Is the Skoda Rapid reliable?

On MOT evidence the Skoda Rapid is above average. It passes 73.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. 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 Rapid?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 26.8% of failed Skoda Rapid 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 Rapid?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.7% of all Skoda Rapid tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,211 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 Rapid get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 77.1% of Skoda Rapid tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 68.1%. 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 Rapid models petrol or diesel?

Of the Skoda Rapid cars tested, 70% are petrol, 30% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Skoda Rapid MOT pass rate & common failures

From 21,489 recorded MOT tests of the Skoda Rapid, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Skoda Rapid passes 73.4% 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 above average. Based on 21,489 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 26.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 83,211 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

73.4%national average72.3%unadjusted72.6%range covered62%

The Rapid is 1.1 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 72.6%; 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 Rapid 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 worn26.8%
1,334 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.1%
655 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.2%
508 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage9.4%
469 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.3%
463 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged8.7%
435 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.5%
424 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn7.0%
349 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged6.0%
298 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.6%
281 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Skoda Rapid 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 requirements23.7%
5,097 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured21.5%
4,625 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage20.8%
4,474 testsShock absorber defective explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.3%
3,512 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged15.7%
3,371 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.3%
1,990 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.6%
990 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.5%
976 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

6–8 yrs77%

9–11 yrs71%

12–14 yrs68%

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

What gets tested

The Rapid fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 83,211
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol69.6%
Diesel30.3%

Check a specific Skoda Rapid

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

Compare within the range

Other Skoda models

Skoda Fabia — 70.5% adjusted
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
All Skoda models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

BMW 6 Series — 81.4% adjusted, ranked 46
Citroen C4 Cactus — 69.0% adjusted, ranked 180
Fiat 500L — 63.6% adjusted, ranked 235
Mercedes-Benz CLS — 76.4% adjusted, ranked 93

Common questions

Is the Skoda Rapid reliable?: On MOT evidence the Skoda Rapid is above average. It passes 73.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. 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 Rapid?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 26.8% of failed Skoda Rapid 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 Rapid?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.7% of all Skoda Rapid tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Skoda Rapid usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,211 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 Rapid get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 77.1% of Skoda Rapid tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 68.1%. 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 Rapid models petrol or diesel?: Of the Skoda Rapid cars tested, 70% are petrol, 30% 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.