Is the Skoda Fabia reliable?

On MOT evidence the Skoda Fabia is below average. It passes 70.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 165 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Skoda Fabia?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 19.9% of failed Skoda Fabia tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Skoda Fabia?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.6% of all Skoda Fabia tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Skoda Fabia usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 70,269 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Skoda Fabia get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.8% of Skoda Fabia tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Skoda Fabia models petrol or diesel?

Of the Skoda Fabia cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Skoda Fabia MOT pass rate & common failures

From 228,985 recorded MOT tests of the Skoda Fabia, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Skoda Fabia passes 70.5% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 165 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 228,985 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 19.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 70,269 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

70.5%national average72.3%unadjusted70.6%range covered100%rank165 of 262

The Fabia is 1.8 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 70.6%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Skoda Fabia tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn19.9%
10,954 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.2%
5,639 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.6%
5,295 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.2%
5,081 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.8%
4,298 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.5%
4,136 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement7.4%
4,105 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged7.1%
3,901 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.0%
3,877 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage6.8%
3,724 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Skoda Fabia tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.6%
51,762 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged17.9%
40,883 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn15.3%
34,976 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured14.6%
33,325 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage8.7%
20,020 testsShock absorber defective explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.4%
12,363 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.4%
10,106 tests
8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened3.9%
8,933 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs87%

6–8 yrs79%

9–11 yrs74%

12–14 yrs68%

15+ yrs55%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Fabia fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 70,269
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol82.2%
Diesel17.8%

Trim names grouped into this model (29)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

FABIA 1 HTP
FABIA 2
FABIA 2 HTP
FABIA BLACK EDITION TSI
FABIA BLACK EDITION TSI S-A
FABIA COLOUR EDITION MPI
FABIA COLOUR EDITION TSI
FABIA COLOUR EDITION TSI S-A
FABIA COMFORT 16
FABIA MONTE CARLO ED TSI S-A
FABIA MONTE CARLO TSI
FABIA MONTE CARLO TSI S-A
FABIA S MPI
FABIA SCOUT TDI
FABIA SE
FABIA SE COMFORT MPI
FABIA SE COMFORT TSI
FABIA SE COMFORT TSI S-A
FABIA SE DRIVE MPI
FABIA SE DRIVE TSI
FABIA SE DRIVE TSI S-A
FABIA SE EDITION TSI S-A
FABIA SE L EDITION TSI S-A
FABIA SE L TSI
FABIA SE L TSI S-A
FABIA SE MPI
FABIA TDI
FABIA TSI
FABIA VRS

Check a specific Skoda Fabia

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Skoda models

Skoda Octavia — 77.3% adjusted
Skoda Yeti — 72.3% adjusted
Skoda Superb — 76.7% adjusted
Skoda Karoq — 89.0% unadjusted
Skoda Citigo — 75.1% adjusted
Skoda Kodiaq — 87.3% unadjusted
All Skoda models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Mercedes-Benz E-Class — 78.5% adjusted, ranked 69
Audi A1 — 73.7% adjusted, ranked 126
Nissan Micra — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 233
Peugeot 208 — 68.4% adjusted, ranked 190

Common questions

Is the Skoda Fabia reliable?: On MOT evidence the Skoda Fabia is below average. It passes 70.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 165 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Skoda Fabia?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 19.9% of failed Skoda Fabia tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Skoda Fabia?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.6% of all Skoda Fabia tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Skoda Fabia usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 70,269 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Skoda Fabia get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.8% of Skoda Fabia tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Skoda Fabia models petrol or diesel?: Of the Skoda Fabia cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.