Renault Zoe: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Renault Zoe fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 9,631 individual Renault Zoe tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 69.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 31 in every 100 Renault Zoes presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Renault Zoe tested had covered 40,267 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Renault Zoe sits 7.3 points below the national average, ranked 1,776 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Renault Zoe 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Renault Zoes at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Renault Zoe

1. A stop lamp not showing a steady red light or has significantly reduced light intensity, 0.8% of tests (20.97x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 20.4% of tests (4.07x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.3% of tests (3.79x the national rate for this defect)
4. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 3.3% of tests (2.67x the national rate for this defect)
5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 4.4% of tests (2.63x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 6.8% of tests (2.42x the national rate for this defect)
7. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.2% of tests (1.64x the national rate for this defect)
8. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.4% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this defect)
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.7% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.3% of tests

From 9,612 DVSA-tracked Renault Zoe tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.7% of these flagged Renault Zoe defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Renault Zoe

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Renault Zoe before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 7% of tests (5.14x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 3.3% of tests (3.14x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 28.6% of tests (1.85x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 26.9% of tests, also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 14.2% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 12.6% of tests
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.9% of tests
8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 2.8% of tests
9. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2% of tests
10. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.8% of tests, also fails

From 9,612 DVSA-tracked Renault Zoe tests, 2024.

Renault Zoe pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2019 model year, the Renault Zoe's first-time pass rate has risen 8.9 points, from 65.5% to 74.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Renault Zoe year:

• 2013 Renault Zoe - 65.5% first-time pass, 316 tests
• 2014 Renault Zoe - 64.1% first-time pass, 820 tests
• 2015 Renault Zoe - 67.5% first-time pass, 1,716 tests
• 2016 Renault Zoe - 69.4% first-time pass, 1,539 tests
• 2017 Renault Zoe - 67.8% first-time pass, 1,031 tests
• 2018 Renault Zoe - 69.6% first-time pass, 1,822 tests
• 2019 Renault Zoe - 74.4% first-time pass, 2,311 tests

Other Renault models

• Renault Clio - 61.6%
• Renault Captur - 79.7%
• Renault Megane - 61.1%
• Renault Trafic - 61.6%
• Renault Kadjar - 81.7%
• Renault Kangoo - 61.1%
• Renault Scenic - 62.3%
• Renault Twingo - 66.3%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Jeep Grand Cherokee Crd Ltd A - 69.6%
• Mercedes-Benz Citan - 69.5%
• MG Zr - 69.5%
• Fiat Panda - 69.3%
• Saab 900 - 69.3%
• Renault Master - 69.2%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Which fuel type fails its MOT on the most dangerous defects? Not diesel
• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate