MOT cost .
MG ZS
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

MG

ZS

34,166 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZSs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

81.6%

Pass-after-fix

3.2%

Fail

14.6%

Avg miles

38,852

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Trim variants

Exclusive EV 89.1% 16,228 Exclusive VTI Tech 90.0% 8,738 Exclusive T GDI Auto 90.6% 5,048 Excite VTI Tech 87.7% 4,491 Excite EV 85.6% 2,931 Exclusive T GDI 90.8% 1,627 Excite T GDI Auto 89.4% 1,510

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 34,166 tests

Pass rate climbs 5.2 points across the cohorts — newer ZS examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 6,004

Pass

76.2%

Fail

19.2%

PRS

3.9%

Avg mileage at test

62,561 mi

2018–2020 cohort 28,006

Pass

82.8%

Fail

13.6%

PRS

3.1%

Avg mileage at test

33,859 mi

2021+ cohort 156

Pass

81.4%

Fail

12.2%

PRS

2.6%

Avg mileage at test

24,624 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

MG ZS: solid MOT record across 22,043 tests

The MG ZS is an automobile nameplate of MG used for two different vehicles:MG ZS (2001), a small family car manufactured between 2001 and 2005 by MG Rover. MG ZS (crossover), a subcompact crossover manufactured since 2017 by MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor.

MOT data from 22,043 tests puts this car on a 82.5% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 33,490 miles. The most common fail item is brake pads worn below 1.5mm, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.

For used buyers, the ZS's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 14–22

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

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    557 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  2. 02

    A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    557 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  3. 03

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    543 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  4. 04

    Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

    400 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade defective

    392 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  6. 06

    A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    349 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  7. 07

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    339 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  8. 08

    A tyre seriously damaged

    326 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  9. 09

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    311 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  10. 10

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    290 occurrences · 0.8% 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 4 failures

£170–£380

If every one of this ZS'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy MG ZS has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

82.8%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 82.8% — a 6.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 33,859 miles — roughly 29K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, not working on dipped beam — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

76.2%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 82.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 62,561 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (82.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.2% pass). That's a 6.5-point spread across 6,004 older tests and 28,006 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit ADRG-60 MG Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-60 MG Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£7.69

View at My Motor World →

Autotek Ford Nordic Blue 300ml

Autotek

Autotek Ford Nordic Blue 300ml

£14.29

View at My Motor World →

Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World Rover MGB Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World Rover MGB Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

Get a quote →

Buying or keeping a ZS?

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 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.