Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0
MG
1,510 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZS Excite T Gdi Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.4%
Pass-after-fix
1.7%
Fail
8.7%
Avg miles
26,131
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,510 tests
Pass rate climbs 10.1 points across the cohorts — newer ZS Excite T Gdi Auto examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
81.0%
Fail
17.9%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
30,914 mi
Pass
91.1%
Fail
6.9%
PRS
1.8%
Avg mileage at test
25,171 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,510 MOT tests, the Zs Excite T-Gdi Auto returns 89.4% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Brake pads worn below 1.5 mm and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,131, 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.
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
55 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
17 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
10 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
7 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Emissions levels exceed default limits
6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
5 occurrences · 0.3% 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 2 failures
£140–£255
If every one of this ZS Excite T Gdi Auto'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 10.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy MG ZS Excite T Gdi Auto has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
91.1%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 91.1% — a 10.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 25,171 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, less than 1.5 mm thick — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
81.0%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 81.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, inoperative or indicates a malfunction, and carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle…. Average mileage on test for this band is 30,914 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (81.0% pass). That's a 10.2-point spread across 252 older tests and 1,258 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-60 MG Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£7.69
View at My Motor World →
Autotek
Autotek Ford Nordic Blue 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Motor World
Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Motor World
Motor World Rover MGB Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
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 ZS Excite T Gdi Auto 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.