2009 Skoda Octavia — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2009 Skoda Octavia passed 75.2% of its 46,780 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (25.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (13.3%) and lighting & signalling (12.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, ball joint dust cover and position lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 2,057 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.4% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 22.1% fail against 25.5% for diesel, a 3.4-point gap across 46,780 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 38.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 26.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.3% | 6,228 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 12.2% | 5,726 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.7% | 3,140 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.8% | 2,703 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.8% | 2,224 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.8% | 1,771 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 2,057 |
| 2 | Ball joint dust cover | 1,915 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 1,879 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 1,750 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 1,734 |
| 6 | Side repeaters | 1,529 |
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 | 38.1% | 17,839 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.7% | 13,447 |
| 3 | Brakes | 22.7% | 10,624 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.5% | 6,313 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.5% | 3,983 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.2% | 3,841 |
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 | 386 | 11.4% |
| 30-60k | 2,868 | 18.4% |
| 60-90k | 7,461 | 21.3% |
| 90-120k | 11,754 | 24.3% |
| 120-150k | 10,999 | 26.5% |
| 150k+ | 13,281 | 27.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 36,501 | 25.5% |
| Petrol | 10,279 | 22.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,951 | 23.9% |
| 2022 | 10,239 | 24.1% |
| 2023 | 9,406 | 24.4% |
| 2024 | 8,573 | 25.5% |
| 2025 | 7,611 | 26.4% |
What to check before buying a 2009 Octavia
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.3% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (12.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2009 Skoda Octavias pass their MOT?
75.2% of the 46,780 2009 Skoda Octavia MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 24.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2009 Skoda Octavia?
Suspension, recorded in 13.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (12.2%).
Does the 2009 Octavia get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.4% in the 0-30k band to 27.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 46,780 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.