Skip advert
Advertisement

Skoda Octavia - Reliability and safety

The Skoda Octavia gets a top Euro NCAP score because it has plenty of safety assistance tech as standard

Reliability and safety rating

4.5

How we review cars
RRP
£27,390 £39,285
Avg. savings
£2,212 off RRP*
Find your Skoda Octavia
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The Skoda Octavia didn’t feature in our latest 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but Skoda as a brand hasn’t wowed its customers according to the manufacturer rankings, taking a below-average 23rd-place ranking out of 32 manufacturers table of the 2024 Driver Power survey. While owners are happy with the boot space and rear legroom of their cars, feedback on the infotainment and safety systems is much less positive. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Euro NCAP tested the Octavia in 2022 and awarded the family hatchback its maximum five-star crash safety rating. The Octavia received strong scores for adult and child passenger protection of 89 and 84 per cent, respectively.

The Octavia offers good levels of safety kit, with top-of-the-range cars featuring front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and a head-up display. Optional safety technology on lesser models includes the Assisted Drive Package Plus, which adds blind spot detection, park assist and speed assist.

Key standard safety features

Euro NCAP safety ratings

  • Five out of five stars (2022)
  • Adult occupant protection - 89%
  • Child occupant protection - 84%
  • Vulnerable road user protection - 68% 
  • Safety assist - 81%

Warranty

Skoda provides a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty as standard, which is par for the course within the VW group. This can be extended to five years/100,000 miles at extra cost, but rivals such as Hyundai and Kia offer more extensive standard coverage. 

Skoda does include three years’ of breakdown cover with every brand-new model, though. That’s two more years than some rival models, including the Volkswagen Golf, can offer.

Servicing

Service intervals for the Octavia are every 12 months or 10,000 miles, and the manufacturer offers fixed pricing for all servicing and maintenance work.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.5 TSI SE Technology 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £27,390
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    2.0 TDI SE Technology 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £29,935
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    2.0 TSI vRS 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £39,285
Select car
Chief reviewer

Alex joined Auto Express as staff writer in early 2018, helping out with news, drives, features, and the occasional sports report. His current role of Chief reviewer sees him head up our road test team, which gives readers the full lowdown on our comparison tests.

New & used car deals

Skoda Octavia

Skoda Octavia

RRP £21,275Avg. savings £2,212 off RRP*Used from £11,995
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £25,015Avg. savings £2,749 off RRP*Used from £12,995
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,540Avg. savings £3,974 off RRP*Used from £14,490
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £27,795Avg. savings £2,352 off RRP*Used from £18,691
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car brands with the most recalls: BMW tops the UK recall chart in 2024
BMW 530e - front cornering

Car brands with the most recalls: BMW tops the UK recall chart in 2024

Did you receive a letter alerting you to a potentially dangerous car fault? Here are the car brands that sent the most out
News
17 Jan 2025
BMW M5 vs Porsche Panamera: which is the superior super-saloon?
BMW M5 and Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid - front tracking

BMW M5 vs Porsche Panamera: which is the superior super-saloon?

By combining petrol and electric power, these two super- saloons are more potent than ever, but which is best?
Car group tests
17 Jan 2025
New Kia Ceed K4 GT-Line Turbo 2025 review: family hatch is bigger and bolder than ever
Kia Ceed - front tracking

New Kia Ceed K4 GT-Line Turbo 2025 review: family hatch is bigger and bolder than ever

The Kia K4 will eventually become the new Ceed in the UK, and it’s taking a big step upmarket
Road tests
16 Jan 2025