On July 28, 2021, we purchased our Skoda Octavia vehicle brand new (0 km) from the Mersin Skoda Kavi dealership. In the month our vehicle's two-year warranty expired, we experienced a gear shift lever malfunction. When we did some research, we learned that this malfunction had been seen in many users' vehicles, but that for vehicles whose warranty period had ended, the service center did not recognize this as a chronic defect. Because of this, we had to have the malfunction repaired at our own expense — a considerable amount of money for us at the time — at the İskenderun Gümüş dealership, using our own resources.
That same year, the vehicle then developed a battery malfunction and a parking system malfunction, and once again we had these repaired, paying out of pocket, at İskenderun Gümüş Otomotiv. Once the vehicle had this many malfunctions in such a short time, we started doing more detailed research and found that, especially in the early production series, alternator failure was also a very common and costly issue — yet Skoda still didn't recognize it as a chronic defect. We were torn on whether to sell the vehicle, and unfortunately, about a year later, we experienced this same malfunction ourselves.
As people who lived through the earthquake and lost our home, having our Skoda Octavia — which we bought trusting it would spare us from headaches — rack up serious expenses every single year has worn us down badly, both financially and emotionally. On 06.26.2026, with the vehicle at 84,000 kilometers, the alternator failed, and the cost Skoda is now charging for this repair is around $2,680. Despite the fact that forums and user posts show a large number of vehicles experiencing this same malfunction, and that this problem is especially common in the early production series, we are seriously disappointed that Skoda refuses to acknowledge this as a chronic problem and continues to leave customers in this position.
I am requesting that Skoda Turkey conduct the necessary review of all the malfunctions we've experienced — starting with the alternator issue on our vehicle, which has had this many failures in such a short time — and that, taking into account the fact that these malfunctions are chronic, the $2,680 cost being charged to us be reasonably and fairly reassessed, with our grievance resolved if possible through a goodwill warranty or similar support. To restore our trust in the Skoda brand, I expect a customer-focused approach to be taken throughout this process.