Skoda Octavia hatchback - Reliability & safety

Skoda, and especially the Octavia, have an impressive track record of top results in our Driver Power survey and there's a full complement of safety kit.

Skoda Octavia reliability

The Octavia always seems to garner affection from owners, as evidenced by its 43rd spot out of the top 75 cars in our 2021 Driver Power survey - despite it being in its final year of production before this latest version takes over. Owners were most impressed with its value for money - a real Skoda strength - while its engines and gearboxes were also highly rated. Hopefully a poor result for infotainment will be remedied by upgrades for the new model.

The Skoda brand fell from fifth out of 30 manufacturers in 2020, to 12th out of 29 in 2021. This puts it behind rivals including Kia, Mazda, Toyota, Honda and Peugeot in the owner satisfaction table.

Skoda also performed well as a brand, coming fifth out of 30 manufacturers, ahead of the likes of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, and even Audi and BMW.

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Safety

The Octavia received a five-star score in Euro NCAP safety tests, matching the closely related Volkswagen Golf.

Both models share the same advanced safety gear, which not only protects occupants in a collision, but also aims to avoid one in the first place. Front sensors monitor the road ahead and can intervene even if the driver is distracted at speeds of up to 90mph. Further systems help monitor the road for oncoming traffic while turning, and the Octavia's array of sensors will even stay alert to warn occupants not to open a door if a passing vehicle or cyclist is approaching.