Skoda Kodiaq review - Reliability & safety

While the latest Skoda Kodiaq is yet to feature in our Driver Power survey, it’s telling that the first-generation model still placed 16th out of the top 50 cars in 2024. The new model still uses many of the same engines, though, and that was one of the categories that the last Kodiaq fared worst in, coming in 49th for powertrains. Still, it came first for its interior, practicality, quality and reliability and second for value for money, which are all traits we think are at least on par or even better this time around.

As Volkswagen Group brands go, Skoda is one of the best for customer satisfaction, coming 23rd behind Cupra in 18th place, but just ahead of SEAT (24th), Audi (27th) and Volkswagen (29th) out of 32 brands in the 2024 Driver Power owner’s satisfaction survey. It’s behind rivals Hyundai (17th), Peugeot (sixth) and Kia (third), however, so its placing isn’t anything to write home about.

Reliability gets a fairly unremarkable figure, with a middling 23.7% of Skoda owners reporting an issue with their car in the first year of ownership.

How safe is the Skoda Kodiaq?

The latest Skoda Kodiaq has now been crash tested by Euro NCAP, receiving the full five-star rating. It scored the best for adult occupant protection (89%), while child occupant (83%) and vulnerable road user protection (82%) weren’t far behind. The safety assistance category was where it got its lowest score, but that result was a still-promising 78%.

Its kit list includes a comprehensive suite of safety features such as collision avoidance assist, cross-traffic alert and exit warning that warns if you’re about to open your door into the path of another road user. There are also seatbelt reminders for all seven seats, so the driver can see if not all passengers have buckled up.

In the future, Euro NCAP is set to revise its testing to take into account how distracting the infotainment system is to use. We think the Kodiaq’s new ‘Smart Dials’ help to make adjusting certain settings easier on the move with physical configurable knobs, which should make it a safer car to drive.

What are the Skoda Kodiaq service intervals?

Skoda recommends getting an oil change and general inspection every year or 10,000 miles. Other jobs are recommended later down the line, such as an air filter change every four years or 40,000 miles, and a pollen filter every other year. Skoda offers 0% interest payment plans to spread the cost of servicing and maintenance to make it more affordable.

What is the warranty on the Skoda Kodiaq?

Skoda offers a warranty that lasts three years or up to 60,000 miles. That’s a pretty unremarkable warranty, and is the industry standard in terms of time period, though many other companies offer much more generous unlimited mileage limits. It’s way behind the competitive seven-year/100,000-mile warranty offered by Kia, and even Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-mileage warranty. Toyota’s warranty can last up to 10 years or 100,000 miles so long as it’s serviced by an official dealership annually or every 10,000 miles. It’s disappointing that Skoda’s great-value-focused approach isn’t reflected with a more enticing warranty with rivals offering more.

However, the Kodiaq’s warranty can be extended for an additional cost, and Skoda includes three years of roadside assistance, while Hyundai’s only come with 12 months.