MG
8,738 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZS Exclusive Vti Techs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.0%
Pass-after-fix
2.0%
Fail
7.6%
Avg miles
24,605
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 · 8,738 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.9 points across the cohorts — newer ZS Exclusive Vti Tech examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.8%
Fail
8.9%
PRS
2.7%
Avg mileage at test
28,139 mi
Pass
90.7%
Fail
7.2%
PRS
1.8%
Avg mileage at test
23,598 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,317 MOT tests, the Zs Exclusive Vti-Tech returns 89.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. An excessively worn brake disc and a binding brake round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 20,804, 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
104 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
86 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
82 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
81 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
56 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
46 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
46 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
42 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
37 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
36 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.
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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy MG ZS Exclusive Vti Tech makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.7%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.7% — a 2.9-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
87.8%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and excessively binding. Average mileage on test for this band is 28,139 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.8% pass). That's a 2.9-point spread across 1,946 older tests and 6,792 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.
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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 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.
