Skoda Scala MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Skoda Scala MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Skoda Scala passed on its first attempt in 89.7%, and its overall record sits +9.6 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Skoda Scala in the 2023–2025 data: 22,835 tests across 5 model years (2019–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Skoda Scala MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Skoda Scala, the Brakes section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Skoda Scala's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Skoda Scala DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Skoda Scala, each with how many of the model's 22,835 tests it was noted on.

• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 391 Skoda Scala tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 330 Skoda Scala tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 318 Skoda Scala tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 314 Skoda Scala tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake discs significantly and obviously worn" (Major) — noted on about 195 Skoda Scala tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake performance excessively fluctuating" (Major) — noted on about 176 Skoda Scala tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Skoda Scala Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Skoda Scala model year on record is 2023 (94.4% across 342 tests), and the weakest is 2019 (89.1%). The gap between them is 5.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Skoda Scala reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Skoda Scala Owners

These checks follow this Skoda Scala's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Skoda Scala.

• the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”

  Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated,”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Skoda Scala. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Skoda Scala is most common

Across every Scala model year on record (2019–2023): 12,298 Skoda Scala cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 22,833 tests. Leicester (LE) has the most, with 415 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Skoda Scala cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Skoda Scala MOT & Reliability