Skoda Karoq MOT failure rate and common faults
60,668 Skoda Karoq cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 11.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 15.2% of the time, which makes the Skoda Karoq 27% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
11.1%
failed first time
60,668 MOT tests in 2025
-27%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 15.2%
31 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
52.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 68.0
What fails on a Skoda Karoq MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Skoda Karoq MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 22.9 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 18.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 17.1 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 13.4 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 8.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 7.5 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 7.4 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 7.3 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 7.1 |
| Tyres: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 4.5 |
Skoda Karoq MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8,703 | 7.8% | 11.4% | 25,800 |
| 2021 | 11,188 | 11.0% | 12.8% | 33,800 |
| 2020 | 12,327 | 12.1% | 14.1% | 39,800 |
| 2019 | 14,413 | 11.9% | 16.5% | 48,300 |
| 2018 | 13,952 | 11.6% | 19.1% | 54,000 |
Advisories to look for in a Skoda Karoq's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Skoda Karoq, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge210.1
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil206.4
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing170.2
- Brake pads: wearing thin131.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened87.1
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement58.2
Checking a used Skoda Karoq before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Skoda Karoq fails more often than average on suspension. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Skoda Karoq cars tested: Petrol 78%, Diesel 22%. Average age at test 5.2 years, average recorded mileage 42,000.
Skoda Karoq MOT questions
What is the Skoda Karoq MOT failure rate?
11.1% of Skoda Karoq cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 60,668 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 15.2% of the time, so the Skoda Karoq was 27% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Skoda Karoq MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 57 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 22.9 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Skoda Karoq year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2018 registrations did best: 11.6% failed against an average of 19.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Skoda Karoq will pass?
No. These are averages across every Skoda Karoq tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Skoda models
- Skoda Fabia28.8% failed
- Skoda Octavia24.0% failed
- Skoda Yeti26.1% failed
- Skoda Superb22.5% failed
- Skoda Citigo22.0% failed
- Skoda Kodiaq12.8% failed
Ranked close to the Skoda Karoq
- Mini Countrymanrank 28
- SEAT Atecarank 29
- Suzuki Celeriorank 30
- Mercedes-Benz SLKrank 32
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Skoda Karoq cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.