2025 MOT results
Skoda Karoq common problems
The most common reason a Skoda Karoq fails its MOT is a cut tyre, on 17.0% of its 6,766 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a leaking damper at 12.5% of failures against 2.0% expected; worn suspension bushes at 4.7% of failures against 1.9% expected.
- Tests in 2025 61,034 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 11.1% 6,766 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 3.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 45.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Skoda Karoq MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Skoda Karoq tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 17.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 13.2% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 12.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.0% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 4.7% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.3% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Cut tyre
17.0% of failures 12.3% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn brake pads
13.2% of failures 9.6% expected somewhat more often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Leaking damper
12.5% of failures 2.0% expected 6.3 times as often
A damper leaking its oil, so it no longer controls the spring.
A wet, dirty streak down the damper body, or a corner that keeps bouncing after you push it down.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.0% of failures 10.9% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Headlamp aim set too high
5.6% of failures 4.0% expected somewhat more often
The dipped beam points higher than it should, which dazzles oncoming drivers.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
5.6% of failures 7.2% expected somewhat less often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Skoda Karoq, on 38.5% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is suspension, on 19.7% against 11.7% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 38.5% |
| Suspension | 19.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.9% |
| Brakes | 18.0% |
| Visibility | 9.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.3% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
45.2% of Skoda Karoq tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Skoda Karoqs, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 14.4% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 13.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 11.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.2% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 4.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 3.6% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.6% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 1.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 1.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 0.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Skoda Karoq problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Skoda Karoq?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords” is the most common: it appears on 17.0% of failed Skoda Karoq tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 38.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Skoda Karoq fail its MOT?
11.1% of Skoda Karoq tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 61,034 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 63 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Skoda Karoq than on other cars?
Yes. “Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak” appears on 12.5% of its failures against 2.0% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 4.7% of its failures against 1.9% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Skoda Karoq aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 61,034 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.