2025 MOT results
Skoda Octavia common problems
The most common reason a Skoda Octavia fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 12.5% of its 48,661 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a split joint boot at 6.2% of failures against 2.7% expected; a leaking damper at 6.9% of failures against 3.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 200,001 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 24.3% 48,661 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 54.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Skoda Octavia MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Skoda Octavia 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 |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.7% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.7% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.3% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 6.9% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.8% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.7% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.0% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 4.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Broken coil spring
12.5% of failures 8.8% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.7% of failures 8.4% expected about as expected
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.
-
Worn brake pads
7.7% of failures 6.8% expected about as expected
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.
-
Engine management light on
7.3% of failures 5.3% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Leaking damper
6.9% of failures 3.2% expected 2.2 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 through to the cords
6.8% of failures 5.1% expected somewhat more 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
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Skoda Octavia, on 36.9% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 31.5%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 36.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 33.3% |
| Tyres | 25.5% |
| Brakes | 21.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.7% |
| Visibility | 9.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
54.6% of Skoda Octavia tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Skoda Octavias, 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 |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.6% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 13.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.7% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.1% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.3% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 2.9% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 2.9% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Skoda Octavia gets older
A 2022 Skoda Octavia failed 11.1% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2005 one failed 44.7%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Skoda Octavia 11.1% failed, from 6,150 tests
- Cut tyre 18.8%
- Headlamp aim set too high 12.3%
- Headlamp aim set too low 11.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 11.0%
- Leaking damper 9.2%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 9.2%
2005 Skoda Octavia 44.7% failed, from 2,285 tests
- Split joint boot 17.8%
- Broken coil spring 13.0%
- Engine management light on 10.2%
- Worn suspension bushes 9.2%
- Airbag light on 8.6%
- Sidelight out 8.0%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Skoda Octavia problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Skoda Octavia?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 12.5% of failed Skoda Octavia tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 36.9% of failed tests.
How often does a Skoda Octavia fail its MOT?
24.3% of Skoda Octavia tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 200,001 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 57 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Skoda Octavia than on other cars?
Yes. “Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.2% of its failures against 2.7% for cars of the same age, and “Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak” appears on 6.9% of its failures against 3.2% 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 Octavia 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 | 200,001 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.