MG
4,491 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZS Excite Vti Techs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.7%
Pass-after-fix
2.1%
Fail
9.8%
Avg miles
25,755
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 · 4,491 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.3 points across the cohorts — newer ZS Excite Vti Tech examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
86.0%
Fail
11.3%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
29,669 mi
Pass
88.3%
Fail
9.3%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
24,417 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 793 MOT tests, the Zs Excite Vti-Tech returns 87.6% 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 excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 22,686, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–22
out of 50
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
222 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
35 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
32 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
31 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
28 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
25 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
20 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
19 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
19 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
17 occurrences · 0.4% 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
£160–£300
If every one of this ZS Excite Vti Tech'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.3-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy MG ZS Excite Vti Tech makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
88.3%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 88.3% — a 2.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,417 miles — roughly 5K 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
86.0%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 86.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, significantly and obviously worn, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 29,669 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (88.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (86.0% pass). That's a 2.3-point spread across 1,145 older tests and 3,346 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
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 Vti Tech 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.
