Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 104,362 tests

Pass rate climbs 8.6 points across the cohorts — newer Superb examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 77,203

Pass

79.6%

Fail

16.8%

PRS

3.1%

Avg mileage at test

111,890 mi

2018–2020 cohort 23,289

Pass

86.7%

Fail

10.8%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

66,903 mi

2021+ cohort 3,870

Pass

88.3%

Fail

9.6%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

44,444 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Skoda Superb · UK market

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

The picture

Skoda Superb: solid MOT record across 70,048 tests

The Skoda Superb 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 70,048 tests puts this car on a 81.0% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 93,699 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.

Buyers weighing up a used Superb 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

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

2,951 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
02

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

1,953 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
03

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,817 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
04

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

1,766 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

1,635 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
06

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

1,500 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

1,436 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
08

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

1,011 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
09

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

712 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
10

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

692 occurrences · 0.7% 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

£200–£430

If every one of this Superb'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 8.6-point gap between bands means the year you buy Skoda Superb has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

88.3%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 88.3% — a 8.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 44,444 miles — roughly 67K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, 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

79.6%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 79.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, pin or bush excessively worn, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 111,890 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (88.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (79.6% pass). That's a 8.6-point spread across 77,203 older tests and 3,870 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

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.

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Recall history

22 UK recalls on record.

The Superb has 22 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Superb?

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 Superb 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.