Skoda
36,450 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Rapids pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
78.6%
Pass-after-fix
3.7%
Fail
17.4%
Avg miles
79,691
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 36,450 tests
Pass rate climbs 6.3 points across the cohorts — newer Rapid examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
78.2%
Fail
17.6%
PRS
3.8%
Avg mileage at test
81,730 mi
Pass
84.5%
Fail
13.3%
PRS
1.8%
Avg mileage at test
48,354 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Skoda Rapid is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 27,360 tests puts this car on a 79.1% first-time pass rate, roughly in line with the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 73,250 miles. The most common fail item is worn suspension pin or bush, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.
The Skoda Rapid is not the most obvious choice for family car buyers, but it’s now great value as a used car, and will make a lot of sense for those who prioritise practicality and affordability.
Buyers weighing up a used Rapid should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
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 →
10–18
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A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,449 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
721 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
637 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
508 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
489 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
465 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
457 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
454 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
419 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
409 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 4 failures
£228–£530
If every one of this Rapid'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy Skoda Rapid has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
84.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 84.5% — a 6.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 48,354 miles — roughly 33K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: pin or bush excessively worn, has a cut in excess of the… — 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
78.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 78.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 84.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: pin or bush excessively worn, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 81,730 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (84.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (78.2% pass). That's a 6.3-point spread across 34,222 older tests and 2,228 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
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 03 · 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
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Hycote Skoda Pacific Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
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Equip ELF083 Skoda Estelle/105-135 Petrol Locking Fuel Cap
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Equip ELF072 Skoda Favorit Petrol Locking Fuel Cap
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Autotek
Autotek Skoda Race Blue 300ml
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
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
The Skoda Rapid is not the most obvious choice for family car buyers, but it’s now great value as a used car, and will make a lot of sense for those who prioritise practicality and affordability.
Recall history
The Rapid has 5 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Rapid 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.
