Broken spring - ok to drive like this? Skoda Octavia

[TonyRPH]

• MODS please don't move this post - it'll get more exposure here ** thanks.

Car is a 2017 Skoda Octavia

The spring snapped leaving my son stranded about 50 miles from home - is this ok to drive?

I can see part of the lower coil is currently resting on the top of the drop link - the rest does seem to be relatively secure - but once on the move things will change?

[swisstoni]

He can try moving it and see what happens.
In my own personal experience of a broken spring, it limped for a mile and wrote off a tyre.
My personal advice would be to have it recovered professionally.

[itcaptainslow]

Absolutely not safe - it could potentially puncture a tyre, move and impede steering, tear the brake hose…

Needs recovering unfortunately, for the safety of the driver and everybody else.

[Ste372]

Ideally if he's got recovery use that as If it decides to ping off the drop link it could take out a brake line or a tyre

If he's half competent try Jacking that corner up with in car jack if it's got one. Take the weight off the corner and try and twist the coil spring back onto the cup at the bottom of the shock. Certainly not a permanent fix but more of a chance making it back than just leaving it. If it decides to ping off the drop link it could take out a brake line or anything

Obviously if he's not on the ball don't even suggest it as fingers could be trapped/chopped off if he's not super careful..

[VeeReihenmotor6]

Not safe and at risk of more damage imo

[TonyRPH]

Thanks everyone.

[Shaw Tarse]

TonyRPH said:

** MODS please don't move this post - it'll get more exposure here ** thanks.

Car is a 2017 Skoda Octavia

The spring snapped leaving my son stranded about 50 miles from home - is this ok to drive?

I can see part of the lower coil is currently resting on the top of the drop link - the rest does seem to be relatively secure - but once on the move things will change?

Not being moved as you want

[gamefreaks]

Broken springs can be nasty. I had one break on me recently and was thankful it went at walking speed on the driveway.

It shredded the tyre, locked the wheel up, limited the steering, burst the windscreen wash bottle and dislodged the bonnet cables.

[E-bmw]

I gather you have now ruled it out but will add my weight of opinion to the above comments.

No, No, No, it is 100% not safe.

The spring could dislodge, shred the tyre, jam the steering, rip through brake hoses & (obviously) cause serious danger to driver/passenger/others.

[MitchT]

A coil spring went on the OH's 1 Series a couple of weeks ago. We were about to set off, put the car in gear, started moving and BANG! Front nearside corner sat down. Had to be recovered as it wasn't driveable but fortunately just the spring to replace - no other damage. I dread to think what the consequences might have been had it gone on the motorway or on a fast bend on a country road. Made me think there could do with being some way to mitigate springs breaking, even if it means replacing them after a certain mileage/time.

[GreenV8S]

MitchT said:

fortunately just the spring to replace

If you only replaced the broken one, then expect the other to fail too.

[MitchT]

GreenV8S said:

If you only replaced the broken one, then expect the other to fail too.

The other was done about a year prior. I've always replaced both at the same time but the OH was adamant she only wanted the one doing, so it was no surprise to me when the other went!