Known APK problem

Škoda Octavia II: lights

On the Škoda Octavia II the APK inspector finds lights problems 60% more often than on cars of the same age: at 11–12 years 28.1%, against about 17.6% nationally.

Illustration Škoda Octavia II

Window: Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · Updated: 16 Oct 2026

What is it?

Broken bulbs, misaligned headlights or damaged light units.

Repair indication: smallusually a small repair, often done with the service.

How to check it at the viewing

Walk around with the lights, indicators, brake lights and rear fog light on. Look for moisture in the headlights.

Ask the seller: Have the headlights been aligned, and has there been moisture in the light units?

By age

Share of inspected Škoda Octavia IIs with this defect, compared with all cars of the same age.

AgeTypeOctavia II95%-CINationalDifferencen
11 – 12 yearsB28.1%22.9 – 34.0%17.6%1.6×249
13 – 15 yearsB26.1%24.9 – 27.3%23.7%1.1×5,280
16+ yearsB27.6%26.0 – 29.1%27.6%1.0×3,164

A = structure, safety or costly mechanics; B = fail, usually simple; C = advisory. An age is missing when this defect is not among the most common there.

Comparable cars at 11–12 years

ModelLightsVs. national
Škoda Octavia II28.1%1.6×
Opel Insignia A20.0%1.1×
Audi A6 (C7)8.1%0.5×
Toyota Avensis III15.9%0.9×
Audi A4 (B8)9.4%0.5×
Volvo V60 I / S60 II10.7%0.6×

Looking at a Škoda Octavia II? Check that car

Enter the plate and see the APK history, open recalls and how this car compares with other Škoda Octavia IIs of the same age.

All weak spots of the Škoda Octavia II · Lights: which models more often · Checklist for this model

Frequently asked questions

Does the Škoda Octavia II often have lights problems?

Yes, more often than average at the APK. At 11–12 years the inspector found a lights defect on 28.1% of inspected Škoda Octavia IIs, against about 17.6% of all cars of the same age (1.6×). Source: RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.

How do you check the lights on a used Škoda Octavia II?

Walk around with the lights, indicators, brake lights and rear fog light on. Look for moisture in the headlights.

Repair indication: small, medium or large. An indication of the usual repair, not a quote: the real cost depends on the car, the cause and the garage.

Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know