Skoda Fabia hatchback - Reliability & safety

While the Skoda Fabia is too new for data on its reliability to be available, the closely related SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo both feature in our latest Driver Power survey. The Fabia also gets more safety kit than ever before and received a five-star rating when tested by Euro NCAP.

Skoda Fabia reliability

The mechanically similar Volkswagen Polo came 62nd out of the top 75 models in our latest Driver Power survey, with decent scores for its powertrains and running costs. With similar engines but more space, we'd expect the Fabia to go ahead of this when it arrives in the rankings. Considering its sister car has been out for a few years, Skoda should also be able to capitalise on making any reliability improvements amassed during this period. In our brand survey, Skoda came just ahead of VW (27th) and SEAT (23rd) finishing 20th out of 32 manufacturers. Buyers praised the value-for-money and practicality of their Skoda models, while there were complaints regarding the in-car tech.

Safety

It might be a supermini but the Fabia is clearly targeted at families, so it's great to see features like the option of a top and bottom ISOFIX child-seat mounting for the front passenger seat. Other safety technology will include self-parking devices and Travel Assistant, which can steer the car and adjust its speed in heavy traffic.

Unlike the outgoing Fabia, the latest version gets the full gamut of driver aids like lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warnings and alerts to tell the driver if traffic is present as they are reversing out of a parking space or driveway.

When the new Fabia was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in late 2021, it achieved a full five-star rating. The model performed strongly in all areas, earning 85% and 81% scores for adult and child occupancy respectively, plus a 70% score for vulnerable road user protection and a 71% rating for its safety assistance systems.

Full LED headlights and rear lights are standard, boosting visibility and ensuring other traffic can spot the Fabia in poor conditions. A heated windscreen is also available to help clear ice and condensation in winter.