Skoda
12,495 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Scalas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.0%
Pass-after-fix
1.2%
Fail
8.5%
Avg miles
29,250
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 12,495 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Scala examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
89.8%
Fail
8.9%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
31,948 mi
Pass
90.4%
Fail
7.8%
PRS
1.5%
Avg mileage at test
24,354 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,313 MOT tests, the Scala returns 90.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. A seriously damaged tyre and excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 24,280, 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.
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 →
12–22
out of 50
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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
261 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
180 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
136 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
121 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
116 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
111 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
110 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
95 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
65 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
59 occurrences · 0.5% 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.
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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Skoda Scala makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.4%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.4% — a 0.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,354 miles — roughly 8K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, 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. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
89.8%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, has a cut in excess of the…, and ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt. Average mileage on test for this band is 31,948 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (89.8% pass). That's a 0.7-point spread across 8,054 older tests and 4,441 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.
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Hycote
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Recall history
The Scala has 1 official UK vehicle recall 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 Scala 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.
