212,242 tests in 2025
Skoda Fabia reliability and MOT pass rate
75.8% passed first time. The 24.2% fail rate is 1.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 63,864 miles.
Pass rate
75.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,864 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 22,902 | 9.9% |
| 6-9 years | 63,210 | 18.6% |
| 10-13 years | 59,351 | 23.4% |
| 14+ years | 66,474 | 35.3% |
What the Fabia fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension1,394 dangerous42.5%
- Brakes5,033 dangerous31.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment117 dangerous26.3%
- Tyres13,192 dangerous25%
- Body, chassis, structure209 dangerous17.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks41 dangerous13.5%
- Visibility14 dangerous11.3%
- Steering131 dangerous6.5%
Is the Fabia getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3 points to 25% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 235,764 | 9 | 22% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 235,517 | 10 | 23% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 199,351 | 11 | 24.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 203,702 | 11 | 25% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Fabia at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Fabia in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn8,183 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt4,523 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working4,108 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,959 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements3,867 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken3,768 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively3,114 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords3,065 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Fabia collects 2.66 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm33,079 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn24,495 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure24,458 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened22,889 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak14,469 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick10,115 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine9,506 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible7,475 tests
Questions
What is the Skoda Fabia MOT pass rate?
75.8% of the 212,242 Skoda Fabia first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Skoda Fabia usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 8,183 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, suspension appears in 42.5% of failures, brakes appears in 31.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 26.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.9%; at 14+ years it was 35.3%. The median Skoda Fabia tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 63,864 miles.
Is the Skoda Fabia getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3 points to 25% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Fabia trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 11 safety recalls naming the Skoda Fabia: Skoda Fabia recalls.
Other Skoda models
Checking a particular Fabia?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.