Item: Used Skoda Yeti 2009-2017
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

If you’re looking for a compact SUV&nbsp;that’s good to drive and has a comfortable ride, then take a look at the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/vitara/4x4/used-review/n882"> Suzuki Vitara</a>. All its engines offer excellent fuel economy, too, thanks in part to the car’s low weight compared with rivals. Its&nbsp;interior is&nbsp;a noticeable step down in plushness compared to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Yeti, though –&nbsp;the Vitara is full of hard plastic surfaces.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/qashqai/hatchback/used-review/n17397">Nissan Qashqai</a> has a well-made interior that feels quite classy – especially the facelifted version – and offers SUV-fanciers the raised ride height they desire. It doesn’t offer much&nbsp;more interior space than a traditional family hatchback, however, and you&nbsp;pay for its raised suspension and comfortable ride with a fair bit of&nbsp;roll&nbsp;through the corners.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/used-review/n726">Volkswagen Tiguan</a> is a little bigger than the Yeti&nbsp;and its low-speed ride is equally stiff, but its interior is finished with nicer materials. You do have to pay extra for the privilege of ownership, though.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/skoda/yeti">used Yeti,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, search on our used car pages <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

Page 5 of 5

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3 dir="ltr">Turbocharger</h3>

Turbos have been known to fail, which might be a result of infrequent servicing or the wrong specification of engine oil being used.&nbsp;If a non-specialist independent garage has serviced the car,&nbsp;check the paperwork if possible to identify the type of oil they used for peace of mind.

<h3 dir="ltr">Diesel particulate filter (DPF)</h3>

All diesel Yetis&nbsp;have a DPF fitted, which&nbsp;requires&nbsp;regular prolonged, higher-speed journeys in order&nbsp;to burn&nbsp;off the soot it collects. To reduce the risk of buying a Yeti with a clogged DPF, check how the previous owner has used the car&nbsp;and make sure the engine oil used is of the low ash variety.

<h3 dir="ltr">High oil level</h3>

During the DPF regeneration process, extra fuel is sometimes injected into the exhaust stream to increase the exhaust temperature. Frequent regeneration attempts can&nbsp;result in fuel getting into the sump of the engine and contaminating the oil, raising the oil level gradually over time. Be suspicious if the dipstick is above maximum.

<h3 dir="ltr">Fuel leak</h3>

This fault can affect&nbsp;Yetis&nbsp;with a 2.0-litre diesel engine that were built between 1 January 2009 and 15 December 2011;&nbsp;the high-pressure fuel line can crack over time and leak fuel into the engine bay. The fix, carried out as a recall,&nbsp;was to fit anti-vibration balance weights to the pipes.

<h3 dir="ltr">Side airbags</h3>

Another recall concerned vehicles equipped with side airbags;&nbsp;metal fragments from the gas generator could enter the interior and cause injury in the event of a collision where the airbag deploys. This affects models produced between 15 January 2015 and 28 January 2015, so check with your <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/skoda">Skoda</a> dealer for more information.

<h3 dir="ltr">Seat belt pre-tensioner</h3>

Parts from the seat belt pre-tensioner can be dislodged in a collision and cause injury to occupants on some models manufactured between 1 May 2016 and 31 October 2016. Contact your Skoda dealer to make sure any recall work has been completed if you think this applies to your car.

The Yeti performed quite well in the&nbsp;latest reliability survey of ours it appeared in, taking the sixth&nbsp;and seventh&nbsp;places for diesel and petrol models&nbsp;respectively. Skoda as a brand managed to take 12th&nbsp;place in a league&nbsp;of 30&nbsp;car manufacturers, which is an excellent result.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

Page 3 of 5

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Estate

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

YETI

The Yeti was a huge success for Skoda, and used ones now look like very good value indeed.&nbsp;

Used Skoda Yeti 2009-2017

Certain petrol-powered Yetis are not quite as economical as you might like, with the 1.8 TSI performing the worst at 35.3mpg (under the NEDC fuel tests that were prevalent at the time) and costing £290 per year in road tax. The most frugal is the front-wheel drive 1.2 TSI: early 103bhp examples consume fuel at a rate of 44.1mpg and cost £155 per year to tax, while later 109bhp versions are a little more cost-efficient&nbsp;at 51.4mpg and £120 per year in tax.

Diesel Yetis are generally much more economical, although&nbsp;the worst performing version is the four-wheel-drive DSG 2.0 TDI 138bhp model (43.4mpg and £230 road tax). The more popular&nbsp;two-wheel drive&nbsp;2.0 TDI 109bhp manages 52.3mpg and £140 a year road tax, but the economy champion is the 1.6-litre Greenline model. It sips fuel at a rate of 61.4mpg and only cost £30 per year in tax.

It’s worth noting that any car registered after 1 April 2017 will cost £155&nbsp;per year to tax due to updated&nbsp;regulations that applied after that date.

Helpfully,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/skoda">Skoda</a>&nbsp;offers fixed price servicing: a simple oil and filter change costs £99, a more in depth interim service every 12 months or 10,000 miles costs £169, while the full 24 month or 20,000 mile major service is £279.

The Yeti also offers lower&nbsp;insurance groupings than rivals, which should mean that it costs less to insure.

Page 2 of 5

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

The Yeti was a huge success for Skoda, and used ones now look like very good value indeed. 

Early Yeti models with relatively high mileage can be found for £5000 or less, but if you want to limit the mileage to below 60,000,&nbsp;be prepared to spend between £6000 - £8000 to find a good example. If you want a facelifted Yeti, examples from&nbsp;2014 with average mileage start from around £10,000.

Towards the end of its life, the Yeti was only available in Outdoor form. A&nbsp;2017 example with average mileage will cost&nbsp;between £14,000 and £18,000.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Skoda Yeti with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

If you only need a car for short trips in town, then the 1.2 TSI petrol Yeti is more than up to the job and, thanks to&nbsp;its power-boosting&nbsp;turbo, can cope with the odd longer journey, too. You won’t find one in four-wheel-drive form, but most people won’t need that.

If you plan to frequently carry a car full of&nbsp;passengers, the 2.0 TDI will be your best option. Even the least powerful 108bhp version is fine, with plenty of&nbsp;low-down torque for relaxed progress. However, that version&nbsp;is quite loud at most speeds, only really settling down when the car is in sixth gear on the motorway. If you’re prepared to spend a bit more money, later 148bhp versions are a bit better in this regard.

E trim Yetis have a few&nbsp;luxuries, such as air-con and electric front windows, but, if you can afford it, go for either S or SE: both are much better equipped.&nbsp;S trim adds alloy wheels, front fog lights and electric rear windows; SE cars also have dual-zone climate control, parking sensors and a CD changer. Elegance modes add adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats and leather upholstery.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Yeti: 2.0 TDI SE

Page 4 of 5

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Running costs that won’t break the bank </li> <li>Generous kit</li> <li>Pokey engine and tidy handling</li> <li>Spacious interior</li> <li>Boot big enough to cope with family life</li></ul>

The car-buying public has fallen in love with small SUVs, or crossovers as they’re often called, with thousands turning away from conventional hatchbacks in favour of something that rides that little bit higher.

The original baby SUV is the Nissan Juke, which remains a popular choice, but there are plenty of better rivals to consider instead. We’d recommend you look at either the Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq, because they offer&nbsp;a great blend of practicality and value that keeps them&nbsp;clear of the opposition. Equally, if you’ve got more money to spend, the Audi Q2 and Volkswagen T-Roc&nbsp;are both fine choices.&nbsp;

Small SUV

The Yeti's always scored well in our reliability surveys, but that’s not to say there haven’t been problems. In fact, quite a number of non-engine electrical issues were reported, but these cars remained driveable and the work was carried out under warranty. Some owners have complained of other&nbsp;faults, though, including an issue with the immobiliser that left them&nbsp;stranded. Check out the below too.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Oil level</h3>

All engines can suffer from high oil consumption, so if you find that the level is low, it could mean that the previous owner has driven the vehicle without enough oil in the engine. This can result in excessive engine wear; so walk away if the stick is below minimum.

<h3>Off road damage </h3>

As unlikely as it may sound, check for any damage to the underbody cladding when looking at a four-wheel-drive Skoda Yeti, that might have occurred during an off-road excursion. Also, make sure it isn’t caked in mud&nbsp;because that will act as a moisture trap and cause corrosion.

<h3 dir="ltr">Poor paint finish</h3>

Some owners have complained about the quality of the paintwork, so check the car during daylight hours and never under strip lighting. If possible, ask the garage to dry it for you and examine the car when it’s free of moisture.

As one of the first small <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family-suv">family SUVs</a> to hit the market, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family-suv">Skoda Yeti</a> needed to stand out from the crowd. Chunky, Tonka-toy looks,&nbsp;blistered wheel arches, oversized roof rails and lower-body cladding ensured this was the case, and then there was the name:&nbsp;that of a large, hairy abominable snowman. Fortunately, there is nothing abominable about this practical alternative to a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family">family hatchback</a>.

There’s certainly nothing monstrous under the bonnet of a Yeti. The small 103bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine (later uprated to 109bhp) is perfectly pleasant; the larger 158bhp 1.8 is smooth and the later 148bhp 1.4 turbo&nbsp;is an even better bet for its blend of performance and economy. You can even have a 103bhp 1.6-litre diesel that's laughably inexpensive to run,&nbsp;or a bigger 2.0-litre diesel in either 108, 138 or 168bhp forms.&nbsp;

A 2013 update saw Skoda trim its engine lineup, with a 109bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine and a 2.0-litre TDI diesel in two guises producing 108bhp and 148bhp respectively, the only options available.&nbsp;

There were initially&nbsp;four trim levels to choose from - S, SE, Monte Carlo and SE-L. Opt for the entry-level model and you will get 17in alloy wheels, parking sensors, heated front seats, heated windscreen and a touchscreen infotainment system complete with sat-nav, a DAB radio, and Bluetooth connectivity as standard. Upgrade to the range-topping SE L Drive model and you'll find unique 17in alloy wheels, silver roof rails, textile floor mats and a full leather upholstery.

With the facelift, these were cut to two core trims from the four that used to be available. They are SE Drive and SE L Drive.&nbsp;

Being quite wide and tall,&nbsp;the Yeti has a generous amount of space inside for five passengers. Just like its contemporaries, the rear seats can slide back and forth to increase rear leg room or boot space.&nbsp;Combine&nbsp;this with the Yeti’s boxy shape and versatility is a strong suit; you'll have no problem&nbsp;fitting a pushchair in there and it's more accommodating&nbsp;than rivals like the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/vitara/4x4/used-review/n882"> Suzuki Vitara</a>. The raised ride height and large window area afford the driver great all-round visibility, while the driver’s seat has plenty of adjustment and will&nbsp;suit all sizes.

The Yeti is surprisingly enjoyable to drive, too, not least thanks to having plenty of traction. It moves around quite nicely with any of the engines under its bonnet, and none of them are especially raucous. The 2.0 TDI versions are particularly punchy and frugal, and at their best employed in the rough-and-tumble ideal of the four-wheel-drive versions.

The consequences of its height, though, are a rather firm ride and a bit&nbsp;of wind noise at speed, which is something that doesn’t trouble rivals such as the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/qashqai/hatchback/used-review/n17397"> Nissan Qashqai</a>. The steering, unlike that of&nbsp;most modern Skoda models,&nbsp;is quite heavy&nbsp;and can make parking more of a chore than it ought to be.

As mentioned, the Yeti was facelifted in 2013, bringing&nbsp;new front and rear bumpers and introducing two model variations: Yeti and Yeti Outdoor. The move aimed to offer buyers a choice based on how they use their car; the standard Yeti for those for don’t need off-road capability and Yeti Outdoor –with different bumpers that increase the approach and departure angles to make it more capable on rough terrain&nbsp;–&nbsp; for those who do. This was similar to the choice&nbsp;offered by the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/used-review/n726">Volkswagen Tiguan</a>.

All good things must come to an end, of course, and the immensely popular Yeti was eventually replaced by&nbsp;the sober-suited but equally competent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/karoq/estate/used-review/n17894">Karoq</a> in 2017.&nbsp;

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/skoda/yeti">used Yeti,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, search on our used car pages <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

Page 1 of 5

Used Skoda Yeti 2009-2017 review

Fill out our 2022 Reliability Survey - and win a prize!

Citroen C3 Aircross

Audi E-Tron

MG ZS EV

Cupra Formentor

Fiat 500 Electric 

Kia Niro EV

Renault Megane E-Tech

/news/complete-the-2022-what-car-reliability-survey-for-the-chance-to-win-a-prize/n15554

New car deals >>

site ribbon config

Wondering what the best used Skoda Yeti 2009 - 2017 is for your money? The expert What Car? review team can help you out.

If you only need a car for short trips in town, then the 1.2 TSI petrol Yeti is more than up to the job and, thanks to its power-boosting turbo, can cope with the odd longer journey, too. You won’t find one in four-wheel-drive form, but most people won’t need that.,If you plan to frequently carry a car full of passengers, the 2.0 TDI will be your best option. Even the least powerful 108bhp version is fine, with plenty of low-down torque for relaxed progress. However, that version is quite loud at most speeds, only really settling down when the car is in sixth gear on the motorway. If you’re prepared to spend a bit more money, later 148bhp versions are a bit better in this regard.,E trim Yetis have a few luxuries, such as air-con and electric front windows, but, if you can afford it, go for either S or SE: both are much better equipped. S trim adds alloy wheels, front fog lights and electric rear windows; SE cars also have dual-zone climate control, parking sensors and a CD changer. Elegance modes add adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats and leather upholstery.,Our favourite Skoda Yeti: 2.0 TDI SEPage 4 of 5

New car deals >>

Used Skoda Yeti 2009-2017 review

SKODA Yeti 2.0 TDI Elegance Euro 5 5dr

SKODA Yeti 1.2 TSI S Euro 5 5dr

Our recommendations

Which used Skoda Yeti estate should I buy?

What Car? has a buying service

Quick search

Tools & services

Legal bits

Information