LyndLynd- we went to 2 dealerships, one wasn't even interested and the other told us we may stand a small chance of getting 20-25% off the repair costs if we fought long enough. Given the repair costs were looking like nearly £3.5-£4k including labour for a new engine, then even with the discount it wouldn't really be worth it for a 5yr old car. Like you, I couldn't live without a car that long (I live in sleepy Suffolk and buses just don't exist on my route) and I can't afford to hire a car for months... therefore I regretfully say that I'm giving up and flogging the car as a non runner. I would still like to highlight this issue to the relevant bodies as Skoda/ VW need to recognise this as a recurring issue, will try Trading Standards as a starting point.

Hi LyndLynd- I know your post was some time ago however I am interested to hear how you got on with the claim to Skoda? A couple of days ago I was driving my Skoda Fabia 1.4 Sport down the motorway when I heard a dull thud, which was quickly followed by oil light coming on. I pulled over as quickly as was practical and got towed back home. The garage have advised me the oil pump chain has snapped and gone through the timing belt cover. Unfortunately there is no easy way to fix this so I may require an engine rebuild or a completely new one altogether. Apparently this is becoming a recurring theme with Skodas although the company won’t admit this. Given my car is 2008, low mileage and extremely well taken care of/ serviced… I am not best pleased so intend to pursue them for assistance.