carpeep

Škoda Octavia, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

219,183 Škoda Octavias are licensed in the UK, the 40th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 75.8% of initial MOT tests, 3.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Octavia? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Škoda Octavia at the MOT

75.8% of 201,078 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Octavia 258th of 575 models. Škoda Octavias aged 3 to 5 years passed 86% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 63.6%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Škoda Octavia75.8%
  • All Škoda modelsThe Octavia is 0.6 pts behind76.4%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Škoda Octavia tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years36,095 tests86%
  • 6 to 10 years88,759 tests80.3%
  • 11 years and over70,233 tests63.6%

Where Octavias fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Škoda Octavia tests in 2025.

  • Suspension25%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment22.5%
  • Tyres16%
  • Brakes15.6%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks6.3%

The 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%).

The MOT page lists every common Octavia MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Škoda Octavia MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Octavia's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks 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

Škoda Octavias in the UK

219,183 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Škoda. The number licensed has grown 17% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 231,245 at the end of 2021.

Change since 2014
+17%from 187,465 licensed
Typical year of first use
2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
First registered in 2025
7,528against 23,228 in 2016
Declared off the road
22,1489.2% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Škoda Octavias since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014187,465
End of 2015199,437
End of 2016211,671
End of 2017218,019
End of 2018223,409
End of 2019230,268
End of 2020230,072
End of 2021231,245
End of 2022228,243
End of 2023227,384
End of 2024226,428
End of 2025222,046
End of June 2026219,183

How old they are

Licensed Škoda Octavias by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 5,213 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20256,7807,528
202410,68411,163
202310,23710,691
20225,7596,307
20219,0169,814
202011,74312,470
201919,16120,701
201815,97017,743
201718,05520,573
201619,64023,228
201518,31122,735
201416,187
201310,093
20129,610
20119,586
20107,669
20095,396
20084,124
20074,224
20063,351

18,311 Octavias first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 81% of the 22,735 first registered that year.

Octavia engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 35% of Škoda Octavia MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 27%. Diesel accounts for 55% of licensed Octavias and petrol for 38%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 201,054 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre34.9%
  • 1.6 litre27%
  • 1.4 litre12.3%
  • 1.5 litre10.5%
  • 1.9 litre6.6%

Fuel type, licensed Octavias

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol83,56138%
Diesel119,80555%
Plug-in hybrid6,1933%
Hybrid electric9,5994%
Gas25<0.1%

Škoda Octavia recalls

28 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Škoda Octavia. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Octavia is affected.

  1. Oct 2026 R/2026/376

    48LS - Steering Screw Replacement

    Octavias built Oct 2018 to Jan 2019 · 81 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles corrosion can may cause a bolt head on the steering rack to break off. This can result in a loss of steering control and increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy
    The steering bolt will be replaced with a more corrosion-resistant one.

  2. Sep 2026 R/2026/342

    Replacing TAKATA driver airbag

    Octavias built Feb 2016 to Apr 2017 · 9 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles in the event of an accident in which the airbag is deployed the front airbag gas generator could burst sending metal fragments into the vehicle. This could cause serious harm or fatal injuries to the driver and their passengers.
    Remedy
    Replace the front airbag on the driver side.

  3. Jul 2025 R/2026/002

    Takata drivers side front airbag

    Octavias built Apr 2013 to Jun 2015 · 108 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the propellant in the front airbag may deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature fluctuations. As a result in the event of an accident and airbag deployment fragments could detach from the generator housing and injure the vehicle occupants.
    Remedy
    Replace the front airbag on the driver's side.

  4. Jan 2024 R/2024/017

    On certain vehicles with electromechanical brake servo and DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) of a limited production period there is a possibility that a heat protection mat was incorrectly fitted. In individual cases the brake fluid reservoir can melt and cause a brake fluid leak into the engine compartment

    Octavias built May 2020 to Nov 2023 · 15,729 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    A check of the installation of the heat protection mat on affected vehicles will be conducted. If necessary the correct heat shield condition will be restored and an additional heat shield installed.

  5. Jul 2023 R/2023/222

    Certain vehicles may be fitted with a wheel bearing housing containing cavities in the material

    Octavias built Apr 2023 · 2 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Inspect the vehicle and if necessary replace the rear left wheel bearing housing.

  6. Mar 2023 R/2023/086

    On affected vehicles from a certain production period there is a possibility that the gas generator cover could be damaged when the driver's airbag is activated

    Octavias built Oct 2013 to Mar 2017 · 63 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the driver's airbag in affected vehicles.

  7. Apr 2022 R/2022/087

    The fuse in the high-voltage system of plug-in hybrid vehicles was partly produced with an insufficient amount of so-called fire extinguishing sand

    Octavias built Dec 2019 to Feb 2022 · 2,038 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    An additional protective insulating mat is to be fitted over the switch box of the high-voltage battery.

  8. Mar 2022 R/2022/075

    Engine compartment covers could come loose from their attachment

    Octavias built Sep 2020 to Feb 2022 · 1,150 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles engine compartment covers were fitted that regardless of use (very sporty driving style or poor road condition) and operating period could come loose from their attachment.
    Remedy
    On all affected vehicles the engine compartment cover has to be removed.
How to check a specific Octavia for recalls

Octavia vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Škoda models

The most-tested Škoda models in 2025, against the Octavia's 75.8% MOT pass rate.

All 12 Škoda models

Škoda Octavia FAQs

How many Škoda Octavias are there in the UK?

219,183 Škoda Octavias were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 22,148 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

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.

Has the Škoda Octavia had any recalls?

28 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Škoda Octavia. The most recent was published in October 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

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 own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

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.

Already found an Octavia?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Škoda history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Skoda VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.