2020 Skoda Octavia — MOT failures & pass rate
40,540 MOT tests on the 2020 Skoda Octavia are in this dataset, and 91.2% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail at 8.9%, so the 2020 Octavia sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.5%) and lighting & signalling (2.5%) 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 1,063 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 14.5% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.7pp more often than petrol ones (10.6% vs 7.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 5.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.5% | 1,836 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.5% | 1,007 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.1% | 856 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.6% | 636 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 395 |
| 6 | Visibility | 0.8% | 341 |
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 | 1,063 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 614 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 582 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 433 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 373 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 354 |
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 | 22.3% | 9,030 |
| 2 | Suspension | 13.5% | 5,455 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.4% | 4,222 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.4% | 2,582 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.4% | 957 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 223 |
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 | 13,814 | 5.6% |
| 30-60k | 17,249 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 5,472 | 12.9% |
| 90-120k | 2,226 | 12.2% |
| 120-150k | 1,033 | 11.9% |
| 150k+ | 746 | 14.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 27,157 | 7.9% |
| Diesel | 13,236 | 10.6% |
| Hybrid | 147 | 11.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 302 | 5.3% |
| 2022 | 837 | 6.9% |
| 2023 | 13,092 | 7.6% |
| 2024 | 13,116 | 9.0% |
| 2025 | 13,193 | 9.9% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Octavia
On a 2020 Octavia, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.5% 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 (2.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (2.1% 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 2020 Skoda Octavias pass their MOT?
91.2% of the 40,540 2020 Skoda Octavia MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Skoda Octavia?
Tyres, recorded in 4.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.5%).
Does the 2020 Octavia get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.6% in the 0-30k band to 14.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 40,540 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.