2022 Skoda Octavia — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2022 Skoda Octavia passed 92.5% of its 7,645 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail at 7.7%, so the 2022 Octavia sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.4%) and lighting & signalling (2.9%) 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 shock absorbers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 267 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 11.4% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 7.0% of the time against 8.2% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 0.0% of tests failed in 2022 against 7.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.4% | 334 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.9% | 224 |
| 3 | Suspension | 1.4% | 104 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.1% | 80 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.8% | 63 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 47 |
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 | 267 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 107 |
| 3 | Shock absorbers | 91 |
| 4 | Washers | 59 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 46 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 36 |
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 | 20.0% | 1,529 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.9% | 684 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.7% | 509 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.2% | 396 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 253 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.4% | 28 |
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 | 3,206 | 4.5% |
| 30-60k | 2,901 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 973 | 10.7% |
| 90-120k | 386 | 9.6% |
| 120-150k | 109 | 12.8% |
| 150k+ | 70 | 11.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,481 | 7.0% |
| Hybrid | 2,103 | 7.8% |
| Diesel | 2,061 | 8.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 116 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 247 | 2.8% |
| 2024 | 581 | 7.4% |
| 2025 | 6,701 | 7.8% |
What to check before buying a 2022 Octavia
On a 2022 Octavia, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.4% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.4% 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 (2.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (1.4% 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 2022 Skoda Octavias pass their MOT?
92.5% of the 7,645 2022 Skoda Octavia MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2022 Skoda Octavia?
Tyres, recorded in 4.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.9%).
Does the 2022 Octavia get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.5% in the 0-30k band to 11.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,645 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.