The picture
Zip: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,921 MOT tests, the Zip returns 76.7% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp missing, inoperative. A stop-lamp out and a non-functioning shock absorber round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 9,356, 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.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
50 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 02
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
40 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 03
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
39 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 04
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
37 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 05
A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released
28 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 06
Steering head bearings have excessive wear or play
24 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 07
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
24 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 08
A lamp missing or inoperative
23 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 09
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
21 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 10
Brake control has insufficient reserve travel
20 occurrences · 1.0% 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
£26–£150
If every one of this Zip'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.
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
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 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Zip?
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 Zip 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.