How reliable is the Skoda Rapid?
DVSA recorded 65,399 MOT tests on the Skoda Rapid (2013 to 2019 cars) in 2023 to 2025. 74% of them were a pass, against 71.7% for every car tested. Once age is allowed for, the Rapid is about average: within 0.6 points of a typical car tested at the same age. When a Rapid does fail, a worn suspension bush is the item recorded most often.
What fails a Skoda Rapid at its MOT
The Rapid's failures cluster around suspension and tyres: a worn suspension bush on 18% of fails, tyre tread below the legal minimum on 8.8%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Worn bushes and ball joints build up slowly. A vague or clunky front end before the test is worth a garage check, since suspension is where tests are lost.
Warning signs on the certificate
These are the advisories most often recorded on a Skoda Rapid: items that passed on the day but were wearing. Tyre tread below the legal minimum is noted on 15.8% of all tests. If one of these is on a car's last certificate, it is the next repair. Nationally, an advisory on lights becomes a failure 36.1% of the time.
Does fuel type matter on a Rapid?
The petrol Rapid has the better record at 76.1%; the diesel manages 69.6%. 6.5 points is a real difference.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 76.1% | 44,666 |
| Diesel | 69.6% | 20,700 |
Skoda Rapid pass rate by year
The oldest Rapids on the road, from 2013, pass 69.6% of the time; the 2019 cars pass 86.9%. Read the table as an age curve first and a quality ranking second.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skoda Rapid 2019 | 86.9% | 1,450 | 8,621 |
| Skoda Rapid 2018 | 80.2% | 6,331 | 8,927 |
| Skoda Rapid 2017 | 76.5% | 11,679 | 9,604 |
| Skoda Rapid 2016 | 74.2% | 12,155 | 9,692 |
| Skoda Rapid 2015 | 72.7% | 9,323 | 9,219 |
| Skoda Rapid 2014 | 71.7% | 15,683 | 8,687 |
| Skoda Rapid 2013 | 69.6% | 8,778 | 8,579 |
How mileage changes the Rapid's odds
Take the 2014 Rapid, the year with the most tests: cars with under 40,000 miles on the clock pass 85.7% of the time, and that falls to 63.8% over 100,000. A 22-point drop across the mileage range is a bigger effect than the difference between most makes.
| Mileage at test (2014 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.7% | 1,388 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.2% | 3,008 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72% | 3,745 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.1% | 3,247 |
| Over 100,000 | 63.8% | 4,295 |
Compared with other cars
The average Skoda passes 76.4% of tests, so the Rapid is below the make's own average. Within the family, see the Fabia (70.7%), Skoda Octavia MOT pass rate (75.8%), how the Superb does (78.2%) and Kodiaq common problems (88.1%), or other Skoda models. For a cross-make comparison, the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Kia Soul have similar test volumes and their own pages. The ranking of every make puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Each Rapid year in detail
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Skoda Rapid 2019 86.9% pass 1,450 tests
On a 2019 Skoda Rapid, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 18.4% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 12.1%.
2019 cars pass 90.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.8% | 726 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.3% | 491 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.6% | 156 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 78.6% | 42 |
| Over 100,000 | 80% | 35 |
Skoda Rapid 2018 80.2% pass 6,331 tests
On a 2018 Skoda Rapid, a worn suspension bush appears on 21.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 9.5%.
2018 cars pass 85% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 76.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85% | 2,464 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.9% | 2,108 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 76.3% | 977 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 70.4% | 338 |
| Over 100,000 | 76.1% | 444 |
By fuel: petrol 80.7% (5,770 tests), diesel 75.6% (561 tests).
Skoda Rapid 2017 76.5% pass 11,679 tests
On a 2017 Skoda Rapid, a worn suspension bush appears on 24.8% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 9.2%.
2017 cars pass 83.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 71.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.6% | 2,765 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 76.9% | 3,673 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 74.1% | 2,492 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 71.1% | 1,154 |
| Over 100,000 | 71.2% | 1,595 |
By fuel: petrol 77.2% (8,820 tests), diesel 74.3% (2,859 tests).
Skoda Rapid 2016 74.2% pass 12,155 tests
On a 2016 Skoda Rapid, a worn suspension bush appears on 20.9% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 9.6%.
2016 cars pass 82.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 67.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.2% | 1,780 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.2% | 3,040 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.9% | 3,009 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 71% | 1,927 |
| Over 100,000 | 67.5% | 2,398 |
By fuel: petrol 76.4% (7,456 tests), diesel 70.8% (4,697 tests).
Skoda Rapid 2015 72.7% pass 9,323 tests
On a 2015 Skoda Rapid, a worn suspension bush appears on 16.6% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 9.6%.
2015 cars pass 86.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 64.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.4% | 1,088 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.1% | 2,090 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.4% | 2,409 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 68.3% | 1,589 |
| Over 100,000 | 64.2% | 2,147 |
By fuel: petrol 75.2% (5,468 tests), diesel 69.2% (3,855 tests).
Skoda Rapid 2014 71.7% pass 15,683 tests
On a 2014 Skoda Rapid, a worn suspension bush appears on 14.7% of failed tests, with a broken coil spring next at 9.7%.
2014 cars pass 85.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 63.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.7% | 1,388 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.2% | 3,008 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72% | 3,745 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.1% | 3,247 |
| Over 100,000 | 63.8% | 4,295 |
By fuel: petrol 74% (9,890 tests), diesel 67.8% (5,789 tests).
Skoda Rapid 2013 69.6% pass 8,778 tests
On a 2013 Skoda Rapid, a broken coil spring appears on 16.7% of failed tests, with a worn suspension bush next at 11.9%.
2013 cars pass 84.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 62.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.1% | 674 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 76.3% | 1,310 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 73.5% | 1,904 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 67.3% | 1,854 |
| Over 100,000 | 62.4% | 3,036 |
By fuel: petrol 71.5% (5,839 tests), diesel 65.7% (2,939 tests).
Questions people ask
How reliable is the Skoda Rapid?
On MOT evidence the Skoda Rapid is about average. It passes 74% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and trails cars of the same age by 0.6 points. Figures from 65,399 DVSA tests.
What fails a Skoda Rapid MOT most often?
A worn suspension bush (18% of failed tests), tyre tread below the legal minimum (8.8%) and brake pads worn below 1.5mm (6.5%). Worn bushes and ball joints build up slowly. A vague or clunky front end before the test is worth a garage check, since suspension is where tests are lost.
What is the best year for a used Skoda Rapid?
Among years with a large sample, 2018 cars have the highest pass rate at 80.2% and 2013 cars the lowest at 69.6%. 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 Rapid usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 15.8% of all Rapid tests, then worn brake discs (14.8%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Skoda Rapid do?
About 9,121 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is above the UK average of roughly 7,400, which is typical of a car bought for commuting or work.
Does the Skoda Rapid pass rate apply to my car?
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 Rapid?
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 9,121 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.