Used Skoda Kodiaq review and buying guide (2016 to 2024): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Skoda Kodiaq should you buy?

The 2017 to 2020 1.5 TSI Evo petrol, manual or DSG, is the Kodiaq to approach with care. Its engine software can make it judder, hesitate and kangaroo in first gear when it's cold, and it can stall. It's the model's one known fault and it shows up within 50,000 miles, so a test drive from cold tells you whether a car's got it.

Beyond that, no year stands out as better than another. The owner complaints all come from 2017 to 2019 cars and there aren't any about cars built after 2020, which makes the later ones unproven rather than trouble-free, so judge one on its servicing receipts.

Every automatic uses a six or seven-speed DSG with wet clutches, not the lower-torque dry-clutch DQ200, which counts in its favour. If you need seven seats, skip a basic S, which only came with five, and bear in mind the back seats suit smaller passengers on short runs. For a softer ride, pick smaller wheels: on big wheels with low-profile tyres it rides hard and the steering goes vague.

Which Kodiaq engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The wet-clutch DSG is the reassuring part of the line-up, provided it's been serviced. On the six-speed DQ250, the oil and filter are due every 40,000 miles or 48 months, and some specialists cut that to 30,000 miles on a hard-worked car. Ask for the receipt; a missed change is a reason to haggle or keep looking.

On 2017 to 2020 cars, the 1.5 TSI Evo petrol is the engine to be wary of, with either gearbox. The fault's in the engine's software mapping and it turns up early, inside 50,000 miles: one 2019 car had been back to the dealer twice in five weeks by 3,500 miles, and its dealer blamed software. If a car does it on your drive, don't buy it hoping it'll settle.

The 2.0 TDI diesel's cambelt is due every 60,000 miles or 60 months, and there are no diesel complaints to go on, so the belt's history is what to judge one on. On a car past either mark, ask for the receipt showing it's been changed, and if there isn't one, treat it as due now.

The 2.0 TSI petrol runs a timing chain with no set replacement interval, though specialists often renew it before 80,000 miles; a rattle as it starts from cold is the warning. On a 4x4, ask for proof the Haldex oil's been changed every 30,000 miles or 36 months. One owner's 2017 2.0 TSI DSG 4x4 had its differential fail, and the dealer and Skoda offered to cover half the repair.

What should you check when viewing a used Kodiaq?

Ask the seller not to warm the engine up before you arrive, then start it from cold and pull away gently several times, as you would in a queue. On a 1.5 TSI Evo, juddering, hesitation in first or second gear, a stall or a pause before the car moves off is the known fault showing itself; one December 2018 car took 15 to 30 seconds to get going. On a 2.0 TSI, listen for chain rattle in the first few seconds.

Look underneath for oil where the engine meets the gearbox. One owner's leak there was traced by the dealer to a faulty batch of flywheel bolts, and fixing it meant separating the gearbox from the engine; it was done free under warranty, so ask whether that work's on the car's record. Ask for receipts for DSG oil, Haldex oil on a 4x4 and the cambelt on a diesel.

Lock the car and give it a minute to check the tailgate stays shut: one 2017 owner's opened itself while locked, and the same dealer was seeing it on two other customers' cars. On the drive, listen for the SOS emergency system beeping and dropping out, which one 2017 car kept doing even after a software update.

Peer into the rear light clusters, as one 2017 owner's weren't sealed and filled up with dead insects. If it's wearing Pirelli Scorpion Verdes in 235/50 R19 size, check the outer tread blocks for cracks, which one 2017 car had by 11,000 miles. And make sure you can read the silver-grey speedo dial at a glance; if you can't, you're stuck switching to the digital display in the middle.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Skoda Kodiaq cost to run?

What do Kodiaq owners like about them?

It's a quiet, comfortable car, and long journeys are where it's at its best. There isn't much noise in the cabin to wear you down, so a long motorway run with the family on board feels easy rather than an ordeal, and that's what it does better than anything else.

There's room for a whole family, and you can have it with five or seven seats depending on what you need. The load area's huge too, so the boot isn't something you'll be compromising on, and it's as much SUV as most families are ever going to need.

• This model is very easy to drive, offering a pleasant experience for owners.
• The Kodiaq provides a quiet and comfortable ride, making it excellent for long-distance journeys.
• There is ample space for a family, with the flexibility of either seven or five seats.
• The Kodiaq features a huge load area, providing all the SUV utility a driver might need.
• The car achieved a five-star Euro NCAP rating, with strong scores for adult and child occupancy protection.