Skoda Fabia
From 359,982 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Fabias fare better: 2021 models pass at 87.7% vs 66.4% for 2000.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 15,027 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 15,027 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 7,674 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 6,553 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,894 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 5,520 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 5,463 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 5,217 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,172 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 4,842 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 4,813 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 48.9% of Fabia failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 8.9% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £101.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Fabia passes its MOT 87.3% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 80.4%, a 6.9 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 77.1%. With an average repair bill of £101 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Fabia that's past its third birthday.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 77.6% while Diesel versions pass at 70%, a 8 percentage point gap.
Skoda Fabia on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 10,926 newly registered in the past year with 10,508 leaving, a net gain of 418.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 242,639 | 14,928 | +3,099 | -2,981 | +118 |
| 2025 Q2 | 242,666 | 14,783 | +1,839 | -2,638 | -799 |
| 2025 Q1 | 243,549 | 14,699 | +3,495 | -2,625 | +870 |
| 2024 Q4 | 243,243 | 14,135 | +2,493 | -2,264 | +229 |
| 2024 Q3 | 243,463 | 13,686 | +3,219 | -2,899 | +320 |
| 2024 Q2 | 243,366 | 13,463 | +2,161 | -2,547 | -386 |
| 2024 Q1 | 243,928 | 13,287 | +1,957 | -2,466 | -509 |
| 2023 Q4 | 244,910 | 12,814 | +1,559 | -2,018 | -459 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabia Se Tsi | Petrol | 27,469 | 18% |
| Fabia Colour Edition Tsi | Petrol | 14,168 | 9% |
| Fabia Se L Tsi | Petrol | 14,076 | 9% |
| Fabia Se 12V | Petrol | 13,796 | 9% |
| Fabia Monte Carlo Tsi | Petrol | 12,230 | 8% |
| Fabia Se Mpi | Petrol | 10,962 | 7% |
| Fabia Se Tsi S-A | Petrol | 9,916 | 6% |
| Fabia Se L Tsi S-A | Petrol | 7,798 | 5% |
| Fabia S Mpi | Petrol | 6,462 | 4% |
| Fabia 1 Htp 60 | Petrol | 6,322 | 4% |
| Fabia Colour Edition Mpi | Petrol | 5,163 | 3% |
| Fabia S 12V | Diesel | 4,095 | 3% |
| Fabia 2 Htp 70 | Petrol | 3,926 | 3% |
| Fabia Se Comfort Tsi | Petrol | 3,876 | 2% |
| Fabia 2 Tdi 80 | Diesel | 3,003 | 2% |
| Fabia Monte Carlo Tsi S-A | Petrol | 2,960 | 2% |
| Fabia Greenline Tdi Cr | Diesel | 2,796 | 2% |
| Fabia Se Comfort Mpi | Petrol | 2,597 | 2% |
| Fabia Ambiente 12V Htp | Petrol | 2,571 | 2% |
| Fabia Elegance Tdi Cr 105 | Diesel | 2,479 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2020 | 87.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 86.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2018 | 83.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
18 earlier years
| 2017 | 81.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2016 | 80.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2015 | 80.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2014 | 78.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2013 | 77.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2012 | 74.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2011 | 73.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2010 | 70.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2009 | 66.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2008 | 65.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 66.3% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2006 | 65.6% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 66.7% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2004 | 64.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 63.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 63.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2001 | 65.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2000 | 66.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. |
Typical mileage
Half of all Fabias tested had between 47,433 and 83,072 miles on the clock.
At 61,577 median miles, the Fabia has 0.039 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Skoda models
| Skoda Octavia | 79.4% |
| Skoda Yeti | 80.8% |
| Skoda Superb | 82% |
| Skoda Karoq | 90.8% |
| Skoda Citigo | 82.3% |
Common questions
What is the Skoda Fabia MOT pass rate?
The Skoda Fabia has a 76% MOT pass rate based on 359,982 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Skoda Fabia?
The most common MOT failure on the Skoda Fabia is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 15,027 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Skoda Fabias are on UK roads?
There are 242,639 Skoda Fabias currently licensed on UK roads, with 14,928 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Skoda Fabia at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Skoda Fabia is 61,577 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 47,433 and 83,072 miles.
Buying a used Fabia?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 76% pass rate and an average repair bill of £101 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.