Skoda Superb MOT failure rate and common faults

64,619 Skoda Superb cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 22.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 23.8% of the time, which makes the Skoda Superb 5% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.

22.5%

failed first time

64,619 MOT tests in 2025

-5%

vs same age average

average car of this age mix: 23.8%

105 of 208

age adjusted rank

among cars; 1 fails least

100.0

dangerous defects per 1,000

same age average: 92.4

What fails on a Skoda Superb 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.

Suspension139 1.4x average
Tyres103 1.2x average
Lights and electrics78 33% below average
Brakes55 28% below average
Engine, emissions and leaks23 15% below average
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors22 51% below average
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts11 55% below average
Seat belts and airbags7 about average
Steering4 79% below average
Wheels4 22% below average
Number plates and VIN3 26% below average

The most common Skoda Superb MOT failures

The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.

Failure itemAreaPer 1,000 tests
Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leakSuspension35.1
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively wornSuspension29.0
Coil spring: fractured or brokenSuspension28.3
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyres27.2
Tyres: has ply or cords exposedTyres25.7
Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyres22.2
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunctionEngine, emissions and leaks17.7
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thickBrakes15.5
Headlamp aim: too lowLights and electrics14.4
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectivelyWindscreen, wipers and mirrors12.1
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Skoda Superb 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 registeredTestsFailedSame age averageAverage mileage
20223,14711.9%11.4%47,700
20214,20814.5%12.8%58,100
20204,84914.8%14.1%64,700
20196,70217.7%16.5%78,400
20187,34817.0%19.1%90,100
20178,98919.3%21.8%99,400
20168,07120.4%25.1%106,700
20154,50227.9%28.1%123,000
20144,33630.7%31.4%126,000
20133,42234.0%34.3%129,200
20123,57635.2%36.6%132,600
20112,48936.5%38.8%138,000
20101,58636.0%40.7%145,200
200977538.1%41.8%144,700

Advisories to look for in a Skoda Superb'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 Superb, 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 edge305.3
  • Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened159.4
  • Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil112.4
  • Brake pads: wearing thin90.1
  • Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing76.8
  • Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement69.4

Checking a used Skoda Superb before you buy

Against cars of the same age, the Skoda Superb fails more often than average on suspension and tyres. 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.

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 Superb cars tested: Diesel 72%, Petrol 23%, Hybrid 5%. Average age at test 8.5 years, average recorded mileage 99,600.

Skoda Superb MOT questions

What is the Skoda Superb MOT failure rate?

22.5% of Skoda Superb cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 64,619 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 23.8% of the time, so the Skoda Superb was 5% less likely to fail.

What fails most often on a Skoda Superb MOT?

Suspension caused the most failure items, at 139 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak", recorded 35.1 times per 1,000 tests.

Which Skoda Superb year has the best MOT record?

Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 20.4% 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 Superb will pass?

No. These are averages across every Skoda Superb 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

Ranked close to the Skoda Superb

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 Superb 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.