Plastic engine cover

[KGHL]

Three months old opened bonnet to check oil to find no plastic cover on engine checked with garage to be told they stopped fitting them it make the engine compartment look untidy and I guess it will get very dirty.

[Routemaster1]

There was an issue with engine covers on Kodiaqs, I think. They stopped fitting them due to being a potential fite hazard (can't remember whether it was petrol or diesels). After a redesign they started fitting them again. It may be that someting similar happened with Karoqs, or perhaps there was a supply shortage and they were simply shipped without covers. I suggest you contact the agent to rectify the situation.

[CJJE]

In April 2022, there was a safety recall for several VAG cars fitted with the 2.0 TSI engine and made between 2022 and 2022. There had been a few cases where the engine cover came loose under violent acceleration and fell down between the engine and the bulkhead, then caught fire. Details are at https://car-recalls.eu/recall/skoda-kod ... over-fire/ and https://car-recalls.eu/vw-audi-skoda-se ... over-fire/

But surprisingly, despite the comments above, the Karoq was no included in the DVLA official recalls for the Karoq.

The cure was to remove the engine cover and await the supply of a replacement (presumably either with better mountings or made from a different material.)

Later VAG seemed to stop supplying the covers on new cars, but whether this was due to the fire risk or just to cut costs wasn't obvious (a few years ago VAG moved to a standard cover for all cars rather than the branded VW, Audi Skoda and SEAT covers). I have seen threads where there seemed no common factor whether the cover was fitted or not.

So depending on whether your car is new or secondhand, and which model it is, your dealer may be waiting for a replacement still, or it may no longer be fitted from new. Check with the service manager and see what he knows.

Chris

[CJJE]

Further updates.

I have seen reports that newer engines have repositioned ancillary equipment around the engine that prevents a full cover being fitted. These engines will have a smaller cover fitted over part of the engine only. But in Germany, owners who had the covers removed are being told that a replacement cover would be available from quarter 4 2023, and that they would be informed by their dealers when one was to be refitted to their car.

Chris

[Soup]

…under violent acceleration…

I wish…