When can I expect to need to replace...

Kansalis · 26-07-2007, 15:22

...brakes, exhaust and clutch?

Prior to getting my vRS in March/April 2005 I'd never had a brand new car before, so I have no idea how long the OEM parts are likely to last.

My car has done 48k miles now & I haven't needed to replace any of the brake pads, exhaust or clutch yet.

I know it's definitely not an exact science, but realistically how much longer are these things likely to last? I drive the car pretty hard most of the time, so tbh I'm quite surprised the brakes have lasted this long.

I'm most likely going to look at not going for OEM when I do need to replace these, but the last thing I want for them to all go at once... I don't think my bank balance would survive!

ScoobyChris · 26-07-2007, 15:28

Brakes are down to how you drive the car - I usually expect the front pads to last 30k and discs 60k. Rears generally last longer as they're not really used that much. Exhaust - depends on the conditions you drive in, but mine last over 5 years easily. Clutch - I've never replaced one but if you're doing full-bore starts or slipping it when changing gear, it will need doing sooner.

Chris

Kansalis · 26-07-2007, 15:35

Well I would consider my driving to be pretty brake-intensive. I spend a lot of time in traffic driving to work through the Blackwall Tunnel every day and most of the rest of my mileage is done on the M25.

I guess I should consider myself lucky to not have had to replace the brakes already....

ScoobyChris · 26-07-2007, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kansalis

Well I would consider my driving to be pretty brake-intensive. I spend a lot of time in traffic driving to work through the Blackwall Tunnel every day and most of the rest of my mileage is done on the M25.

All motorways?! No wonder your brakes last so long

Chris

Kansalis · 26-07-2007, 15:41

Well I'd hardly class the M25 as a "Motorway" these days. My time on there tends to be more like : Blast to 70-80, brake heavily, sit in traffic for 15 minutes, blast to 70-80, rinse & repeat.

sharkrider · 26-07-2007, 15:55

I had a vRS from new to 80k (in 20 months), used as a driving school car, here's what wore on mine....

Clutch: No problems, still felt like new when I got rid, but I made sure it was driven properly, no pulling away from standstill in 2nd, or pointlessly edging up in traffic cues ect, if you have a remap the general advice is not to boot it below 2.5k to preserve the clutch.

Tyres: fronts every 13-16k rears changed once at 50k...

brakes: front pads at 33k, at 70k new front pads AND discs. rears: new rear pads at 40k... no other work on the rears, but the rear pads and discs were in need of replacement at 80k... (NOTE: if you dont use your brakes well, and only pottle around to the shops occasionally, you may find corrosion on the discs can cause need for new disks before I did... )

exhast: no work done in two years and 80k...

suspension: control arm bushes wore out at 60k and needed replacing... I had to pay,wasn't done under warranty, as SUK claimed this was natural wear and tear (*sharky AGAIN points SUK to the fact that this issue caused me to change manufacturers.)

servicing: just normal dealer service (though I had to go through three dealers before I found one I trusted)

oil: I never had to top up even once.... but I didn't baby it as I ran it in, I drove it as normal, general consensus is, people who take alot of care running in , seem to have engines that drink more oil.....

thats about it... (had a gearbox, mounting frame, driveshafts, EGR valve all replaced under warranty during this time.....)

hope that helps

Chrispy · 26-07-2007, 15:56

Agreed, the rear discs don't wear out through use, they corrode through underuse and so it's a vicious circle there.

Kansalis · 26-07-2007, 16:08

That's great Sharkrider, thanks for the detailed breakdown.

So far I've had to replace 6 tyres. 2 for punctures & the other 4 from wear. I rotated them to match the wear when I had to replace the punctures.

The only other thing that's been a problem for me so far was when the turbo died & was replaced under warranty.

Groundzer0 · 26-07-2007, 16:26

Rule of thumb when it drops off it's usually time

Fabia1.4 · 26-07-2007, 16:34

thats about it... (had a gearbox, mounting frame, driveshafts, EGR valve all replaced under warranty during this time.....)

Maybe it's just me but when I hear all the reports of all thses parts needing replacing and tubos blowing and clutch pedals falling off and steering pumps failing and goodness knows what else does noone else think it seems a bit rubbish.

The amount of warranty work people have to get done and the amount of common problems seems astonshing to me.

I know all cars have their niggles but skodas common problem list must read like an A-Z.

sharkrider · 26-07-2007, 16:37

the only cars I see (in my industry) that tend to have almost no faults are Toyota's.... the yaris seems pretty much indestructable, but the only one I'd like is the 1.8 hot version, and its WAY too expensive

Fabia1.4 · 26-07-2007, 16:47

Granted all cars have faults but with the skodas it just seems bad parts were used when building them if all the problems were one off for the odd person fair enough but when the same parts (and some been major parts) start failing on a number of cars it seems rather odd.

Anyway thats just my 2pence worth from my short experience of Skodas.

Welshy · 26-07-2007, 16:58

ok so your worried about these parts all failing at the same time and you not being able to afford the cost of replacement parts.

Well why not open an internet savings account with any bank/building society and set up a standing order from your current account on the day you are paid to pay into the savings account.

You need to pay into it 1/12th of your insurance premium, 1/12th MOT cost, Assume tyres last 3 years so whats the cost of a set of 4 then divide this amount by 36, MOT cost divide by 12, annual service cost £250 divided by 12, and then finally you need to add together the cost of a new exhaust brakes discs & clutch incl labour and divide it by 24

So then you'll always have a pot of money for car costs - Oh an add on the raod tax

ScoobyChris · 26-07-2007, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fabia1.4

Maybe it's just me but when I hear all the reports of all thses parts needing replacing and tubos blowing and clutch pedals falling off and steering pumps failing and goodness knows what else does noone else think it seems a bit rubbish.

I did and jumped ship

Chris

Fabia1.4 · 26-07-2007, 22:56

and then finally you need to add together the cost of a new exhaust brakes discs & clutch incl labour and divide it by 24

So then you'll always have a pot of money for car costs - Oh an add on the raod tax[/quote]

I don't have a problem with replacing wear and tear items such as exhausts and brakes thats what having a car is all about but should engines really be having problems at 30k miles, should powersteering pumps be going at 20 - 30k etc

If something has worn out fair enough but if it had failed after not much use thats what annoys me.

Why should we have to fork out for steering angle sensors when skoda admit they could have made a better part? who do all our cars leak? why does the suspension crack so easily?

People I know think I am having a laugh when I tell them about all my problems and say I must have bought a lemon of a car but thankfully a women at work has a Fabia with all the same problems as me so they knew I wasn't making it up

rum4mo · 27-07-2007, 22:59

I don't have a problem with replacing wear and tear items such as exhausts and brakes thats what having a car is all about but should engines really be having problems at 30k miles, should powersteering pumps be going at 20 - 30k etc

If something has worn out fair enough but if it had failed after not much use thats what annoys me.

Why should we have to fork out for steering angle sensors when skoda admit they could have made a better part? who do all our cars leak? why does the suspension crack so easily?

People I know think I am having a laugh when I tell them about all my problems and say I must have bought a lemon of a car but thankfully a women at work has a Fabia with all the same problems as me so they knew I wasn't making it up

[/quote]

I'm affraid I totally agree with you, but to be fair while it is definately a Skoda problem, it is also a similar story with the other VAG marques using this platform ie Volkswagen and Seat. Remember they are all using the same running gear - to escape from this you (we) need to just ship from any Skoda derived product - that's life - experience is a great thing!!

Fabia1.4 · 28-07-2007, 10:57

I'm affraid I totally agree with you, but to be fair while it is definately a Skoda problem, it is also a similar story with the other VAG marques using this platform ie Volkswagen and Seat. Remember they are all using the same running gear - to escape from this you (we) need to just ship from any Skoda derived product - that's life - experience is a great thing!![/quote]

I am coming to that conclusion but my options are somewhat limited at the moment I can't trade in as I will loose to much on it and I can't put it up for private sale at the moment due to a mystrey power steering problem that needs resolving. I am hoping the steering sensor packs in soon can get it replaced under warranty then put it up for sale.

26-07-2007, 15:22	#1
Kansalis Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Posts: 186 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	When can I expect to need to replace... ...brakes, exhaust and clutch? Prior to getting my vRS in March/April 2005 I'd never had a brand new car before, so I have no idea how long the OEM parts are likely to last. My car has done 48k miles now & I haven't needed to replace any of the brake pads, exhaust or clutch yet. I know it's definitely not an exact science, but realistically how much longer are these things likely to last? I drive the car pretty hard most of the time, so tbh I'm quite surprised the brakes have lasted this long. I'm most likely going to look at not going for OEM when I do need to replace these, but the last thing I want for them to all go at once... I don't think my bank balance would survive! __________________ Kansalis Yellow 05 Furby vRS (Standard for now )

26-07-2007, 15:28	#2
ScoobyChris Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Andover Posts: 18,193 Thanks: 15 Thanked 335 Times in 289 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Brakes are down to how you drive the car - I usually expect the front pads to last 30k and discs 60k. Rears generally last longer as they're not really used that much. Exhaust - depends on the conditions you drive in, but mine last over 5 years easily. Clutch - I've never replaced one but if you're doing full-bore starts or slipping it when changing gear, it will need doing sooner. Chris __________________ Holding up the traffic in a little Italian..........

26-07-2007, 15:35	#3
Kansalis Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Posts: 186 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Well I would consider my driving to be pretty brake-intensive. I spend a lot of time in traffic driving to work through the Blackwall Tunnel every day and most of the rest of my mileage is done on the M25. I guess I should consider myself lucky to not have had to replace the brakes already.... __________________ Kansalis Yellow 05 Furby vRS (Standard for now )

26-07-2007, 15:41	#5
Kansalis Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Posts: 186 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Well I'd hardly class the M25 as a "Motorway" these days. My time on there tends to be more like : Blast to 70-80, brake heavily, sit in traffic for 15 minutes, blast to 70-80, rinse & repeat. __________________ Kansalis Yellow 05 Furby vRS (Standard for now )

26-07-2007, 15:55	#6
sharkrider rider of sharks Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cumbria Posts: 3,880 Thanks: 243 Thanked 105 Times in 93 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... I had a vRS from new to 80k (in 20 months), used as a driving school car, here's what wore on mine.... Clutch: No problems, still felt like new when I got rid, but I made sure it was driven properly, no pulling away from standstill in 2nd, or pointlessly edging up in traffic cues ect, if you have a remap the general advice is not to boot it below 2.5k to preserve the clutch. Tyres: fronts every 13-16k rears changed once at 50k... brakes: front pads at 33k, at 70k new front pads AND discs. rears: new rear pads at 40k... no other work on the rears, but the rear pads and discs were in need of replacement at 80k... (NOTE: if you dont use your brakes well, and only pottle around to the shops occasionally, you may find corrosion on the discs can cause need for new disks before I did... ) exhast: no work done in two years and 80k... suspension: control arm bushes wore out at 60k and needed replacing... I had to pay,wasn't done under warranty, as SUK claimed this was natural wear and tear (sharky AGAIN points SUK to the fact that this issue caused me to change manufacturers.) servicing: just normal dealer service (though I had to go through three dealers before I found one I trusted) oil: I never had to top up even once.... but I didn't baby it as I ran it in, I drove it as normal, general consensus is, people who take alot* of care running in , seem to have engines that drink more oil..... thats about it... (had a gearbox, mounting frame, driveshafts, EGR valve all replaced under warranty during this time.....) hope that helps __________________ Fiat Grande Punto Sporting (158 bhp 314 lbs/ft) in Red.... Furby vRS , black magic,passenger airbag de-activation switch, (now gone, but not forgotten!)

26-07-2007, 15:56	#7
Chrispy I said HOT DAMN Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Normanton, West Yorks Posts: 1,753 Thanks: 38 Thanked 68 Times in 57 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Agreed, the rear discs don't wear out through use, they corrode through underuse and so it's a vicious circle there. __________________ Silver '04 Fabia vRS. Jabba Custom Remap, Seat Surgeons Leather interior, Whiteline RARB, Cupra Console Bushes

26-07-2007, 16:08	#8
Kansalis Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Posts: 186 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... That's great Sharkrider, thanks for the detailed breakdown. So far I've had to replace 6 tyres. 2 for punctures & the other 4 from wear. I rotated them to match the wear when I had to replace the punctures. The only other thing that's been a problem for me so far was when the turbo died & was replaced under warranty. __________________ Kansalis Yellow 05 Furby vRS (Standard for now )

26-07-2007, 16:26	#9
Groundzer0 Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hemsworth, Pontefract, West Yorks Posts: 171 Thanks: 3 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Rule of thumb when it drops off it's usually time __________________ Black Mk1 Octavia vRS Black is the new...........Er!!!

26-07-2007, 16:34	#10
Fabia1.4 Briskodian Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 230 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... thats about it... (had a gearbox, mounting frame, driveshafts, EGR valve all replaced under warranty during this time.....) Maybe it's just me but when I hear all the reports of all thses parts needing replacing and tubos blowing and clutch pedals falling off and steering pumps failing and goodness knows what else does noone else think it seems a bit rubbish. The amount of warranty work people have to get done and the amount of common problems seems astonshing to me. I know all cars have their niggles but skodas common problem list must read like an A-Z.

26-07-2007, 16:37	#11
sharkrider rider of sharks Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cumbria Posts: 3,880 Thanks: 243 Thanked 105 Times in 93 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... the only cars I see (in my industry) that tend to have almost no faults are Toyota's.... the yaris seems pretty much indestructable, but the only one I'd like is the 1.8 hot version, and its WAY too expensive __________________ Fiat Grande Punto Sporting (158 bhp 314 lbs/ft) in Red.... Furby vRS , black magic,passenger airbag de-activation switch, (now gone, but not forgotten!)

26-07-2007, 16:47	#12
Fabia1.4 Briskodian Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 230 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... Granted all cars have faults but with the skodas it just seems bad parts were used when building them if all the problems were one off for the odd person fair enough but when the same parts (and some been major parts) start failing on a number of cars it seems rather odd. Anyway thats just my 2pence worth from my short experience of Skodas.

26-07-2007, 16:58	#13
Welshy Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,166 Thanks: 3 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... ok so your worried about these parts all failing at the same time and you not being able to afford the cost of replacement parts. Well why not open an internet savings account with any bank/building society and set up a standing order from your current account on the day you are paid to pay into the savings account. You need to pay into it 1/12th of your insurance premium, 1/12th MOT cost, Assume tyres last 3 years so whats the cost of a set of 4 then divide this amount by 36, MOT cost divide by 12, annual service cost £250 divided by 12, and then finally you need to add together the cost of a new exhaust brakes discs & clutch incl labour and divide it by 24 So then you'll always have a pot of money for car costs - Oh an add on the raod tax

26-07-2007, 22:56	#15
Fabia1.4 Briskodian Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 230 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... and then finally you need to add together the cost of a new exhaust brakes discs & clutch incl labour and divide it by 24 So then you'll always have a pot of money for car costs - Oh an add on the raod tax[/quote] I don't have a problem with replacing wear and tear items such as exhausts and brakes thats what having a car is all about but should engines really be having problems at 30k miles, should powersteering pumps be going at 20 - 30k etc If something has worn out fair enough but if it had failed after not much use thats what annoys me. Why should we have to fork out for steering angle sensors when skoda admit they could have made a better part? who do all our cars leak? why does the suspension crack so easily? People I know think I am having a laugh when I tell them about all my problems and say I must have bought a lemon of a car but thankfully a women at work has a Fabia with all the same problems as me so they knew I wasn't making it up

27-07-2007, 22:59	#16
rum4mo Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 725 Thanks: 1 Thanked 54 Times in 54 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... I don't have a problem with replacing wear and tear items such as exhausts and brakes thats what having a car is all about but should engines really be having problems at 30k miles, should powersteering pumps be going at 20 - 30k etc If something has worn out fair enough but if it had failed after not much use thats what annoys me. Why should we have to fork out for steering angle sensors when skoda admit they could have made a better part? who do all our cars leak? why does the suspension crack so easily? People I know think I am having a laugh when I tell them about all my problems and say I must have bought a lemon of a car but thankfully a women at work has a Fabia with all the same problems as me so they knew I wasn't making it up [/quote] I'm affraid I totally agree with you, but to be fair while it is definately a Skoda problem, it is also a similar story with the other VAG marques using this platform ie Volkswagen and Seat. Remember they are all using the same running gear - to escape from this you (we) need to just ship from any Skoda derived product - that's life - experience is a great thing!!

28-07-2007, 10:57	#17
Fabia1.4 Briskodian Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 230 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: When can I expect to need to replace... I'm affraid I totally agree with you, but to be fair while it is definately a Skoda problem, it is also a similar story with the other VAG marques using this platform ie Volkswagen and Seat. Remember they are all using the same running gear - to escape from this you (we) need to just ship from any Skoda derived product - that's life - experience is a great thing!![/quote] I am coming to that conclusion but my options are somewhat limited at the moment I can't trade in as I will loose to much on it and I can't put it up for private sale at the moment due to a mystrey power steering problem that needs resolving. I am hoping the steering sensor packs in soon can get it replaced under warranty then put it up for sale.

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