Skoda Octavia MOT failure rate and common faults
196,049 Skoda Octavia cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 24.0% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.8% of the time, which makes the Skoda Octavia 10% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
24.0%
failed first time
196,049 MOT tests in 2025
-10%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 26.8%
88 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
96.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 100.8
What fails on a Skoda Octavia 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 Octavia MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 33.9 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 25.3 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 21.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 20.4 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 20.0 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 19.0 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 17.4 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 16.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 16.7 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 14.7 |
Skoda Octavia 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 | 6,219 | 11.1% | 11.4% | 41,900 |
| 2021 | 9,637 | 11.5% | 12.8% | 51,600 |
| 2020 | 11,951 | 13.5% | 14.1% | 58,900 |
| 2019 | 19,664 | 17.3% | 16.5% | 73,200 |
| 2018 | 16,488 | 16.9% | 19.1% | 81,700 |
| 2017 | 18,098 | 17.7% | 21.8% | 92,000 |
| 2016 | 19,915 | 19.5% | 25.1% | 103,700 |
| 2015 | 18,424 | 22.8% | 28.1% | 113,000 |
| 2014 | 16,172 | 24.4% | 31.4% | 118,500 |
| 2013 | 10,158 | 29.1% | 34.3% | 122,000 |
| 2012 | 9,803 | 35.4% | 36.6% | 125,100 |
| 2011 | 10,067 | 36.2% | 38.8% | 122,000 |
| 2010 | 8,162 | 37.7% | 40.7% | 132,100 |
| 2009 | 5,796 | 40.3% | 41.8% | 133,200 |
| 2008 | 4,647 | 42.8% | 42.9% | 141,700 |
| 2007 | 4,729 | 44.2% | 42.7% | 144,900 |
| 2006 | 3,834 | 44.4% | 43.0% | 140,500 |
| 2005 | 2,285 | 44.7% | 42.4% | 144,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Skoda Octavia'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 Octavia, 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 edge279.9
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil174.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened134.3
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing117.7
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement112.8
- Brake pads: wearing thin106.7
Checking a used Skoda Octavia before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Skoda Octavia fails more often than average on seat belts and airbags. Start there.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
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 Octavia cars tested: Diesel 60%, Petrol 38%. Average age at test 9.8 years, average recorded mileage 100,700.
Skoda Octavia MOT questions
What is the Skoda Octavia MOT failure rate?
24.0% of Skoda Octavia cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 196,049 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.8% of the time, so the Skoda Octavia was 10% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Skoda Octavia MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 131 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 33.9 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Skoda Octavia year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 19.5% failed against an average of 25.1% 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 Octavia will pass?
No. These are averages across every Skoda Octavia 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 Yeti26.1% failed
- Skoda Superb22.5% failed
- Skoda Karoq11.1% failed
- Skoda Citigo22.0% failed
- Skoda Kodiaq12.8% failed
Ranked close to the Skoda Octavia
- Toyota Aygorank 85
- Kia Nirorank 86
- Ford Kugarank 87
- Toyota Yarisrank 89
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 Octavia 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.