Škoda Scala, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
22,867 Škoda Scalas are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 86.9% of initial MOT tests, 14.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Scala? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Škoda Scala at the MOT
86.9% of 10,179 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Scala 89th of 575 models. Škoda Scalas aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 79.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Škoda Scala tests in 2025.
Where Scalas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Škoda Scala tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (15%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (9.2%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (6.4%).
The MOT page lists every common Scala MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Scala's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.31.2% of Scala failure items
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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.30.5% of Scala failure items
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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.12.5% of Scala failure items
Škoda Scalas in the UK
22,867 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 198% since the end of 2021.
- Change since 2021
- +198%from 7,666 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2023half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2023 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 4,023against 4,635 in 2023
- Declared off the road
- 2231% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Škoda Scalas since 2019
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2019 | 1,562 |
| End of 2020 | 4,470 |
| End of 2021 | 7,666 |
| End of 2022 | 9,826 |
| End of 2023 | 14,169 |
| End of 2024 | 17,588 |
| End of 2025 | 21,322 |
| End of June 2026 | 22,867 |
How old they are
Licensed Škoda Scalas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,752 | 4,023 |
| 2024 | 3,359 | 3,433 |
| 2023 | 4,500 | 4,635 |
| 2022 | 2,187 | 2,287 |
| 2021 | 2,736 | 2,848 |
| 2020 | 3,229 | 3,355 |
| 2019 | 1,556 | 1,652 |
Scala engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 68% of Škoda Scala MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.5 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 99% of licensed Scalas and diesel for 1.3%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 10,178 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Scalas
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 22,575 | 99% |
| Diesel | 292 | 1% |
Škoda Scala recalls
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Škoda Scala. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Scala is affected.
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Mar 2020 R/2020/086
The e-call function may not work correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to a fault of the software of the OCU control unit (Online Connectivity Unit) the e-call function may work incorrectly.
- Remedy
- An update of the software of the OCU control unit has to be carried out.
-
Nov 2019 R/2019/376
An incorrect dataset was uploaded to the OCU unit
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The functions e-call and Info/Service call may not work correctly due to a software fault.
- Remedy
- The OCU control unit has to be replaced in the affected vehicles
Other Škoda models
The most-tested Škoda models in 2025, against the Scala's 86.9% MOT pass rate.
Škoda Scala FAQs
How many Škoda Scalas are there in the UK?
22,867 Škoda Scalas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 223 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Škoda Scala 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 an 86.9% first-time pass rate for the Škoda Scala across 10,179 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Škoda Scala had any recalls?
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Škoda Scala. The most recent was published in March 2020. 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 Scala?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. 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 Scala'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 a Scala?
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.