Used Skoda Fabia 2021-present reliability
Category: Small car
The Skoda Fabia is practical, comfortable and now good value for money bought used. It should be on your shortlist if you're after a small car.
What should I look for in a used Skoda Fabia hatchback?
The Fabia is a solidly built car, so most of your concerns will surround whether the interior is clean and tidy and whether the alloy wheels, if specified, haven’t suffered any kerb damage. It's most likely use will have been as a town car, so check the bodywork for minor scuffs.
We have little direct data on this latest model of Fabia from the owner's point of view, so here we've added some information from the previous model.
Owners reported problems with the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox of the older 2015-2021 cars; it could be overly jerky when shifting. Some also found it difficult to utilise the Mirrorlink system on the car’s infotainment system. In our most recent reliability survey, the old-model Fabia scored well on brake, tyre, windscreen wiper and headlight bulb wear, all being below the class average.
What are the most common problems with a used Skoda Fabia hatchback?
There have been three recalls for this latest Skoda Fabia so far. Check with your local dealer for more recalls and that all remedial work has been carried out.
1/ The passenger airbag may not release correctly because of a leak in the pressure reservoir of the gas generator.
2/ The right-hand rear seat backrest frame has a reduced strength weld.
3/ On affected vehicles airbags have been fitted which may rupture when activated and may not function properly.
Is a used Skoda Fabia hatchback reliable?
This latest version of the Skoda Fabia did well in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey. It finished in 12th place out of 26 cars in the small car class with a good overall score of 95.9%.
It finished above the Audi A1 and Seat Ibiza, but below the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. You can see the full list of small cars here.
Skoda as a brand came 16th out of 30 manufacturers featured, with a good overall score of 92.9%. That was above Audi, Ford and Renault, but below Hyundai, Kia and Suzuki. You can see a list of all the manufacturers here.
We don't, at this stage, have any specific feedback from owners on this generation of Fabia. The previous-generation model had mixed results and came below this latest version in our most recent survey.
If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
