Skoda Octavia Radiator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

VW Group has legally admitted to "inferior thermoplastic materials" in the TSI water pump housing — plus a hidden EGR cooler leak worth checking if you've already replaced everything obvious.

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — radiators (aftermarket) Hella 8MK 366 301-711

Accuracy note: Covers the Skoda Octavia (Mk3 2013-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Radiators are sold by engine, gearbox and air-conditioning fitment, and one model usually has two or three different cores — a thicker core for diesels and automatics, a thinner one for small petrols — with different hose positions, so a radiator for the wrong engine will not connect up. The references below are UK aftermarket listings whose fitment lists name this generation, labelled by brand with the core size in mm; genuine numbers are those quoted against the listing. Check your engine code and whether the car has air conditioning against your VIN, and replace the coolant and bleed the system after fitting.

Radiators (aftermarket)	TYC 737-0073 (650 x 328 x 32 mm, soldered fins); cross-refs Hella 8MK 366 301-711, Kamoka 7705276, Loro 003-017-0065 / 003-017-0067, GT-Bergmann GT10-186.
Core sizes & variants	The 328 mm-tall core covers the 1.2 TSI and 1.6 TDI; the 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, 2.0 TSI and 2.0 TDI take the taller MQB radiator and are not covered by this part.
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order a genuine unit against your VIN
Fitment notes	Inlet and outlet are both 32 mm; no seals are mentioned, so reuse or buy the O-rings separately.

Accuracy note: genuinely worth knowing: higher-power Octavia engine variants often use a larger, higher-capacity radiator than the entry-level engine in the same range — matching by engine code rather than just model name avoids under-specifying the cooling capacity.

Confirmed: A Genuinely Serious, Class-Action-Level Design Flaw on TSI Engines — Skoda Octavia Radiator

If your Octavia has a TSI turbo petrol engine (the 1.4 TSI, engine code CHPA among others, is specifically documented with this fault), this is genuinely the single most important thing to know before anything else on this page. The water pump and thermostat are combined into one integrated plastic housing, mounted on the right-hand side of the engine, and this plastic becomes brittle and develops hairline cracks after thousands of ordinary heat cycles — leading to a coolant leak that's often difficult to spot at first. This isn't a minor manufacturing quirk: VW Group (Skoda's parent company) has confirmed through legal documents that "inferior thermoplastic materials were used" in these water pump components, and the issue has been the subject of multiple class-action lawsuits.

What the settlement genuinely offers: a Technical Service Bulletin extends the warranty on this specific part to 8 years/80,000 miles, and the class-action settlement goes further still — up to 10 years/100,000 miles warranty, reimbursement of qualifying repairs, and reimbursement for consequential damage if the leak went undiagnosed long enough to damage the turbocharger or EGR system. If you've paid for this repair, it's genuinely worth checking whether you qualify.

Separately, if you've already replaced the water pump, cambelt, and thermostat and are still losing coolant with no visible leak anywhere, it's genuinely worth checking the EGR cooler specifically — coolant can leak through a failing EGR cooler with no outward signs at all, since it flows internally into the exhaust rather than dripping visibly. This is often only confirmable by removing the exhaust downpipe and checking for coolant residue, and it's a well-documented cause of exactly this "replaced everything obvious, still losing coolant" scenario reported by several Octavia owners.

Skoda Octavia Radiator: The Part That Keeps Everything Else From Cooking

Nothing about this component is glamorous, but on the Skoda Octavia, almost every serious engine failure that isn't wear-related traces back to a cooling system problem left unaddressed. Catching the early signs here is genuinely cheap insurance against a much bigger bill.

Skoda Octavia Radiator: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: How To Remove Skoda Octavia Radiator DIY

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Generation not stated in title; check thumbnail before linking. Mk3 coolant-loss diagnosis alt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2N14WeTMx4

Before you buy: radiator size and design vary significantly by engine size, transmission type, and whether your car has air conditioning. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Skoda Octavia Radiator: What It Does

The Skoda Octavia's radiator transfers heat from the engine coolant to the surrounding air, keeping engine temperature within a safe operating range. On automatic versions, it often also cools transmission fluid through a separate internal circuit — one more reason the correct part number matters so much here.

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Skoda Octavia Radiator: Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Radiator Guide for the three common failure modes, confirming fitment against your VIN, and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.

More Skoda Radiator

The same part, covered across other Skoda models.