2003 MG Zt: MOT pass rate and reliability
69.4% of 2003 MG Zts pass the MOT first time, measured across 301 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 103,600 miles.
How the 2003 compares
- Against all MG Zts (71.1%, 1,414 tests): -1.7 points
- Against all 2003 cars (64.7%): +4.7 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every MG Zt model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2003 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the MG Zt:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 69.4% | 301 | 103,600 |
| 2004 | 72.9% | 480 | 97,726 |
| 2005 | 72.1% | 301 | 100,063 |
What this means if you are buying a 2003 Zt
The 2003 sits close to the MG Zt average, so there is no strong model-year signal either way. Judge the individual car on its own history. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 23-year-old car fails on
A 2003 car is 23 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust. On a 2003 MG Zt the average at test was 103,600 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
The strongest year for this model is 2004 at 72.9%, and the weakest in our data is 2003 at 69.4%. That 3.5 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2003 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 2004 MG Zt - 72.9%
- 2005 MG Zt - 72.1%