MG Zs: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The MG Zs passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 4.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 19,207 individual MG Zs tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 81.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 19 in every 100 MG Zs presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average MG Zs tested had covered 38,201 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a MG Zs bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific MG Zs rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged MG Zs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a MG Zs

1. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 3.1% of tests (3.44x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.6% of tests (2.92x the national rate for this defect)
3. Headlamp aim unable to be tested, 0.6% of tests (2.91x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.4% of tests (2.36x the national rate for this defect)
5. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 0.7% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
6. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.6% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.3% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.9% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.4% of tests

From 29,303 DVSA-tracked MG Zs tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.1% of these flagged MG Zs defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

MG Zs pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each MG Zs year:

• 2002 MG Zs - 65.4% first-time pass, 211 tests
• 2003 MG Zs - 63.2% first-time pass, 277 tests
• 2004 MG Zs - 68.9% first-time pass, 354 tests
• 2005 MG Zs - 72.2% first-time pass, 259 tests
• 2017 MG Zs - 76.6% first-time pass, 350 tests
• 2018 MG Zs - 80.5% first-time pass, 5,086 tests
• 2019 MG Zs - 83.3% first-time pass, 8,016 tests
• 2020 MG Zs - 84.9% first-time pass, 4,385 tests

Other MG models

• MG 3 - 80.1%
• MG Zs Exclusive Ev - 90.6%
• MG Tf - 72.4%
• MG Mgf - 69.6%
• MG 5 Exclusive - 91.6%
• MG Zs Exclusive Vti-Tech - 90.3%
• MG Hs Exclusive S-A - 91.9%
• MG Hs Exclusive - 90.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Vauxhall Vivaro 2700 Sportive S/S - 81.5%
• Citroen C4 Sense + Puretech S/S - 81.5%
• Porsche 928 S - 81.5%
• Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd - 81.4%
• Jaguar Xjs - 81.4%
• Vauxhall Combo 2000 Sportive Td - 81.3%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate