Skoda Kodiaq - Reliability & safety

Safety experts Euro NCAP have awarded the Skoda Kodiaq the maximum five out of five-star rating, scoring maximum points in the side and pole impact tests.

All models get an autonomous emergency braking system with cyclist and pedestrian detection. There’s also a blind spot warning system to let you know of any cars along side you when you go to change lanes on the motorway, and warn you of approaching vehicles when you go to open the door. You get front and rear cross traffic alert to let you know of anything crossing your path when exiting a parking space or junction where your view is obstructed. A traffic sign recognition system will flag up changes in the speed limit, and a driver attention and drowsiness monitoring system will chime in if it thinks you’re dozing off. We tried to get it to intervene by feigning sleepiness, but it seemed pretty reluctant to do so. 

Overall, the Skoda Kodiaq's build quality is excellent, and the abundant recycled materials inside still look and feel premium enough. However, we have doubts about how the wool fabric in the ‘Lounge’ design selection will hold up to family life, and in some cars, we encountered some baggy ‘Suedia’ seat material. 

It’s too soon for the Skoda Kodiaq to appear in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, although the old Kodiaq finished 14th in our list of the best cars to own based on owners’ feedback from 2023. The old car was praised for its practicality, versatility, ride quality and value for money, and we think the new car will score well in these areas, too.

Warranty

Skoda offers a warranty of three years and/or 60,000 miles on the Kodiaq, which is somewhat less than the five-year/100,000-mile policy of the Hyundai Santa Fe or the seven-year/100,000-mile policy of the Kia Sorento.

Servicing

The servicing schedule for the Skoda Kodiaq range has yet to be announced, but we anticipate the intervals will be similar to those of other models in the Skoda range - roughly every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. You can specify a service plan to cover your first two services when you purchase the car. The timing belt service on 1.5-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines is due every 140,000 miles.