All generations and engines together · 74,748 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 53k
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 31,430 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
A rattly, stretching timing chain on the smaller TSI petrol engines, sometimes failing outright and taking valves with it. Owners have reported it anywhere from under 20,000 miles to the high 60,000s, well inside a normal ownership window. VW's own response was to redesign the 1.2 TSI to run a belt instead of a chain partway through Yeti production, and dealers have replaced failed chains under goodwill outside warranty on a case-by-case basis. A full engine rebuild after a snapped chain runs into four figures, commonly £4,000 plus.
The 7-speed DSG fitted to automatic Yetis is the dry-clutch DQ200, which can judder on pull-away, hesitate at junctions, or throw up gearbox warnings from the mechatronic unit. Reports span a wide mileage range, some as low as a few thousand miles, others in the tens of thousands, so it isn't purely an age thing. A clutch pack replacement runs around £1,000, a full mechatronic unit more, and it doesn't affect manual cars at all.
Diesel Yetis that went through VW Group's NOx emissions fix have a track record of EGR cooler failures, EGR clogging even on cars driven mostly on motorways, and DPFs that struggle to regenerate properly afterwards. Some owners also report repeat injector failures on the 1.6 TDI post-fix. It tends to show as a loss of power, a dashboard warning, or worse fuel economy than before the update, usually from 50,000 miles or so. An EGR cooler is roughly £1,000-£1,100, a DPF £1,000-£2,500.
A recurring complaint on the 1.8 and 2.0 TSI is oil use that creeps up with age, in some cases down to a litre every 300-600 miles by 60,000-85,000 miles. Skoda's line has generally been that some consumption is within spec for these direct-injection engines, which is exactly what owners argue about: is it a fault or just how the engine is. Either way, a car burning oil between services needs the level checked more often than most, and persistent low-oil warnings point to bigger bills down the line.
Cars fitted with the panoramic sunroof have a history of water finding its way into the cabin, usually the driver's footwell, often after heavy rain, snow or frost. Owners have traced it to twisted or blocked drain hoses, seal de-bonding and, on some cars, hairline cracks in the sunroof tray itself. It's not officially acknowledged as a design fault and fixes are inconsistent, some cars need the sunroof out more than once, with a full replacement running towards £2,500 in the worst cases.
Owners report rear coil springs failing and shock absorbers losing damping or weeping oil from around 40,000-50,000 miles, well short of what you'd expect from a family SUV. The measured MOT data for this class backs up that suspension is where small SUVs like the Yeti trip up most, so a soft or knocking rear end at a test drive is worth taking seriously rather than putting down to bad roads.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.