AIBU to expect answers after eight weeks without our car?

[Ohnoskoda]

I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experienced something similar, particularly with a manufacturer-approved dealer.

Around mid-May 2026, a couple of warning lights came on in our car and it intermittently started losing torque/power. We took it to a garage, and after about a week we were told it had been fixed. We paid the bill and took the car back.
Around two weeks later, the warning lights came back on. I switched the engine off, hoping a soft reset might clear whatever was happening, but the car then wouldn’t start at all.

We contacted the same garage. They agreed to take the vehicle in and investigate it.
That was 8 weeks ago.

We have now been without the car for eight weeks and, despite repeatedly chasing, we have had virtually no information. The only updates we’ve been given have been things along the lines of “we’re asking the factory for advice on what tests to carry out.”
We haven’t been given:

• A diagnosis
• Any indication of what they believe is wrong
• A timescale for completing the investigation/repair
• A breakdown of what work or testing has been carried out
• Any estimate of costs
• Any indication of when we’re likely to get the car back

We made a formal complaint to the manufacturer about 5 weeks ago. Unfortunately, that hasn’t really got us anywhere either. Their response seems to be essentially that until the garage tells them more, there’s nothing they can do. I completely understand that difficult faults can take time to diagnose, and I’m not expecting them to magically know what’s wrong. What I can’t understand is how a customer can be left without their car for eight weeks with virtually no information or support.

We’ve also explained that we have a daughter with a disability and that having a suitable hire/courtesy car would make a huge difference to us, particularly for getting out and about and making necessary journeys. We’ve asked whether they can provide a like-for-like vehicle, but we’ve simply been told that they don’t have one available.

At this point we’re incredibly frustrated. It feels unreasonable that we’re expected to just keep waiting indefinitely without even being given a realistic timescale or proper explanation of what is happening.

I don’t particularly want to go down the legal route or start threatening people with an ombudsman/court action if there is a sensible way of resolving this.

Thank you SO much in advance!

Thank you for replying. I will keep you all updated. Such a frustrating situation as prior to this we’ve never had any issues with the garage. Naively thought being the ‘brand’ garage we would never have any issues, alas here we are. Could all be solved with good communication from the garage and a hire care!

I feel for you, not least because I also drive a Skoda and we've only ever gone to the same main dealer since it was new! Luckily we’ve never had any major issues and the dealer seems to be quite a decent one; I suspect it’s the luck of the draw, sadly. But I’m very disappointed on your behalf that Skoda/VW haven’t been much more proactive.

Not that it helps now, but stop taking a 6 year old car to a main dealer. A local VAG specialist is likely to be a much better bet in future.

I hope you get it sorted. Sounds like a nightmare loop of “don’t know what’s wrong” and “we cannot help until we know what’s wrong”! I don’t have advice but just speak to car and house insurance again to check out if you have some kind of legal cover? Good call to email the CEO! Is there some kind of complaint’s Ombusman for cars?

Thank you for replying. Yes, they’ve generally been really good before and this is the first time in 6 years we’ve had any issues. It’s incredibly frustrating, especially over the summer holidays. Sure as anything we will never go back there again!

Thank you for your advice. I have to say I do generally agree and always encourage my husband to make that choice. We recently moved to a slightly different area and don’t know the local garages well so just thought we’d stick with what has worked previously… lesson very much learnt!

Thank you for your post. Yes, it feels exactly like that, and endless loop where we seem to get nowhere. Think I will spend some time this afternoon checking over our legal cover. We’ve spoken to the Ombudsman who think we have a case, but they’ve said it can take up to 6 months for it to go anywhere if the garage don’t cooperate which they currently aren’t doing 😞

Currently in a very similar situation with my Hyundai Tucson. Bought it 2nd hand 1 year ago. It's been pretty much unusable since May. Currently at the dealership and in dispute with them. Have complained to the dealership, Hyundai UK and The Motor Ombudsman (awaiting case worker allocation but also advised 6 month back log). I feel your pain 💐

Ask around on Facebook or in one of the VAG forums. You’ll find a well respected VAG specialist not too far away I’m sure. You tend to find they’re much more up for actually fixing things than just swapping parts which is what happens at a lot of main dealers. In my experience the techs at marque specialists are usually real experts.

Sending lots of understanding your way. It’s such a frustrating situation, isn’t it? Knowing it’s out of your hands to an extent but trying to comprehend how such shit service is okay. If I find anything that makes it quicker on my end, I’ll be sure you let you know. Stupid car garages 😅