Skoda Karoq MOT Reliability & Buying Guide

89.0%

MOT pass rate

Compact SUV

Segment

Petrol, diesel

Fuel types available

Source: DS Auto Labs analysis of DVSA's anonymised 2025 MOT test results (Open Government Licence v3.0): 61,412 first-time tests of Skoda Karoq cars of all ages (test class 4, cars and light vans). A pass means a clean first-time pass; a car that failed and was repaired at the test station before passing counts as not passed, and aborted tests are excluded. Age is the car's age at the 2025 test.

What to know

In 2025, Skoda Karoq cars passed their MOT first time 89.0% of the time, across 61,412 tests. That is 12.7 points above Skoda's overall brand average of 76.3% and 16.6 points above the national average of 72.4%.

Age explains much of the difference between models. Pass rates fall steeply as cars get older, for every make, so a model with many old cars on the road looks worse than it is, and a recent model looks better. This compares the Skoda Karoq with the typical UK car of the same age.

MOT pass rate by vehicle age, 2025 first-time tests
Car age	Skoda Karoq	All UK cars	Tests
3-5 years	89.4%	87.2%	32,218
6-9 years	88.3%	79.3%	28,450

Allowing for the age mix of the cars tested, a typical UK car would be expected to pass about 83.6% of the time. The Skoda Karoq passed at 89.0%, which is 5.4 points above that expected rate.

A model average says little about one particular car, so check its own MOT history for repeated advisories, past failures and mileage.

Technology: the first-generation Karoq

This section covers the Karoq launched in 2017 and updated since. Equipment changed over the years, so details below mark where they apply to the updated car.

Engines and gearboxes

Explained in plain English: engines, gearboxes, diesel exhaust systems.

Petrol (TSI): 1.0-litre at 110 PS, 1.5-litre at 150 PS and, on SportLine only, a 2.0-litre at 190 PS with four-wheel drive (What Car?). Auto Express notes the 1.5 can shut down two cylinders when cruising to save fuel.
Diesel (TDI): 2.0-litre at 116 or 150 PS, with optional four-wheel drive on the 150 (What Car?). Earlier cars also offered a 1.6-litre TDI (Auto Express).
Gearboxes: a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic. Four-wheel drive is not offered on the entry SE Drive trim, and Auto Express says it costs about 5mpg.

Safety and driver aids

Explained in plain English: driver aids, Euro NCAP ratings.

Euro NCAP, 2017: five stars. Adult occupant 93%, child occupant 79%, vulnerable road users 73%, safety assist 58% (tested as a 1.6 TDI Ambition). Lane assist was listed as an option on the test car.
Euro NCAP lists this rating as expired from 1 January 2024. What Car? notes that its tests are stricter today.
On the updated car (What Car?): automatic emergency braking and rear parking sensors are standard on all trims. The optional Travel Assist package adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and traffic sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring is only in Travel Assist Plus on SportLine.

Infotainment and connectivity

Explained in plain English: infotainment.

On the updated car (What Car?): an 8-inch touchscreen with sat nav, DAB and Bluetooth is standard. A 9.2-inch Columbus screen is optional on SE L and SportLine. Apple CarPlay is wireless and Android Auto is also supported.
Digital dials (Virtual Cockpit) are optional via the Amundsen Package Plus or come with the Columbus screen. Wireless phone charging comes with Columbus too.
Earlier cars have different systems, so check each car's specification.

Technology to check on a used one

Reliability: in What Car?'s 2025 Reliability Survey the Karoq ranked 15th of 38 small SUVs. Petrol cars scored 95.5%, with faults mainly in non-engine electrics and the sat nav or infotainment. Diesels scored 87.6%, with engine and electrical faults and costly diesel particulate filter problems outside warranty.
1.5 TSI: Auto Express reports some juddering when moving off, with a software update available.
Recalls: Auto Express lists six, including an electronic parking brake that could release unexpectedly (November 2018) and engine software that could cause stalling at low speed (September 2019). Check any car by registration.

Look up any car's open recalls and MOT history by registration with the GOV.UK vehicle recall check, or use our MOT history check.

What DVSA's 2025 tests covered

Skoda Karoq first-time tests by fuel type, DVSA 2025
Fuel type	Tests	Share
Petrol	48,030	78.2%
Diesel	13,382	21.8%

Every Karoq tested is from the first generation.

Sources

Technology details checked against the sources above in October 2026. Specifications vary by trim, engine and year, so confirm the equipment on any individual car before you rely on it.

Check a specific Karoq's MOT history, tax status, and advisories by registration number.

Check MOT history

See how the Skoda range compares overall, with model-by-model pass rates.

View Skoda brand page