At the end of June 2024, a recall with the code “23AX” for 343,924 Skoda Octavia and Superb produced between 2015 and 2018 appeared in the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) database. Without any further details, it simply states “voluntary service measure to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.”
We tried to get details from the Škoda Auto Czechia press department, but our questions have so far gone unanswered. So we have been looking into what is behind this action announced by the German authorities. The similarly oriented German website kfz-rueckrufe.de wonders, among other things, about the “voluntariness” of this measure. According to the KBA, it is currently “under investigation”, which would make participation of the car company anything but “voluntary”.
According to the article’s author, some posts on German internet forums indicate that the internal code in question has been around for some time. Back in early 2023, a number of Skoda owners in Germany received a letter from KBA urging them to update the software in their EA288 diesel engines to reduce emissions in the warm-up phase. It is possible that this letter did not meet with the required response, and therefore, this measure now appears officially on the KBA list. However, when asked by kfz-rueckrufe.de, the Škoda Auto Deutschland press department stated that there is “no recall campaign for this”.
According to the same source, other VW brands have also been performing diesel engine software updates for some time. Seat is likely to have a code “23CJ” in addition to “23AJ”. Other codes are likely to be “23X4” (VW), “23CY” (VW and Audi) and “23CO” (Audi). However, none of these can be found in the KBA database (yet).
Recall details
| Make: | Skoda |
|---|---|
| Model: | Octavia, Superb |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 – 2018 |
| Production: | 2015 – 2018 |
| Extent: | 343,924 |
| Code: | 23AX |
| KBA publication date: | 27. 6. 2024 |
Source: KBA 11404 (Search Rückrufcode: 23AX)