Skoda Fabia reliability by year, 2001 to 2022
688,393 Skoda Fabias went through an MOT in the period we analysed, and 70.7% passed. Set against the 71.7% national pass rate, that is a weaker result than most on the raw numbers. Allowing for age, the Fabia beats a typical car tested at the same age by 1.6 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model about average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 88.4% of Fabias pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. Top of the failure list: a worn suspension bush, on 11.2% of failed tests.
Why Skoda Fabias fail the MOT
A worn suspension bush is recorded on 11.2% of failed Skoda Fabia tests, followed by a sidelight not working at 6.7% and wipers not clearing the screen at 6.6%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Suspension failures are the hard ones to see coming: a snapped coil spring or a worn ball joint gives little warning. Knocks over speed bumps are the clue.
Advisories to expect on a Fabia
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the Fabia the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (15.3% of tests) and a damaged tyre sidewall (10.9%). How often each category of advisory turns into a failure is measured across the whole dataset.
Petrol, diesel or hybrid Fabia?
Among Skoda Fabia cars, petrol versions pass 73.3% of the time and diesel versions 59.9%, a gap of 13.4 points. Diesels tend to be bought for high mileage, which shows up at the test as wear.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 73.3% | 553,133 |
| Diesel | 59.9% | 134,810 |
Skoda Fabia pass rate by year
Between 2001 (54.1%) and 2022 (91%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2022 is the strongest at 91% and 2003 the weakest at 51.3%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skoda Fabia 2022 | 91% | 7,343 | 7,102 | 90.8% |
| Skoda Fabia 2021 | 86.1% | 17,060 | 7,292 | 86.4% |
| Skoda Fabia 2020 | 86.4% | 27,981 | 6,783 | 88.4% |
| Skoda Fabia 2019 | 85.1% | 43,366 | 6,508 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2018 | 80.5% | 49,508 | 6,666 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2017 | 78.6% | 53,625 | 6,914 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2016 | 76.9% | 57,364 | 6,873 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2015 | 76.9% | 52,880 | 6,607 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2014 | 74.2% | 43,768 | 6,690 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2013 | 72% | 55,457 | 6,736 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2012 | 69% | 41,349 | 6,920 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2011 | 66.4% | 35,631 | 6,713 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2010 | 63.5% | 32,583 | 6,353 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2009 | 57% | 40,509 | 5,938 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2008 | 53.2% | 31,792 | 6,259 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2007 | 53.8% | 26,572 | 6,096 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2006 | 52.9% | 22,247 | 5,961 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2005 | 52.6% | 18,140 | 5,835 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2004 | 51.7% | 13,025 | 5,650 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2003 | 51.3% | 8,503 | 4,935 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2002 | 53.7% | 5,604 | 4,754 | – |
| Skoda Fabia 2001 | 54.1% | 4,086 | 4,526 | – |
Mileage matters more than the badge
On the 2016 cars, a Fabia under 40,000 miles passes 83.9% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 66.8%. When comparing two used Fabias, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2016 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.9% | 17,339 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 77.4% | 18,676 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.7% | 12,798 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69% | 5,600 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.8% | 2,943 |
How the Fabia compares
Set against the rest of the Skoda range, which averages 76.4%, the Fabia at 70.7% is below par. Within the family, see Skoda Octavia MOT pass rate (75.8%), Superb common problems (78.2%), Kodiaq common problems (88.1%) and how the Rapid does (74%), or Skoda reliability by model. Buyers weighing a Fabia against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Audi A1 (77.2%) and Audi A4 (72.8%). The reliability index for all makes and models puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Year by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Skoda Fabia 2022 91% pass 7,343 tests90.8% at first MOT
On a 2022 Skoda Fabia, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 19.1% of failed tests, with headlamp aim out of adjustment next at 18.2%.
2022 cars pass 91.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 91.5% | 6,871 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 84.4% | 379 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80.9% | 68 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80% | 15 |
| Over 100,000 | 80% | 10 |
Skoda Fabia 2021 86.1% pass 17,060 tests86.4% at first MOT
On a 2021 Skoda Fabia, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 26.1% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.3%.
2021 cars pass 87.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 71.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.4% | 14,717 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.3% | 1,851 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 74.2% | 341 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 72.7% | 99 |
| Over 100,000 | 71.2% | 52 |
Skoda Fabia 2020 86.4% pass 27,981 tests88.4% at first MOT
On a 2020 Skoda Fabia, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 25.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 11.7%.
2020 cars pass 87.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 64.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.8% | 23,442 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.4% | 3,602 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 73.3% | 716 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76.2% | 147 |
| Over 100,000 | 64.9% | 74 |
Skoda Fabia 2019 85.1% pass 43,366 tests
On a 2019 Skoda Fabia, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 19.8% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 10%.
2019 cars pass 87.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 71.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.7% | 31,548 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.6% | 8,842 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 74.6% | 2,199 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 71.5% | 513 |
| Over 100,000 | 71.8% | 262 |
Skoda Fabia 2018 80.5% pass 49,508 tests
On a 2018 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 19.1% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 13.4%.
2018 cars pass 85.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.1% | 28,070 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 76.5% | 14,556 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 71.6% | 4,948 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 67.9% | 1,326 |
| Over 100,000 | 66% | 606 |
Skoda Fabia 2017 78.6% pass 53,625 tests
On a 2017 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 24.9% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 9.5%.
2017 cars pass 84.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 68.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.8% | 21,642 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 77% | 17,827 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.3% | 9,136 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.2% | 3,427 |
| Over 100,000 | 68.2% | 1,591 |
By fuel: petrol 78.8% (50,662 tests), diesel 74.6% (2,963 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2016 76.9% pass 57,364 tests
On a 2016 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 23.7% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 8.5%.
2016 cars pass 83.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.9% | 17,339 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 77.4% | 18,676 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.7% | 12,798 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69% | 5,600 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.8% | 2,943 |
By fuel: petrol 77.2% (52,506 tests), diesel 73.7% (4,856 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2015 76.9% pass 52,880 tests
On a 2015 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 18.4% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 8.4%.
2015 cars pass 84.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 65.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.4% | 13,667 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.9% | 16,025 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 74% | 12,527 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.6% | 6,412 |
| Over 100,000 | 65.4% | 4,247 |
By fuel: petrol 77.7% (45,660 tests), diesel 72.3% (7,220 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2014 74.2% pass 43,768 tests
On a 2014 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 14.5% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 8.2%.
2014 cars pass 85.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 60.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.8% | 9,201 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.7% | 11,011 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.6% | 10,412 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 66.3% | 6,947 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.8% | 6,194 |
By fuel: petrol 76.2% (34,555 tests), diesel 67% (9,211 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2013 72% pass 55,457 tests
On a 2013 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 11.9% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 8.6%.
2013 cars pass 85.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 60.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.8% | 8,360 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.8% | 12,285 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 71.5% | 13,324 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 65.7% | 10,398 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.6% | 11,087 |
By fuel: petrol 73.9% (42,455 tests), diesel 65.7% (13,002 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2012 69% pass 41,349 tests
On a 2012 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 11.5% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 9.2%.
2012 cars pass 84.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 59.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.2% | 4,190 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 77.7% | 7,370 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 71% | 9,221 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 64.7% | 8,709 |
| Over 100,000 | 59.7% | 11,856 |
By fuel: petrol 71.9% (27,388 tests), diesel 63.3% (13,961 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2011 66.4% pass 35,631 tests
On a 2011 Skoda Fabia, a worn suspension bush appears on 13.3% of failed tests, with a broken coil spring next at 9.6%.
2011 cars pass 83.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 58% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.4% | 2,886 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.5% | 5,358 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 69.2% | 7,656 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 63.9% | 7,934 |
| Over 100,000 | 58% | 11,792 |
By fuel: petrol 69.2% (23,834 tests), diesel 60.8% (11,795 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2010 63.5% pass 32,583 tests
On a 2010 Skoda Fabia, a sidelight not working appears on 13.8% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 8.8%.
2010 cars pass 79.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 54.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 79.3% | 2,821 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 74.1% | 4,824 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 66.9% | 6,581 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 61.1% | 6,915 |
| Over 100,000 | 54.6% | 11,430 |
By fuel: petrol 65.6% (21,226 tests), diesel 59.4% (11,354 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2009 57% pass 40,509 tests
On a 2009 Skoda Fabia, a sidelight not working appears on 18.3% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 17%.
2009 cars pass 76.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 47.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 76.4% | 3,657 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 67.5% | 6,234 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 59.2% | 8,124 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 54% | 8,019 |
| Over 100,000 | 47.9% | 14,444 |
By fuel: petrol 59.2% (28,601 tests), diesel 51.6% (11,907 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2008 53.2% pass 31,792 tests
On a 2008 Skoda Fabia, a sidelight not working appears on 18.6% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 15.6%.
2008 cars pass 73.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 46.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 73.3% | 1,392 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 66.9% | 3,535 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 58.1% | 5,536 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 52.2% | 6,667 |
| Over 100,000 | 46.6% | 14,650 |
By fuel: petrol 54.9% (19,523 tests), diesel 50.4% (12,263 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2007 53.8% pass 26,572 tests
On a 2007 Skoda Fabia, a split CV boot appears on 18% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 17.6%.
2007 cars pass 69.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 49.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 69.9% | 1,221 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 64.7% | 2,790 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 56.9% | 4,339 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 52% | 5,192 |
| Over 100,000 | 49.5% | 12,999 |
By fuel: petrol 53.2% (16,772 tests), diesel 54.8% (9,800 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2006 52.9% pass 22,247 tests
On a 2006 Skoda Fabia, a split CV boot appears on 16% of failed tests, with headlamp aim out of adjustment next at 14.1%.
2006 cars pass 71.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 49.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 71.2% | 930 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 60.7% | 2,321 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 55.7% | 3,536 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 51.2% | 4,118 |
| Over 100,000 | 49.6% | 11,335 |
By fuel: petrol 51.3% (14,047 tests), diesel 55.6% (8,197 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2005 52.6% pass 18,140 tests
On a 2005 Skoda Fabia, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 13.7% of failed tests, with a split CV boot next at 13.4%.
2005 cars pass 69.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 50.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 69.7% | 707 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 62% | 1,804 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 54.3% | 2,613 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 49.1% | 3,172 |
| Over 100,000 | 50.3% | 9,838 |
By fuel: petrol 50.5% (11,061 tests), diesel 55.8% (7,079 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2004 51.7% pass 13,025 tests
On a 2004 Skoda Fabia, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 12.8% of failed tests, with a split CV boot next at 12.6%.
2004 cars pass 67.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 50% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 67.3% | 502 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 58.2% | 1,231 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 51.7% | 2,000 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 49.8% | 2,163 |
| Over 100,000 | 50% | 7,124 |
By fuel: petrol 48.8% (7,716 tests), diesel 55.9% (5,309 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2003 51.3% pass 8,503 tests
On a 2003 Skoda Fabia, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 14.1% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 11.5%.
2003 cars pass 68.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 47.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 68.6% | 405 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 60.1% | 1,056 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 51.7% | 1,527 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 49% | 1,552 |
| Over 100,000 | 47.9% | 3,959 |
By fuel: petrol 50.7% (6,042 tests), diesel 52.6% (2,458 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2002 53.7% pass 5,604 tests
On a 2002 Skoda Fabia, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 14.6% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 11.5%.
2002 cars pass 69.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 47.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 69.6% | 358 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 60.7% | 754 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 55.8% | 1,007 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 56% | 901 |
| Over 100,000 | 47.8% | 2,576 |
By fuel: petrol 54.8% (3,625 tests), diesel 51.6% (1,979 tests).
Skoda Fabia 2001 54.1% pass 4,086 tests
On a 2001 Skoda Fabia, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 12.1% of failed tests, with a split CV boot next at 11%.
2001 cars pass 64.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 50.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 64.2% | 254 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 61.9% | 543 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 56.4% | 763 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 52.5% | 701 |
| Over 100,000 | 50.1% | 1,825 |
By fuel: petrol 54.3% (2,630 tests), diesel 53.9% (1,456 tests).
Questions people ask
Is the Skoda Fabia reliable?
On MOT evidence the Skoda Fabia is about average. It passes 70.7% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 1.6 points. 88.4% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 688,393 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Skoda Fabia MOT failures?
A worn suspension bush (11.2% of failed tests), a sidelight not working (6.7%) and wipers not clearing the screen (6.6%). Suspension failures are the hard ones to see coming: a snapped coil spring or a worn ball joint gives little warning. Knocks over speed bumps are the clue.
Which Skoda Fabia year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2022 cars have the highest pass rate at 91% and 2003 cars the lowest at 51.3%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Skoda Fabia usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 15.3% of all Fabia tests, then a damaged tyre sidewall (10.9%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Skoda Fabia do?
About 6,526 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is close to the UK average of roughly 7,400.
How do I check a particular Skoda Fabia?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Own a Fabia?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 6,526 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.