Used Skoda Octavia Estate 1998 - 2004 reliability review

Name: Used Skoda Octavia Estate 1998 - 2004
Rating: 4
Author: Stuart Milne

It's a good choice of practical family transport that should give reliable motoring

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What should I look for in a used Skoda Octavia?

If you can find a well maintained, privately sold 1.9 TDI with a full service record at the right price, snap it up. However, it's not only private motorists who have recognised the Octavia Estate's virtues, and sadly company car and taxi drivers may not have looked after their charges as well.

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Have a good look around for usual tell-tale signs of misuse and abuse, such as scuffed bumpers, shaved alloy wheels and dodgy paint repairs.

At least the Skoda Octavia enjoys a good reputation for reliability as its strong showing over the years in our What Car? JD Power Reliability Index reflects.

Not that there are no problems to look out for, of course. Avoid 1.8-litre 20v engines that haven't had their timing belts replaced by 70,000 miles. The 1.6 engines can also suffer timing belt trouble, but unlike the 1.8, this rarely results in a wrecked engine.

Tips & Advice

Check for outstanding recalls

Many cars are recalled so that faults can be put right. Recall work shouldn’t cost you a penny, and they’ll make your car safer or more mechanically robust. Checking if your car has been recalled is easy

Choose the right breakdown cover

You may already have a breakdown policy through your home insurance or new-car warranty so check to avoid paying twice

Ensure you have breakdown cover

Thousands of What Car? readers deliver their verdict on the best breakdown companies helping you to choose the best cover

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About the writer

Name: Stuart Milne

Title: Digital editor

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Stuart has been a motoring journalist for more than 25 years, writing and editing for a wide range of consumer titles. Today, Stuart is responsible for the smooth running of whatcar.com and all of its related social and digital channels. And he’s the man responsible for making sure you're able to find What Car?’s industry-leading content whenever you search for it.

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