2015 Skoda Octavia — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Skoda Octavia passed 86.7% of its 110,760 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 15.5% of the time, so this is 2.2pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.3%) and lighting & signalling (5.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 4,880 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.2% versus 6.4%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.4pp more often than petrol ones (13.8% vs 11.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 11.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.3% | 5,900 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.2% | 5,798 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.0% | 4,468 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 3,788 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 2,562 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.4% | 1,529 |
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 | 4,880 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 2,438 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 2,271 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,943 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 1,792 |
| 6 | Coil spring | 1,507 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.3% | 25,848 |
| 2 | Suspension | 20.4% | 22,619 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.3% | 22,444 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.4% | 9,283 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 3,923 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.1% | 3,384 |
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 | 3,200 | 6.4% |
| 30-60k | 23,299 | 9.4% |
| 60-90k | 33,545 | 12.8% |
| 90-120k | 22,931 | 14.9% |
| 120-150k | 12,423 | 16.1% |
| 150k+ | 15,351 | 17.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 89,616 | 13.8% |
| Petrol | 21,144 | 11.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,270 | 11.1% |
| 2022 | 22,459 | 12.2% |
| 2023 | 22,506 | 13.6% |
| 2024 | 21,938 | 14.4% |
| 2025 | 21,587 | 15.4% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Octavia
On a 2015 Octavia, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.3% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (4.0% 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.
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 2015 Skoda Octavias pass their MOT?
86.7% of the 110,760 2015 Skoda Octavia MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Skoda Octavia?
Tyres, recorded in 5.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.2%).
Does the 2015 Octavia get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.4% in the 0-30k band to 17.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 110,760 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.