75.8%
Škoda Octavia pass rate
Used Škoda Octavia buying guide
In 2025, Škoda Octavia cars passed 75.8% of 201,078 initial MOT tests, 3.5 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Octavia? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Škoda Octavia MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+3.5
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Octavia sits 258th of 575 models in the data. Škoda as a brand averaged 76.4%, so this model runs 0.6 points behind its own brand. Škoda Octavia cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 86% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 63.6%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Škoda Octavia MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Octavia compares with similar cars.
Octavia fuel types
Diesel made up 59.7% of Škoda Octavia MOT tests in 2025, against 39.3% across all models in this data. The rest ran on other fuels, so tested examples were a genuine mix.
Where the Octavia fails its MOT
Where Škoda Octavia cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (6.4%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.8%) and brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (4.1%). See every common Octavia MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Škoda Octavia that failed, not a claim that every Octavia has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Octavia?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 25% of Octavia failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 22.5% of Octavia failure items.
3
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 16% of Octavia failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 15.6% of Octavia failure items.
5
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 6.3% of Octavia failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
Octavia vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Škoda Octavia failures cluster around suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Octavia you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Škoda history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Škoda models
The most-tested Škoda models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Octavia.
Used Škoda Octavia FAQs
Is the Škoda Octavia reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 75.8% first-time pass rate for the Škoda Octavia across 201,078 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Škoda Octavia cars fail their MOT more often?
Škoda Octavia cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 86% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 63.6%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Škoda Octavia?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and tyres. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Škoda Octavia's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.