm not willing to risk it.

You lot are really making me lust for this thing now, with the possible exception of things like wheel bearings and the like. Unfortunately, the wife has restated her dislike of the Skoda badge, so it could be out of the running even if I can bargain him down to 2.5k.

Which is arse

There's always divorce?

I've just dropped my MK1 VRS estate in for work on the suspension this morning.

Suspension bushings need replacing around every 40,000 miles or so, as do cambelts. No wheel bearing problems.

Since buying mine four years ago I've had to change the cambelt, suspension bushings, and driver's side window mechanism (caused by tree sap sticking the window shut!!), and one coil pack (£70). Brake discs and pads changed once too.

Oh, and one set of tyres plus a new set of rears following a blowout.

Regular annual servicing, and it runs like a dream, I'm expecting to see at least 100,000 miles out of it (if I don't trade it in for another one!).

I'd expect to see at least 150,000 miles out of any modern car. If it's a late 80s German car, double that figure.

Suspension bushings need replacing around every 40,000 miles

😯

Are they made from Cheese?

LHS – Member

Suspension bushings need replacing around every 40,000 miles

Are they made from Cheese?

Posted 4 minutes ago # Report-Post

Seemingly on mine!

I had them done when it became an issue (about 45,000 miles) and then recently the left side is clonking like a muddy funkster – potholes, methinks – so it's back in for either new bushes, or anti-roll bar links.

Bushes should last 3-4 times that long. Did you "have words" with the dealer?!

Ah, I didn't know that. The dealer told me they last 35,000 – 40,000 miles.

I certainly haven't done that since the most recent set were fitted – no more than 12 months ago, I think – so methinks there's an issue here…

Thanks for pointing that out.

*edit* and it's at a different dealer for today's work, so I'll ask their opinion.