2.0 TDI SCR 150ps Laurin+Klement 4X4 5dr

Leaking sunroof, poor dealership experience, very expensive mistake.

I bought the Laurin and Klement Yeti primarily because of the level of spec offered, and had to travel 50 miles to find a decent 3-year old used model with warranty from a Skoda main agent. I was also swayed by the promise that Skoda dealerships would exchange the vehicle within 30 days if it didn't meet expectations.

Within a week of ownership I discovered a steady trickle of water leaking into the front passenger footwell. As the vehicle had a 12 month Skoda warranty, I naively went to my local Skoda dealer, who informed me that this was a common problem with the Yeti, and that the water would be coming from the sunroof. Due to a £2k cost of repair, they refused to touch the car, stating that the sunroof was not covered under the Skoda extended warranty. I was told that I needed to sort the problem with the garage who sold it.

The car was promptly returned to the Skoda agent 50 miles away. I asked for an exchange of vehicle as promised at the point of sale - this was refused, the dealer stating that an exchange would only be made if they had tried and failed to rectify the issue. The car was in the repair shop for 12 weeks while they investigated the leak and eventually replaced the entire sunroof, by which time I was out of the 30-day right to exchange programme.

Two months after having the 'fixed' car returned to me, the leak started again. Also noticed problems with the stop/start feature, which would activate when it shouldn't, with the car being difficult to restart (left me stranded in junctions on at least 3 occasions).

After digging around on owner's forums, it would appear that the leaking sunroof issue has been known to Skoda for years, and despite this, the panoramic sunroof continued to be used in the higher spec models until the end of production. Issues with the stop/start system were also widely reported. Such a shame because the Yeti had so much potential - handled nicely, powerful engine, good seating position, solid feel, and useful luggage capacity. Cannot comment on fuel economy because I didn't keep the car long enough - became sick of checking for water ingress every time it rained.

As a result of this experience, I cannot recommend either the Yeti or Skoda dealerships, and wouldn't touch the brand again even with the proverbial bargepole.

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