MOT data
MG ZR MOT fail rate by age and year
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 7,005 MOT tests · Updated
At 18 years, 40.4% of MG ZR MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 44.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 (1,528 MOT tests) [1].
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- Mileage: median 79,563 miles at 18 years against 105,218 for all class 4 vehicles, 1,528 MOT tests
- Before the mileage adjustment: 37.4% of MOT tests at 18 years ended in a fail, 1,528 MOT tests
- All ages: 7,005 MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, ages 18 to 21
Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.
Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 in the same test year.
- Fail rate at 18 years, typical mileage
- 40.4%
- vs 44.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18
- 1,528 MOT tests
- Fail rate at 18 years, raw
- 37.4%
- vs 44.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18
- 1,528 MOT tests
- Median mileage at 18 years
- 79,563 mi
- vs 105,218 mi for all class 4 vehicles
- 1,528 MOT tests
MG ZR MOT fail rate by age
Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 7k DVSA MOT tests in all (7,005).
| Age | Raw | Typical mileage | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 37.4% | 40.4% | 44.3% |
| 19* | 37.4% | 39.8% | 43.8% |
| 20* | 37.0% | 39.7% | 43.2% |
| 21* | 34.7% | 38.1% | 42.4% |
* Over 18 years: only survivors are still tested at this age, so these rates describe the cars that are left.
Lower MOT fail rate than average: 37.4% raw · 40.4% at typical mileage, against 44.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18, 1,528 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict
What fails on an MG ZR at 18 years
No part fails clearly more or less often than on cars the same age at 3 or more ages up to 18 years, so each is shown as about average.
| Part | Per 100 | All class 4 | Compared | Most common fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 20.1 | 21.4 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Body and structure | 12.4 | 8.7 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Brakes | 8.4 | 12.9 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Suspension | 7.9 | 17.2 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Emissions and leaks | 7.9 | 6.8 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Tyres | 5.6 | 7.0 | about average for cars the same age |
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Check one MG ZR, not the average
The figures here describe MG ZR cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.
- Check an MG ZR's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
- Mileage check on an MG ZR The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
- Check an MG ZR for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.
More MG ZR data
Mileage at MOT
At 18 years, 37.4% of MOT tests ended in a fail as tested. Weighted to the mileage mix of all class 4 vehicles that age, the rate is 40.4%, so mileage explains part of the gap.
| Miles | MOT tests | MG ZR | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 346 | 30.9% | 32.9% |
| 60-90k | 537 | 37.8% | 41.7% |
| 90-120k | 378 | 44.4% | 46.3% |
| 120-150k | 138 | 40.6% | 47.5% |
MG ZR against similar cars at 18 years
Same class and fuel, all tested at 18 years, at typical mileage.
| Model | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG ZR | 40.4% | 37.1% to 43.8% | 1,528 |
| Ford Fiesta MOT fail rate | 48.3% | 48.0% to 48.5% | 146,193 |
| MINI Cooper and One MOT fail rate | 45.2% | 44.8% to 45.6% | 95,472 |
| Volkswagen Polo MOT fail rate | 52.0% | 51.7% to 52.4% | 77,718 |
| Vauxhall Corsa MOT fail rate | 51.4% | 50.9% to 51.9% | 75,438 |
| Toyota Yaris MOT fail rate | 46.6% | 46.2% to 47.0% | 73,325 |
| Honda Jazz MOT fail rate | 47.0% | 46.6% to 47.5% | 69,131 |
| Nissan Micra MOT fail rate | 51.1% | 50.6% to 51.6% | 60,151 |
| Renault Clio MOT fail rate | 54.2% | 53.7% to 54.8% | 54,769 |
Other MG models
More MG ZR data
Running costs
By part
- MG ZR suspension problems
- MG ZR brakes problems
- MG ZR lights and electrics problems
- MG ZR steering problems
- MG ZR body and structure problems
- MG ZR exhaust and emissions problems
- MG ZR seat belts and airbags problems
- MG ZR windscreen and wipers problems
- MG ZR tyres problems
Problems, recalls and costs
Questions people ask
How often does an MG ZR fail its MOT at 18 years?
40.4% of MOT tests at 18 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (37.4% as tested), from 1,528 MOT tests, against 44.3% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Ford Fiesta was at 48.3%.
What fails most on an MG ZR at 18 years?
20.1 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years failed on lights and electrics, then body and structure (12.4) and brakes (8.4), from 1,528 MOT tests.
How does the MG ZR compare with the Ford Fiesta?
At 18 years the MG ZR failed 40.4% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the Ford Fiesta 48.3% and the MINI Cooper and One 45.2%, from 1,528, 146,193 and 95,472 MOT tests.
What mileage does an MG ZR have at 18 years?
A median of 79,563 miles at the MOT test at 18 years, against 105,218 for all class 4 vehicles the same age, from 1,528 MOT tests.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 7,005 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Cars tested at 18 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 18 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.