Skoda Rapid MOT failure rate and common faults
21,480 Skoda Rapid cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 27.4% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.9% of the time, which makes the Skoda Rapid about as likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
27.4%
failed first time
21,480 MOT tests in 2025
+2%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 26.9%
134 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
122.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 100.3
What fails on a Skoda Rapid 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 Rapid MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 62.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 31.8 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 24.1 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 22.1 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 21.9 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 20.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 20.0 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 16.6 |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 16.4 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 14.5 |
Skoda Rapid 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2,135 | 21.5% | 19.1% | 61,600 |
| 2017 | 3,850 | 24.7% | 21.8% | 74,500 |
| 2016 | 3,962 | 26.1% | 25.1% | 83,500 |
| 2015 | 3,038 | 29.0% | 28.1% | 87,500 |
| 2014 | 5,089 | 30.8% | 31.4% | 91,400 |
| 2013 | 2,765 | 31.5% | 34.3% | 96,300 |
Advisories to look for in a Skoda Rapid'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 Rapid, 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 edge268.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened215.2
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil208.3
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement163.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing156.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin92.6
Checking a used Skoda Rapid before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Skoda Rapid fails more often than average on suspension, tyres and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. 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.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
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 Rapid cars tested: Petrol 70%, Diesel 30%. Average age at test 9.6 years, average recorded mileage 83,200.
Skoda Rapid MOT questions
What is the Skoda Rapid MOT failure rate?
27.4% of Skoda Rapid cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 21,480 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.9% of the time, so the Skoda Rapid was about as likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Skoda Rapid MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 164 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 62.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Skoda Rapid year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2013 registrations did best: 31.5% failed against an average of 34.3% 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 Rapid will pass?
No. These are averages across every Skoda Rapid 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 Karoq11.1% failed
- Skoda Citigo22.0% failed
Ranked close to the Skoda Rapid
- Mercedes-Benz CLArank 131
- Mazda 6rank 132
- Vauxhall Agilarank 133
- Ford Karank 135
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 Rapid 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.