Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 63,261 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.5 points across the cohorts — newer Kodiaq examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 15,809

Pass

88.4%

Fail

8.9%

PRS

2.5%

Avg mileage at test

62,859 mi

2018–2020 cohort 35,283

Pass

89.6%

Fail

8.6%

PRS

1.5%

Avg mileage at test

45,488 mi

2021+ cohort 12,169

Pass

90.9%

Fail

6.7%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

31,293 mi

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

Generations on file · 2

Skoda Kodiaq · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Skoda Kodiaq: solid MOT record across 32,519 tests

The Skoda Kodiaq is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 32,519 tests puts this car on an 89.8% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 41,499 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.

This second-generation Skoda Kodiaq represents an advance over its impressive predecessor. Even more space, greater practicality, superb build quality, higher levels of equipment and a choice of five- or seven-seater formats are its hallmarks. Engines, gearboxes and driving dynam.

For used buyers, the Kodiaq's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 22–34

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

22–34

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

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

1,266 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
02

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

771 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
03

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

733 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

A tyre seriously damaged

728 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
05

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

696 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

390 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
07

Wiper blade defective

366 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
08

A tyre cords visible or damaged

279 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator

231 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

A tyre seriously damaged

181 occurrences · 0.3% 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

£220–£495

If every one of this Kodiaq'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. A 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Skoda Kodiaq makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

90.9%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 90.9% — a 2.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 31,293 miles — roughly 32K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, less than 1.5 mm thick — 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

88.4%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 88.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 62,859 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (88.4% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 15,809 older tests and 12,169 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.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Hycote

Hycote Skoda Pacific Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

equip

Equip ELF083 Skoda Estelle/105-135 Petrol Locking Fuel Cap

£8.79

View at My Motor World →

equip

Equip ELF072 Skoda Favorit Petrol Locking Fuel Cap

£13.19

View at My Motor World →

Autotek

Autotek Skoda Race Blue 300ml

£14.29

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

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.

Get a quote →

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

Recall history

8 UK recalls on record.

The Kodiaq has 8 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Kodiaq?

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 Kodiaq 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.