Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 325,487 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.1 points across the cohorts — newer Octavia examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 263,828

Pass

77.1%

Fail

18.2%

PRS

4.2%

Avg mileage at test

115,033 mi

2018–2020 cohort 61,269

Pass

87.3%

Fail

9.8%

PRS

2.5%

Avg mileage at test

61,688 mi

2021+ cohort 390

Pass

79.2%

Fail

11.8%

PRS

5.1%

Avg mileage at test

54,666 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Skoda Octavia · UK market

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

The picture

78.81% pass rate — practical family car earns it

With an average presenting mileage of 98,807 — one of the highest in this analysis — the Skoda Octavia's 78.81% pass rate across 241,477 tests is a genuine marker of durability. Top failures are cracked or discoloured windscreens, fractured spring components, and tyre tread. These are maintenance failures rather than build failures: the Octavia doesn't fall apart, it just gets overlooked.

Infotainment gremlins are the most consistent owner complaint. A 2021 Octavia's system became fully unresponsive for days at a stretch, taking parking sensors and climate control with it. A 2020 Octavia Estate had transport blocks left inside the front springs — discovered only after reports of a bang over rough roads. PHEV models flagged handbrake faults causing the automatic gearbox to shift to neutral. Pre-MOT, focus on the screen for chips, the spring condition, and tyre depth. At nearly 99,000 average miles, a clean MOT result here says something real about how the Octavia ages.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 12–28

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. 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 →

12–28

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

8,065 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
02

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

5,947 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
03

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

5,912 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

5,589 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
05

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

5,356 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
06

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

4,804 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
07

A tyre cords visible or damaged

4,338 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
08

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

4,034 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
09

A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

3,874 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
10

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

3,520 occurrences · 1.1% 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

£148–£370

If every one of this Octavia'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 10.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Skoda Octavia has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

87.3%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.3% — a 10.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 61,688 miles — roughly 53K 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. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

77.1%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 77.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 115,033 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (77.1% pass). That's a 10.2-point spread across 263,828 older tests and 61,269 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

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

Item 02 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

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

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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

More upmarket than ever, yet still practical and comfortable, the Skoda Octavia is a very appealing package. Quality shines through, yet it remains great value for money. An excellent if unexciting family car.

Recent owner-reported faults

12 Jan 2024
Report of gremlins with infotainment system in 2021 Skoda Octavia. Reader says that it becomes completely unresponsive, leaving them without the radio, parking sensors and unable to adjust the climate control. Usually fixes itself after a day or two. How Much Is It To Get New Windows Made of "Fibrex"?This Is How Much New Windows Should Cost In 2026 Energy-Efficient Windows Sponsored Huggies Overnites Nighttime Baby Diapers Unscented, Size 7 (Over 41 Lb) - 13.0 Ea Nighttime Baby Diapers Unscented, Size 7 (Over 41 lb) Nighttime Baby Diapers Unscented, Size 7 (Over 41 lb)Walgreens.com
21 Jun 2022
Report of an 'enormous bang' from the front suspension of a Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDI 150PS DSG 4x4 when driving over rough roads as well as a clunking noise over mild bumps. Later discovered that the transport blocks were still fitted inside the springs.
5 Nov 2021
Long list of complaints from private hire operator with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. They include warnings for a faulty charge system, bulbs and front sensors. Reports that the PHEV has a handbrake fault which causes the automatic box to shift into neutral. Car now at a dealer until mystery fault can be traced.
26 Aug 2021
Software glitches with 2021 Octavia iV. Navigation cannot save favourite destinations, including various issues. The car has been to the dealer three times without any success.
15 Jul 2021
Report of four-month old Skoda Octavia iV (mild hybrid) estate with 1400 miles from new 12v battery going flat despite high-voltage battery being fully charged. The 12v battery was replaced, although no fault was found.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 5 reports indexed

Recall history

25 UK recalls on record.

The Octavia has 25 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an Octavia?

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 an Octavia 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.