Skoda Karoq - Reliability and safety
The Skoda Karoq has a so-so Driver Power score, while rivals come with more safety assistance features as standard
As it’s based on the VW Group MQB platform, the Skoda Karoq shares its underpinnings with many cars from the Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen stables. The list includes names from the Audi A3 to the VW Touran.
However, the Karoq has been steadily slipping down the rankings in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, from an excellent 5th place out of 75 cars in 2020 to 40th out of 75 in the latest 2023 survey. Owners are happy with boot capacity and exterior fit and finish, but often have issues with their infotainment systems. The Skoda brand is still holding firm at 20th out of the 32 manufacturers included in the survey, which is the same position it had in 2022.
Safety experts Euro NCAP awarded the Karoq the maximum five-star score back in 2017, but this rating has since expired due to the testing criteria having gotten much tougher over the years. That’s not to say that the Karoq wouldn’t still protect you well in a collision, but there are newer rivals, such as the Toyota C-HR, that could protect you even better with all the latest safety technology.
Every Karoq comes with lane-keep assistance, a driver attention monitor, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and traffic sign recognition. Adaptive cruise control remains an option on all versions, which is something that comes as standard on the C-HR. The C-HR also gets blind spot monitoring as standard, which can only be added to the Karoq if you go for the top-spec Monte Carlo trim and then specify the Travel Assist Package Plus.
Warranty
Skoda provides a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which is typical of the class. However, rivals such as Toyota, Renault, Hyundai and Kia offer more extensive coverage. You can extend the warranty, bumping cover up to five years for an additional cost.
Servicing
Both petrol and diesel versions of Skoda Karoq require servicing every year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Petrol engines require a timing belt service every 186,000 miles, while diesel versions have shorter 130,000-mile intervals.
When ordering your Karoq, you can purchase a service plan, which will cover the car’s first two services for either £492 upfront, or just over £20 per month over two years.
