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Skoda

Fabia SE Drive Tsi

1,490 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Fabia SE Drive Tsis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 10.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

87.7%

Pass-after-fix

4.2%

Fail

7.6%

Avg miles

23,557

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ compliant

Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

2 year bands · 1,490 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Fabia SE Drive Tsi examples track each other at the test bay.

2018–2020 cohort 554

Pass

87.5%

Fail

9.0%

PRS

2.9%

Avg mileage at test

27,304 mi

2021+ cohort 936

Pass

87.8%

Fail

6.7%

PRS

4.9%

Avg mileage at test

21,332 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Fabia Se Drive Tsi: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,490 MOT tests, the Fabia Se Drive Tsi returns 87.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wipers that don't clear the screen. A defective wiper blade and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,557, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    25 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  2. 02

    Wiper blade defective

    22 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre seriously damaged

    19 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber

    11 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  6. 06

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre seriously damaged

    7 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  8. 08

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  9. 09

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  10. 10

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£100£185

If every one of this Fabia SE Drive Tsi's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Skoda Fabia SE Drive Tsi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

87.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 87.8% — a 0.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 21,332 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

87.5%

2018–2020 registration

On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not clear the windscreen effectively, blade defective, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 27,304 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (87.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.5% pass). That's a 0.3-point spread across 554 older tests and 936 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Practical cabin with an impressively spacious boot, DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard, comfortable and easy to drive.

Recent owner-reported faults

  1. 11 Sep 2019

    Report of failure of turbo bearing of 2015/65 Skoda Fabia 1.2TSI at 20,015 miles, first shown by intermittant lack of power together with amber warning lights on the dash. Skoda have agreed a price of £440 to rectify the issue as a goodwill gesture. ( Usually petrol turbos fail because the driver habitually switches off the engine when the turbo is too hot. Petrol turbos are water cooled as well as cooled by engine oil flowing through the turbo bearings. But if the driver switches off the engine when the turbo is too hot (after driving on the motorway, after a long ascent, after towing or after ragging the car) the oil in the turbo bearing oil feed and oil return pipes carbonises to the extent it reduces the oil flow to the turbo bearing, compounding the problem and leading to failure of the bearing. So, when the turbo is replaced, these pipes also need to be replaced or the same will happen again, quite soon.) **5-1-2020:** Report of failure of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in 2018 Skoda Fabia 1.2TSI 110 estate after 16,000 miles. **24-2-2020:** Report of failure of clutch of 2017 Skoda Fabia at 5600 miles. **3-9-2021:** Report of DSG gearbox failure on 2016 Fabia. Owner bought the car from a Skoda dealer under the manufacturer's approved used scheme. Car has 38,000 miles on the clock and the dealer has quoted £5500 for a replacement transmission. Neither the dealer or Skoda UK are willing to contribute towards the repair, despite the car having a full service history.

  2. 14 Aug 2019

    Report of turbo occasionally not working on 2016 Skoda Fabia 1.2TSI estate despite being driven at 60-70mph. Both times the EPC warning light was on, yet the car did not enter limp home mode. Actuator already changed by helpful Skoda dealer. Suspect sticking impeller due to bearing wear due to the bearing not getting enough oil because the oil feed and oil return pipes are blocked with carbon.

  3. 23 Jun 2019

    Report of failure of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in Skoda Fabia Estate 1.0TSI 110 SEL DSG at 4 months old and 2,500 miles. Transmission failed to shift up correctly, typically going from 1st to 6th. Went into dealer of 31-5-2019. Repaired by 3-7-2019. Fault codes were "P0B0C00" and "P0C2A00": Auxiliary fluid pump motor stalled. Mechatronics replaced. Total itemised bill £1,520.25 with no VAT because repair carried out FoC under warranty.

  4. 3 May 2019

    Problems reported with 30,000 mile 2016 Skoda Fabia 1.2TSI DSG estate purchased used in March 2019. DSG gearbox was not functioning as it should. It was jerky, particularly in the lower gears when pulling uphill, and produced a low pitched rumbling sound. A month later, when moving from rest at about 10 mph, two huge bangs rocked the car, the transmission appeared briefly to freeze locking the wheels, and an alarm sounded. Owner was able to restart the car and the incident has not reoccurred. The dealer checked the car but was not able to say what happened. However, he re-set the clutch plates and changed the gear box oil. Gear changing is now smooth and much improved but some rumbling persists.

  5. 27 Mar 2019

    Report of problem of Petrol Particulate Filter of Skoda Fabia (1.0?) TSI DSG filling up at 4,000 miles fter being driven as speeds limited to 30mph at which the DSG keeps revs down to 1,500. Owner recommended to override the DSG and keep the revs up to 2,000rpm until the engine is properly warmed up.

  6. 19 Oct 2018

    Report that 2016 Skoda Fabia needed new rear brake discs at 8,739miles. Howver, koda ealer chareged a very reasonable £235 for the job.

  7. 10 May 2018

    Report of turbo failing on 2017 Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 110 (EA111) at 1650 miles. Turbo replaced under warranty without question by the dealer and owner provided with a courtesy car during the repair.

  8. 8 May 2018

    Report of "scraping noises" in 1st and 2nd gear of 2016 Skoda Fabia 1.2 110PS DQ200 DSG at 14,000 miles.

  9. 4 May 2018

    Report of low speed but heavy crash in 2015 Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI DSG where driver monoeuvring in a narrow street felt some drivetrain judder then probably hit the accelerator instead of the brake and drove at speed into a driveway and a house. Interrogation of the ECU should determine if the accelerator was being pressed at the time.

  10. 9 Jun 2017

    Complaint of notchy change into 1st gear from neutral on a 2017 Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90PS with 5-speed gearbox. Not a problem if engine started with clutch depressed and 1st gear then selected. Only a problem selecting 1st gear from neutral. Owner made some further investigations and established that the external mechanism is part-cable, part-mechanical and that a notchy change is normal for the model, not something that can be fixed. Dealer offered to grease the mechanism and, because the issue was raised early, there is an indefinite warranty on the mechanism.

  11. 13 Apr 2017

    Complaint that rear brake pads on a 2015 Skoda Fabia only lasted 9,000 miles. No corrosion to the discs. Skoda dealer put down to wear and tear.

  12. 8 Jun 2016

    Report of intermittent radio fault on March 2015 Fabia from new. Radio does not turn on sometimes. Also loses Bluetooth phone connection. Dealership took car back 5 times but fault is still there. One year three months later the dealer has taken the car back again. Made me an offer of buying the vehicle back at book value.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 17 reports indexed, top 12 shown

Buying or keeping a Fabia SE Drive Tsi?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Fabia SE Drive Tsi and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.