16,282 tests in 2025
Skoda Roomster reliability and MOT pass rate
70% passed first time. The 30% fail rate is 7.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 84,855 miles.
Pass rate
70%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
84,855 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 4 | — |
| 10-13 years | 8,641 | 23% |
| 14+ years | 7,637 | 38% |
What the Roomster 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.
- Suspension84 dangerous44.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10 dangerous32.4%
- Brakes567 dangerous28.4%
- Body, chassis, structure28 dangerous24.7%
- Tyres1,191 dangerous22.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous10.4%
- Visibility2 dangerous9.4%
- Steering19 dangerous9.2%
Is the Roomster getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5.6 points to 30% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 19,917 | 11 | 24.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 19,267 | 11 | 27% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 16,089 | 12 | 29.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 16,279 | 13 | 30% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Roomster 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 Roomster in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt787 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken626 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn618 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working568 tests
- 5Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt353 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working326 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm320 tests
- 8Condition: has ply or cords exposed317 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Roomster collects 2.89 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 1.6mm2,930 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,794 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,153 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,869 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,480 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick966 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)912 tests
- 8Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour767 tests
Questions
What is the Skoda Roomster MOT pass rate?
70% of the 16,282 Skoda Roomster first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Skoda Roomster usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 787 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 44.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 32.4% of failures, brakes appears in 28.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 38%. The median Skoda Roomster tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 84,855 miles.
Is the Skoda Roomster getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5.6 points to 30% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Roomster 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 3 safety recalls naming the Skoda Roomster: Skoda Roomster recalls.
Other Skoda models
Checking a particular Roomster?
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.