Skoda Roomster: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Skoda Roomster fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 5.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 18,519 individual Skoda Roomster tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 70.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 29 in every 100 Skoda Roomsters presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Skoda Roomster tested had covered 85,385 miles and was built around 2011.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Skoda Roomster sits 5.9 points below the national average, ranked 1,737 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Skoda Roomster rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Skoda Roomster: £375 at UK salvage auction, from 6 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Skoda Roomster

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.9% of tests (4.87x the national rate for this defect)
2. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.2% of tests (3.42x the national rate for this defect)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.2% of tests (3.12x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.2% of tests (2.76x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.5% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
6. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.8% of tests (1.72x the national rate for this defect)
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.6% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this defect)
9. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.9% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this defect)
10. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect)

From 18,502 DVSA-tracked Skoda Roomster tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.7% of these flagged Skoda Roomster defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Skoda Roomster

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Skoda Roomster before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 6.7% of tests (4.9x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 6.6% of tests (3.31x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 24.7% of tests (2.02x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.3% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.1% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 19.3% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.9% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 7.4% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.4% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.8% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this advisory), also fails

From 18,502 DVSA-tracked Skoda Roomster tests, 2024.

Skoda Roomster pass rate by model year

From its 2006 to its 2015 model year, the Skoda Roomster's first-time pass rate has risen 31.5 points, from 51.8% to 83.3%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Skoda Roomster year:

• 2006 Skoda Roomster - 51.8% first-time pass, 384 tests
• 2007 Skoda Roomster - 57.8% first-time pass, 2,428 tests
• 2008 Skoda Roomster - 59.8% first-time pass, 2,085 tests
• 2009 Skoda Roomster - 63.3% first-time pass, 1,135 tests
• 2010 Skoda Roomster - 70.7% first-time pass, 1,306 tests
• 2011 Skoda Roomster - 72.1% first-time pass, 1,544 tests
• 2012 Skoda Roomster - 72.8% first-time pass, 2,401 tests
• 2013 Skoda Roomster - 78.5% first-time pass, 2,655 tests
• 2014 Skoda Roomster - 81% first-time pass, 2,763 tests
• 2015 Skoda Roomster - 83.3% first-time pass, 1,712 tests

Skoda Roomster by fuel type

The Skoda Roomster's two most-tested fuel types split by 11.3 points: petrol passes first time 75.4% of the time (11,459 tests) against 64.1% for diesel (6,955 tests).

• Petrol Skoda Roomster - 75.4% first-time pass, 11,459 tests
• Diesel Skoda Roomster - 64.1% first-time pass, 6,955 tests

Other Skoda models

• Skoda Fabia - 75.3%
• Skoda Octavia - 78.9%
• Skoda Yeti - 80.3%
• Skoda Superb - 80%
• Skoda Citigo - 84.7%
• Skoda Karoq - 91.3%
• Skoda Kodiaq - 89.7%
• Skoda Rapid - 77.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Jeep G-Cherokee Overland Crd A - 70.9%
• Chrysler 300 - 70.9%
• Volkswagen Transporter - 70.8%
• Mercedes-Benz Viano - 70.7%
• Mazda Rx-8 - 70.7%
• Volkswagen Motor Caravan - 70.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate