82.1%
MG ZS
MG ZS MOT pass rate and common problems
The MG ZS passed 82.1% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 9.8 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the ZS compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
80.9%
MG average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The ZS runs 1.3 points ahead of the MG average. It is 4th of the 12 MG models in the data. The average ZS arrived at its test 4.6 years old with 35,145 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
ZS MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
MG ZS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 83% of MOT tests. For cars aged 11 years and over that fell to 59.2%, a drop of 23.8 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 38,394 | 83% | 10.7 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 8,194 | 74.2% | 1.9 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 1,064 | 59.2% | 13.1 pts below |
That is a steep decline with age, so the headline rate flatters older examples. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where ZS failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on MG ZS cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes together account for 48.6% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common ZS MOT failures
Specific items recorded on MG ZS cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 49.3% of everything testers recorded against failed MG ZS cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a ZS
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords and condition has ply or cords exposed. 17.2% of failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp not working on dipped beam, headlamp not working on main beam and headlamp aim too low. 12.3% of failure items.
3
Brakes
Recorded most often: brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick and brake discs significantly and obviously worn. 10.1% of failure items.
4
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 5% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific ZS has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used MG ZS buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
MG ZS MOT FAQs
What is the MG ZS MOT pass rate?
82.1% of MG ZS cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 63,767 tests. That is 9.8 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 169th of 575 models.
What does a MG ZS most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on MG ZS cars failing their 2025 MOT was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, on 8.2% of failure items. Next were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (6.3%) and headlamp not working on dipped beam (5.9%).
Which area causes the most MG ZS MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 24.6%, followed by brakes at 23.9%.
Do older MG ZS cars fail their MOT more often?
MG ZS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 83% of MOT tests in 2025, against 59.2% for cars aged 11 years and over.
Does this mean every MG ZS has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every MG ZS that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific MG ZS's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.