Skoda Octavia common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 201,080 initial MOT tests on the Skoda Octavia in Great Britain, and 75.8% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

Looking at a particular Octavia? Check its own record.

Free MOT history, mileage and tax. No sign-up.

Skoda Octavia at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 201,080
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 75.8%
Failed at firstIncluding 4.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 24.2%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 6.9%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 22,137 off the road (SORN): 219,126

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Octavia fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Suspension
8.9%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
8.1%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Tyres
6.2%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
4Brakes
5.2%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
2.8%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Visibility
2.3%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
2.0%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Seat belts and airbags
1.1%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Steering
0.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
10Road wheels
0.3%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

ConditionTyres4.2%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics3.5%
SpringsSuspension3.1%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.9%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks2.7%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.5%
Brake performanceBrakes2.3%
Suspension armsSuspension2.1%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2024	467	95.7%	0.9%
2023	705	92.8%	2.3%
2022	6,220	88.9%	3.4%
2021	9,637	88.5%	3.8%
2020	11,951	86.5%	4.9%
2019	19,664	82.7%	6.0%
2018	16,488	83.1%	5.7%
2017	18,098	82.3%	6.0%
2016	19,915	80.5%	6.1%
2015	18,424	77.2%	6.9%
2014	16,172	75.6%	7.3%
2013	10,158	70.9%	8.3%
2012	9,803	64.6%	8.8%
2011	10,067	63.8%	8.5%
2010	8,163	62.3%	8.8%
2009	5,796	59.7%	9.9%
2008	4,647	57.2%	9.9%
2007	4,729	55.8%	10.7%
2006	3,834	55.6%	11.1%
2005	2,285	55.3%	10.3%
2004	1,374	58.4%	10.0%
2003	1,069	57.2%	8.4%
2002	681	63.4%	7.9%
2001	455	59.3%	8.6%

Mileage

Octavia mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
0 years	2,500 miles	299
1 year	32,000 miles	497
2 years	33,300 miles	5,195
3 years	41,700 miles	7,920
4 years	46,900 miles	11,801
5 years	56,100 miles	16,370
6 years	65,600 miles	17,397
7 years	74,500 miles	16,425
8 years	85,600 miles	19,180
9 years	96,000 miles	18,431
10 years	106,800 miles	17,313
11 years	112,700 miles	13,383
12 years	116,500 miles	9,185
13 years	118,100 miles	9,523
14 years	121,700 miles	9,136
15 years	129,000 miles	7,470
16 years	135,100 miles	4,564
17 years	141,800 miles	4,856
18 years	140,800 miles	4,196
19 years	140,200 miles	3,137
20 years	140,600 miles	1,695
21 years	141,900 miles	1,206
22 years	142,900 miles	853
23 years	139,800 miles	612

Checking a particular Octavia?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Skoda Octavia: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Skoda Octavia?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Skoda Octavia was suspension: 8.9% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (8.1%) and tyres (6.2%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Skoda Octavia?

75.8% of 201,080 initial MOT tests on the Skoda Octavia in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 4.3% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Skoda Octavia is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 6.9% of initial tests on the Skoda Octavia found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

More Skoda models

All makes and models