The picture
Zsx: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 869 MOT tests, the Zsx returns 63.4% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.0 mm. A missing rear reflector and rear registration plate lamp round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 8,992, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
36 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 02
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
34 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
33 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 04
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
32 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 05
Rear registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps
24 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 06
A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn
22 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 07
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
22 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 08
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
21 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 09
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
21 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 10
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
19 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£96–£230
If every one of this Zsx's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Zsx?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Zsx and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.