MOT fail rates by first-use year

2002 Skoda Octavia MOT fail rate and common faults

How Skoda Octavia cars first used in 2002 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,766 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 21 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 21 (n=1,232)40.5%

All cars at 21 years (n=1,321,417)42.1%

Difference−1.6 pts

MOT tests of 2002 cars, 2022 to 20232,766

What stands out

In 2023, at 21 years old, Skoda Octavia cars first used in 2002 failed 40.5% of MOTs (1,232 tests), 1.6 points below the 42.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 20 to 21 years old, the fail rate moved from 41.2% to 40.5%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Skoda Octavia at 21 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 4.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Skoda Octavia cars first used in 2002: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	20 years	41.2%	1,534	42.8%	−1.6 pts
2023	21 years	40.5%	1,232	42.1%	−1.6 pts

Most common faults at 21 years

These figures cover all Skoda Octavia MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,958). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Suspension arm bush worn	4.6	1.9
Coil spring broken	4.4	2.3
Side/position light not working Wear	3.9	4.9
Brake light not working Wear	3.6	3.9
Driveshaft CV boot split	3.3	3.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	3.2	3.5
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.1	2.4
Handbrake too weak	3.0	2.7
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	2.7	2.4
Suspension ball joint worn	2.6	2.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,958). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	18.7	15.9
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.0	14.8
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.8	10.4
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.4	14.8
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	12.2	7.2
Coil spring: corroded	11.9	8.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	8.7	10.4
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	8.6	5.3
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	8.4	6.5
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	8.3	5.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,958). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 21 years

These figures cover all Skoda Octavia MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,958). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	61.8%	42.9%	3,061	43.0%	153,839 miles
Petrol	38.2%	39.5%	1,896	41.7%	125,521 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 21 years

These figures cover all Skoda Octavia MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,958). At 21 years, Skoda Octavia cars at over 150,000 miles failed less often (43.0%, n=2,118) than those at 120,000 to 150,000 miles (45.0%, n=1,148). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
120,000 to 150,000 miles	45.0%	1,148	46.5%
Over 150,000 miles	43.0%	2,118	46.6%

Car tax rules for a 2002 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2002 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2002 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Skoda Octavia

2003 Skoda Octavia

Other Skoda models first used in 2002

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Skoda Fabia (2002)	23 years in 2025	43.6%	1,398	39.6%

More on the Skoda Octavia

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2002 Skoda Octavia cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.