MG
5,048 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZS Exclusive T Gdi Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.6%
Pass-after-fix
2.2%
Fail
6.8%
Avg miles
25,114
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 · 5,048 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.5 points across the cohorts — newer ZS Exclusive T Gdi Auto examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
88.5%
Fail
9.8%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
23,880 mi
Pass
91.0%
Fail
6.2%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
25,384 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 626 MOT tests, the Zs Exclusive T-Gdi Auto returns 91.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is the engine warning light staying lit. An excessively worn brake disc and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 19,536, 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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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
51 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
46 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
38 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
31 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
30 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
19 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
17 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
16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
13 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
£100–£205
If every one of this ZS Exclusive 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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy MG ZS Exclusive T Gdi Auto makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.0%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 91.0% — a 2.5-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, has a cut in excess of the… — 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
88.5%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 88.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: blade defective, carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle…, and inoperative or indicates a malfunction. Average mileage on test for this band is 23,880 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (88.5% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 905 older tests and 4,143 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
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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
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Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set
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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 Exclusive 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.
