MOT data by first-use year
2020 Skoda Scala: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 9,941 MOT tests · Updated
12.7% of 2020 Skoda Scala cars failed their MOT at 5 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2019 and 2021 cars (9,941 MOT tests) [1].
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- −2.2 to −1.3 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3 to 5 years, 9,941 MOT tests
- 30,000 to 60,000 miles: 14.1% of Skoda Scala cars first used 2019–2020 failed at 5 years, against 9.2% at under 30,000 miles, 4,416 MOT tests
- At 5 years (tested 2025): 12.7% failed, against 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025, 3,274 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2020 Skoda Scala cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 5 years (2025)
- 12.7%
- vs 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025
- 3,274 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- −1.5 pts
- over ages 3–5: −2.1 to −1.0 pts
- 9,941 MOT tests
- Against the 2019 and 2021 cars
- +0.3 pts
- 95% range −1.3 to +1.9 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 9,941 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2020 cars
- 9,941
- tested 2023–2025, 3 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 9,941 MOT tests
About the same as the 2019 and 2021 cars: +0.3 points at the same ages (3–5), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −1.3 to +1.9, from 9,941 MOT tests of 2020 cars and 10,373 of the 2019 and 2021 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every Skoda Scala year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2020 Skoda Scala fail rate at each MOT
From 2023 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 5 years old, the fail rate went from 10.1% to 12.7%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from −2.2 to −1.3 points. The widest gap was at 3 years (−2.2 points, 3,345 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 years | 10.1% | 9.2%–11.2% | 3,345 | 12.3% | −2.2 pts |
| 2024 | 4 years | 12.1% | 11.0%–13.3% | 3,322 | 13.1% | −1.0 pts |
| 2025 | 5 years | 12.7% | 11.6%–13.9% | 3,274 | 14.0% | −1.3 pts |
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2020 against the 2019 and 2021 cars, age by age
| Age | 2020 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 10.1% 3,345 MOT tests, tested 2023 | 2019: 8.0% (1,547, tested 2022) 2021: 11.3% (2,848, tested 2024) |
| 4 years | 12.1% 3,322 MOT tests, tested 2024 | 2019: 12.0% (1,575, tested 2023) 2021: 12.2% (2,819, tested 2025) |
| 5 years | 12.7% 3,274 MOT tests, tested 2025 | 2019: 12.9% (1,584, tested 2024) |
Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.
What fails on a Skoda Scala at 5 years
All Skoda Scala MOTs at 5 years, cars first used 2019–2020 (4,858 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: brake pads under 1.5 mm (2.7 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item), tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (1.5 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and tyre tread below 1.6 mm (1.0 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item).
No item fails at a clearly different rate from all class 4 vehicles the same age across 3 or more ages.
Mileage and the fail rate at 5 years
Skoda Scala cars first used 2019–2020 at 30,000 to 60,000 miles failed 14.1% of MOTs at 5 years (2,597 MOT tests), against 9.2% at under 30,000 miles (1,819 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 16.2% and 11.1%.
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2020 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2020 was issued a 69 (January–February), 20 (March–August) or 70 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 20 plates
A 2020 car pays the standard rate after its first year. If its list price was over £40,000 it pays the expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6, ending in 2026. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2020 petrol car
For the London ULEZ, a 2020 petrol usually meets Euro 4. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [3] ULEZ checker
Buying a Skoda Scala? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Questions people ask
What is the MOT fail rate of a 2020 Skoda Scala?
12.7% at 5 years (tested 2025), from 3,274 MOT tests, against 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025.
Does the 2020 Skoda Scala fail more MOTs than the 2019 and 2021?
0.3 percentage points apart at the same ages (3–5), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 9,941 MOT tests (95% range −1.3 to +1.9), so about the same.
At what ages were 2020 Skoda Scala cars MOT tested in the data?
3 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 3–5 years, tested 2023–2025, 9,941 MOT tests in all.
What fails most on a Skoda Scala at 5 years?
2.7 in 100 MOT tests failed on brake pads under 1.5 mm, the most common fail item (a wear item); the most common non-wear item was brake discs: significantly and obviously worn (0.9 in 100). From 4,858 MOT tests of Skoda Scala cars first used 2019–2020, not only 2020.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 9,941 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
Cars tested at 5 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 5 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare