Used car guide · 2020–2024

Skoda Octavia Mk4: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Skoda Octavia Mk4 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 28,557 MOT tests.

2021best year: 89% pass first time, 2 points above all 2021 cars
2022weakest year: 89% pass first time, 0 points above all 2022 cars
Shock absorbersthe weak spot that shows up in 3 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Skoda Octavia Mk4, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

70%85%100%2020: 87% pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%) 87% 2020*2021: 89% pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%) 89% 20212022: 89% pass first time (all 2022 cars: 89%) 89% 20222023: 93% pass first time (all 2023 cars: 92%) 93% 2023
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
2020*87%86% +1Shock absorbers 6.2× usual11,969
202189%87% +2Shock absorbers 3.9× usual9,632
202289%89% +0Shock absorbers 7.3× usual6,241
202393%92% +1Shock absorbers 8.5× usual715

Weak spots across the Skoda Octavia Mk4

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Shock absorbersup to 8.5× usual

    Stands out in 3 years: 2023, 2022, 2021.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Suspension arm bushes and jointsup to 4.6× usual

    Stands out in 2 years: 2022, 2021.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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