Although an official recall has not been announced, the EPC fix is being provided free of cost to customers
Owing to its good looks, new features and peppy engine options, Skoda Kushaq has emerged as a popular choice in compact SUV segment. In August, Kushaq was ranked at third place in the list of bestselling compact SUVs in the country. It has raced ahead of rivals such as Maruti S-Cross, Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster. It trails top selling Hyundai Creta and second bestseller Kia Seltos.
Skoda Kushaq EPC issue resurfaces
In the weeks following its launch, some users had reported issues like loss of power and engine cut-off. Such problems occurred along with warning light issue on Electronic Power Control (EPC). As per manual, the EPC warning light indicated towards potential problems associated with accelerator pedal, fuel injection, traction control or cruise control.
After several reports surfaced, Skoda worked to identify the problem and find a resolution for the same. The technical team at Skoda later identified fuel pumps as the root cause of the problem. It was ascertained that difference in fuel quality at fuel stations was causing the issue.
As a solution, Skoda had started fitting new units of Kushaq with a more robust fuel pump. Existing users were individually contacted to get the fuel pumps replaced at the service centre. This replacement was provided free of cost to all Kushaq users.
Even though Skoda claims that the problem has been resolved, there are reports that some users are still facing the EPC issue. Responding to such stories, Skoda India director Zac Hollis has reiterated that the fuel pump issues have been resolved. He said that he is aware of some cases where users are facing the warning light issue. However, these are not related to the fuel pump.
Zac said that recurring warning light issue could be related to other reasons such as fuel quality, software setting or even rat bites. He said that all such cases have been attended by technician teams and no breakdowns have been reported. According to Zac, the root cause was the fuel pump, which has already been fixed.
Could there be multiple issues?
It is hoped that use of more robust fuel pumps will take care of the problems being faced by Skoda Kushaq users. However, as some users still face EPC issue, another round of checks may be needed. It is possible that there may be more than one fault or combination of factors that may be leading to the same basis issue.
Better clarity will emerge in coming months, based on user experience with Kushaq units that are now using the robust fuel pumps. Analysis done over longer durations can help ascertain if the solution really helped or if it was just a temporary fix.
