2025 MOT results
Skoda Scala common problems
The most common reason a Skoda Scala fails its MOT is worn brake pads, on 19.8% of its 1,316 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a weak or uneven footbrake at 5.5% of failures against 1.0% expected; worn brake discs at 7.8% of failures against 1.9% expected; a torn tyre at 5.0% of failures against 2.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 9,991 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.2% 1,316 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 42.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Skoda Scala MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Skoda Scala 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 (11 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 |
|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 19.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 7.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.4% |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | 7.4% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 5.7% |
| Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating Brakes | 5.5% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 5.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 4.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn brake pads
19.8% of failures 9.0% expected 2.2 times as 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.
-
Cut tyre
12.3% of failures 14.6% expected somewhat less 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 discs
7.8% of failures 1.9% expected 4.1 times as often
Discs worn below their minimum thickness, or with a lip or scoring deep enough to matter.
Run a fingernail across the face of the disc: a pronounced lip at the outer edge means wear.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.4% of failures 11.0% 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
7.4% of failures
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Bulge in a tyre
5.7% of failures 3.6% expected 1.6 times as often
A bulge in the sidewall, where the casing inside the tyre has failed after an impact.
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 Scala, on 36.1% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 32.1% against 15.3% 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 | 36.1% |
| Brakes | 32.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.1% |
| Visibility | 10.3% |
| Steering | 9.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.9% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.9% |
| Suspension | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
42.4% of Skoda Scala tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Skoda Scalas, 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 12.5% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 12.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 11.9% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.7% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.9% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.4% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 0.7% |
| Service brake performance: fluctuating, but not excessively Brakes | 0.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Skoda Scala problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Skoda Scala?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” is the most common: it appears on 19.8% of failed Skoda Scala tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 36.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Skoda Scala fail its MOT?
13.2% of Skoda Scala tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 9,991 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 47 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Skoda Scala than on other cars?
Yes. “Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating” appears on 5.5% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn” appears on 7.8% 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 Scala 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 | 9,991 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.