Should my Skoda EGR valve be covered?

Hi guys,

I just bought a 2010 Skoda Octavia from a local small time dealer just five months ago and he gave me a six-month warranty. I had been back twice with the car losing power and he told me it was a filter. Just last week the car wouldn't start too easily for me and now the dealer put it in to a main Skoda dealer and they have said it's the EGR valve and the small dealer says he won't cover this under his engine and gearbox warranty.

So my question is, where do I stand here on this matter?

Andy O Brien (Cork)

Mar 2017 Filed under: warranty

---

Expert answer

Hi Andy,

Well, the exhaust gas recirculation valve is part of the turbocharger and that's part of the engine, so from here it sounds like it should be covered, especially as you flagged the problem up earlier and have been trying to get it fixed since.

That said, often warranties exclude items such as the EGR valve, precisely because they can be fragile so ask to see the warranty paperwork and check the small print for any exclusions. If the dealer doesn't issue warranty paperwork, then you could argue that you had a reasonable assumption that major mechanical items such as an EGR valve were covered by a verbally-issued warranty.

Either way, probably a good idea to get your solicitor on the case if the dealer won't play ball. 

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe