Buying an used Octavia or Superb - things to watch out for?

[pangit99]

Hi all,

I'm looking at buying an older Octavia wagon (or possibly Superb) for our primary family car. So I'm wondering what are the gotchas or things to watch out for with these cars.

• General commuting/family use around suburbs, with some longer trips for holidays etc
• Budget around $15k, could go up a bit
• Budget dictates ~2011-2014 year models
• Primary concern is reliability and economy, so not too bothered about performance/luxury models
• Must be auto (wifey requirement!). I'm aware of some DSG issues - which ones to avoid?
• Preferably petrol

Which years/models represent the best value, which ones to avoid, common issues etc. Also what major cost service items would be expected at higher km services?

Thanks!

[Ozsko]

A good service history, transmission serviced at recommended intervals if a DSG and belts/chain serviced and the water pump done at the same time. If a DSG, get the transmission hot if you can in some heavy traffic and make sure it shifts well and the clutch has a smooth take up. The 6 speed DSG is just about bullet proof these days.

[mazstar1980]

I own a MY15 Octavia RS and they're great cars to drive and very practical but I would never buy one 2nd hand AND if I wanted something reliable. The price of parts and labour don't decrease as the car gets older but the likelihood of repairs certainly does. If you need a reliable and affordable car stick with a Camry or if you need a wagon petrol Mazda 6 might be better. I'm sure there will be many here who disagree but it's a VAG forum.

Like most euro the front brakes last between 45-60k kms and you need to replace the pads and discs so check them carefully or you're up for $$$ unless you can DIY. The transmissions are $$$ and are not "bulletproof" you don't know who drove the car before you or whether they crept all day in traffic jam causing wear. As poster said above check it when warm in traffic start stop. The coolant systems are also a weak spot with pump and thermostat leaks for some models. My coolant pump needed replacing after 3.5yrs. The manual transmissions are pretty sturdy though.

There is also issues with carbon build up common with direct injection petrol cars so unless it has dual injection system like MK3 RS you need to be aware - MK2 RS had DI only and older cars can have carbon issues. I think the mk2 VRS had cam tensioner issues. Stay away from dry clutch 7DSG.

As most if not all these cars are turbocharged they can also have issues with turbo failure, manifold and injection issues - some are very costly to repair and some are easy and cheap like replacing coil pack. If it is private sale borrow or ask someone with OBD reader to check for any fault history and check servicing history thoroughly.

[Transporter]

Go with the diesel engine, everything in it just last longer when serviced and maintained correctly. The 6sp DSG is as good or as any other Japanese transmission or better.
As for the cost of brakes, just ask for the ATE Ceramic pads when your original brake are worn out and they will last you well over 200,000km and you never need to replace the brake discs.
Cost of the genuine spares and servicing parts isn't that bad comparing to others, the VAG parts are often cheaper others.

We had Subaru cars and from my own experience, we have less problems with the Tiguan than we had with the Forester and servicing parts are almost 1/2 price than Subaru.

octavia 1.9TDI 1000,000km - Google Search

[woofy]

Yep I have owned Hyundais and Mazdas and the whole cost of owning it is completely false. Just the servicing alone is half what I pay for my Santa Fe or my previous Mazda 6 cars. Same for Subaru, possibly the same for a Toyota. At the budget you are mentioning, you would find a Mk3 Octavia. See if you can find one with extended warranty. The specs kept changing and recently even the bottom level now come with ACC and other things they didn't earlier.

[Fred Nurk]

I discussed it with my local mechanic before getting mine, he'd recommended to stay away from the smaller engine Octavias, and so I ended up with another diesel. I'd agree with making sure timing belt and water pump are done at the appropriate time, its a large expense to get done otherwise.

Some of the diesels in that age are subject to the recall, which may or may not work in your favour for negotiation if you go that way. I can't fault the fuel economy of mine.

[Ozsko]

Brake life is how you drive the car, we towed a race trailer all over NSW in my Superb and the brakes still had a good 5k left in them when I sold it at 120K and I reckon I would have got more than that out of them. That was driving it in and out of Wollongong every day and that is 6km down hill and being liberal with the speed limit.

[pangit99]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like a diesel would be the way to go for longevity. Plus they have the more reliable 6 speed DSG, is that right?

People say it's worth avoiding the first year or two of a new model, until they iron out the issues. Is that the case with the Mk3 or is it just a facelift with the same engines/mechanics?

[woofy]

I don't think there were any issues really with the Mk3s that weren't sorted. They had already put the better engines/gearboxes in them when all that happened. The only issue is the dieselgate itself. So your choice of diesel has to take that into consideration. The RS engine is a really good one and they come with the "good" DSG.

[dArK5HaD0w]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like a diesel would be the way to go for longevity. Plus they have the more reliable 6 speed DSG, is that right?

People say it's worth avoiding the first year or two of a new model, until they iron out the issues. Is that the case with the Mk3 or is it just a facelift with the same engines/mechanics?

the mk3 octavia has been around since MY14.
the FL mk3 was released last year......or was that this year?!?!?

the diesel and the petrol have the same DSG-6, at least in the RS.

i had a mk2 RS a year ago. MY11 Hatch, TSI, DSG-6. Only major issue i had in the 6 yrs of owning it was that i had to replace the intake manifold at about 90,0000 kms. Apart from that, really well behaved, despite being APR Stage 2+ tuned, with a DSG performance tune, eibach springs, and a full APR exhaust.
ahh, was a good fun car to drive, which i still miss.