I was driving on the M1 motorway near Derby towing my caravan at about 50 MPH a week ago when suddenly there was a loud “whirring grinding” noise, which then stopped. I thought it was a puncture and the alloy wheel grinding on the road. We stopped as soon as we could, but could see nothing wrong. As the trucks were thundering past, and it was not safe to stay there, we drove on. After a minute there was a louder grinding noise, followed by a jerk of the car (as if the back wheels had stopped) and a thud, and then quiet again. We exited the motorway ASAP and found oil pouring out from the rear differential area. We had the car transported to nearest Skoda dealer in Derby, and they found the differential has a large hole in it, with an estimated repair cost of £4500. The car is just under 4 years old, so out of warrantee. Hopefully the video showing the failed differential will work.

https://video.citnow.com/vtw8Zjz6W24

So my questions are : (1) Has this happened to anyone else? (2) The garage says it cannot tell if the differential was damaged by an internal or external problem (i.e., that I hit something – which I did not). Should it be easy to tell the difference? (3) Do you think I would be entitled to a goodwill contribution from Skoda UK for such a problem for a car of this age?

Thank you.

Sorry to hear that.

?

What miles has the Yeti done, and what servicing was done by who?

Was the Haldex Serviced, was it done @ 3 year, or by the miles?

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

Certainly worth asking Skoda for a contribution if failure was internal and difficult to think of anything that would do that damage externally. Talk to the dealer.

Regarding the hole, without seeing it, I assume you mean the casing.  Do you mean like a piece has been punched in or out.  Only likely to be from within if there is part of the workings missing, such as a cog that shattered and flung itself through the case.   Only a proper metallurgical exam of the parts will determine what happened

 

Goodwill relies on having full services, the whole point of having inspection within the service is that worn or failing parts are spotted early.   You would need to argue that the whole point of the Skoda inspection service was to spot this kind of thing, so you don't think it was done properly.   Of course if you declined any suggested work you wont get any goodwill.

 

One warning, if tyres were worn unevenly (had different tread depths), and not changed it will be argued you contributed by straining the differential.

 

 

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by SurreyJohn

Reason i am asking Miles & Servicing is the cases of Wrong Fluids drained and refilled in the wrong holes with Haldex Servicing.

Various threads in this and other sections.

With a massive hole in the diff after it exploded how nice to be told you have 4mm left on the tyres and the springs are rusty,bit like having a heart attack and the doctor telling you your toe nails are too long,,,,,,,,best of luck getting this sorted and keep us up to date,never heard of anything that extreme with a diff on here but I’m sure somebody on here might have some insight to exploding diffs.

If you have no luck with Skoda UK and £4500 makes the car beyond economic repair there is a Yeti of similar vintage on ebay being broken for parts:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREAKING-2014-64-SKODA-YETI-2-0-TDI-CR-4X4-Black-Edition-Only-23400-MILES/273134645658?hash=item3f9817f19a:g:4sYAAOSwdB5ald4D

 

 

According to the bloke doing the video both the Haldex oil and the brake fluid have not been changed and the car is over 3 years old! Skoda may not be impressed?

Is it that Skoda have no record of the Haldex oil and the brake fluid being changed as it did not have the yr3 service done by them?

An independent garage receipt for the service could prove they were done, but would not really help with a goodwill claim.

 

Colin

Sorry i never spotted the video when on the phone.

 

So that 14 plate Yeti looks like it will be a FULL MAIN DEALER SERVICING HISTORY VEHICLE.

 

Minor and Major Servicing even with a Service Plan and no Brake Fluid or Haldex Servicing done, and yet the Owner / Keeper expects it gets done 

due to a FULL MAIN DEALER SERVICE HISTORY.   Only that does not mean to the Manufacturers Servicing Schedule. 

 

Had Free Wash and Vacuums though.  

http://skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed 

 

So unlike this where there was an error while servicing is it a lack of Servicing and Maintenance to the schedule?

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/437767-major-failure-soon-after-haldex-and-dsg-oil-change 

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

Love that Ebay Yeti,

perfect for anyone needing a wheel nut. (bolt)

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

The damage/hole appears to be folding inwards?   Surely if something ruptured internally that the metal around the hold would be pointing outwards?  

 

If the commentary is correct and you've not had the haldex system serviced as per the schedule at a skoda main agent then I doubt Skoda will contribute anything to the hefty bill.

 

Good luck

 

 

They might.

 

We need to hear the vehicles mileage and history and service history and if Main Dealer Serviced and the Main Dealer Service Desk employees and the Master Tech / Workshop manager failed to mention the need for Haldex servicing, 

or with fluids customers being a bit confused and lead to believe fluids are checked/ topped up

.**'Checked / replenished final drive (where applicable)'**.

http://skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed 

 

Amazing how marksmen manage to shoot out the rear diff with such accuracy.  Or it always seems be about the same position that item on the road and hitting the diff manages to puncture.

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

15 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Love that Ebay Yeti,

perfect for anyone needing a wheel nut. (bolt)

Not sure if you are kidding around

Just in case, the way it works is you contact the seller regarding a specific part.  If they have it and you want it, they create an auction for it and you buy it.

Expecting the seller to create a listing for every component is unreasonable. This the way around the problem.

Yes sorry just messing, a lovely low mileage Yeti breaking there.

36 minutes ago, dg360 said:

Not sure if you are kidding around

Just in case, the way it works is you contact the seller regarding a specific part.  If they have it and you want it, they create an auction for it and you buy it.

Expecting the seller to create a listing for every component is unreasonable. This the way around the problem.

OT but out of interest.  Why is that even up for breaking?   Surely there'd be more reasoning behind it in the descriptIon? 

Maybe,

Rear Diff exploded,

and crashed into a ditch due to leaking from the Haldex and ECO tyres on a 4x4. 

Thank you for all your replies. My Yeti had only done 39,000 miles and was regularly serviced at my local Skoda. I phoned them to ask about the Haldex oil change before I left on holiday, and they said it could be done at the next service. Ironically, as I like the Yeti, I decided to go to a local VAG specialist garage to have the 40,000 mile service done early; and Haldex oil changed; as I thought they would do a good job. I did this two weeks before the problem occurred. The local specialist garage did a good job I believe, it just does not help me now with goodwill. I am just very surprised and disappointed to have such a fault in such a young vehicle.

2 weeks before, that's very suspicious?  Are you certain they did a good job and didn't make a critical error that resulted in this failure?

& the Technician videoing thinks the Haldex was not touched.

 

Just as well the Local VAG Specialist will have insurance,

because it looks like either their technician made a mistake or has been caught not doing the job paid for.

 

PS

The Next Service as advised by whoever at the Main Dealership was wrong on a 2014 car with 39,000 miles,

not to the Manufacturers Service Schedule / Guidelines. 

But then that is how they roll, someone without training other than maybe as a receptionist giving Servicing advice.

Costly.

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

4 hours ago, penguin17 said:

The damage/hole appears to be folding inwards?   Surely if something ruptured internally that the metal around the hold would be pointing outwards?  

 

If the commentary is correct and you've not had the haldex system serviced as per the schedule at a skoda main agent then I doubt Skoda will contribute anything to the hefty bill.

 

Good luck

 

Agreed, that looks like something has been thrown up from the road and punctured the casing. Possibly something as small as a wheel nut.

And sorry, but getting an independent to service the car so close to the end of the warranty is very short-sighted, and now potentially very expensive!

I'm not sure that the haldex and rear differential use the same oil. If you've had the haldex oil and filter service done and the differential has exploded it could be unrelated. Unless I'm missing a trick here.

 

Possible that someone drained the rear differential and refilled it with Haldex oil. That would make a bit of a mess I guess.

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by Rustynuts

^^^ That will be likely the trick.

  Haldex not serviced.  Error made with the differential,.

 

The independent Engineer will see if the casing is broken from inside out or one of these wheel nuts that made direct hits on the diff after a service.

A few of those now..... Not just the one.

 

The Servicing 'Local VAG Specialist' might just be happy to give details of their technicians work carried out and be able to say, 'Nut us mate', Just one of those things.

Or, Let us get that repaired at our expense, we guarantee out workshop work, really sorry about this, we could have killed you or other road users.

 

As for the other wear and tear suspension and drivetrain items pointed out in the video, 

the Local VAG Specialist Technician / Mechanic was maybe having an off day or losts their specs.

 

The Dealership with the car in might say why the owner was not advised of the Haldex requiring servicing at the last service.

But then the Yeti did 17,000 miles between MOT's.

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

I would download and save that video, and then ask why the Skoda technician thinks a failure to service the Haldex would cause the differential to explode?

The Skoda Technician says.

'No history of the Haldex oil change being carried out'. 

 So i take it that means from him checking the Skoda / VW Service History before going under the car.

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki