Skoda Octavia MOT pass rate & common failures
1,198,834 MOT tests on the Skoda Octavia (1998–2025) give it an 83.3% pass rate. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (17.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Octavia years
Ranked across Octavia years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 95.8% of 2023 examples pass against 71.0% of 2000 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.3%) and suspension (7.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, coil spring and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 45,081 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.6% in the 0-30k band and 24.0% in the 150k+ band, a 18.4-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 10.0pp more often than hybrid ones (18.2% vs 8.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 25.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every Octavia model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 220 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 588 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 1,698 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 5,079 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 8,097 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 12,021 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 15,733 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 24,057 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 38,288 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 44,121 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 40,926 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 46,780 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 63,726 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 74,309 | 78.0% | 21.9% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 71,878 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 67,372 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 99,589 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 110,760 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 115,930 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 103,173 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 92,411 | 90.5% | 9.5% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 89,948 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 40,540 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 22,050 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 7,645 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 1,240 | 95.8% | 4.2% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 578 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Tyres |
| 2025 | 77 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.3% | 87,146 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.2% | 86,354 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.3% | 63,441 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.5% | 54,117 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.4% | 29,096 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.0% | 23,940 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 22,816 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 11,931 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 45,081 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 33,032 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 29,190 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 23,185 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 21,072 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 18,846 |
| 7 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 18,249 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 18,047 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 25.4% | 304,129 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.8% | 296,659 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.2% | 242,065 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.7% | 104,211 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 81,317 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.1% | 49,058 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 98,101 | 5.6% |
| 30-60k | 253,633 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 258,474 | 15.2% |
| 90-120k | 220,283 | 19.8% |
| 120-150k | 161,508 | 22.9% |
| 150k+ | 206,474 | 24.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 792,443 | 18.2% |
| Petrol | 395,357 | 13.9% |
| Hybrid | 11,003 | 8.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 230,411 | 16.8% |
| 2022 | 242,037 | 16.3% |
| 2023 | 245,491 | 16.6% |
| 2024 | 242,676 | 16.8% |
| 2025 | 238,219 | 16.9% |
What to check before buying a Skoda Octavia
- Lighting & signalling (7.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.2% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (5.3% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Skoda Octavia?
83.3% of the 1,198,834 Skoda Octavia MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.7% fail rate, across model years 1998–2025.
What does the Skoda Octavia most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.3% of tests, then suspension (7.2%).
Which Octavia years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 95.8% and 2000 the weakest at 71.0%, from 1,240 and 1,698 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Octavia MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.0% for 150k+, a 18.4-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Octavia more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 8.2% of the time against 18.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,198,834 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.