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 34th spot out of the top 75 cars in our 2020 Driver Power survey - despite it being in its final year of production before this latest version takes over. A small 8.2% of respondents reported a fault in the first year, which is fewer than the 18.4% of Civic owners in the same period.

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.