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What to check: Skoda Enyaq

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Ranked across all years of the Skoda Enyaq, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 2.6% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 2.4%

DampersLook for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 2.1%

Warning lights on ignitionRuns high on this modelTurn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.1%

A binding brakeAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 0.5% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.3%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this modelCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 31.5% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 16.6%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 7.0%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 1.4%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Turn the car on from cold and watch the dash for an amber airbag/SRS light or an "Airbag: Error" message.A lit or recurring airbag warning matches a well-reported fault; ask to see dealer paperwork showing it was fixed, not just reset.

Ask the owner if the car has ever needed a jump start or shown a 12V battery warning.A flat auxiliary battery is a widely reported gremlin on this model, not just bad luck with an old car.

Charge it if you can, ideally on a home AC charger, and time how long it takes.Unusually slow AC charging, or a charge that stalls, can point to a failing onboard charger unit.

Poke around the touchscreen for a few minutes, opening different menus and switching inputs.Any freeze, black screen or unprompted reboot backs up the recurring infotainment complaints.

Ask for the full service and warranty history, not just the MOT printout.Frequent dealer visits for electronic faults fit the mixed reliability picture some owners report.

Check what software version the car is running and whether recent updates have been applied.Several known glitches, including the airbag warning, have been linked to or resolved by software updates.

Read through the MOT history for the same advisory repeating year after year.A repeated advisory means it's being ignored at each test, not fixed.

Full Skoda Enyaq reliability report