MOT fail rates

MG ZS MOT fail rate by age

How often the MG ZS fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 143,170 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 22 September 2026

At 3 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 3 (n=55,218)13.0%

All cars at 3 years (n=8,016,463)12.1%

Median mileage at test21,578

All cars, median mileage22,806

219 of 343 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 3 years.

What stands out

At 3 years the MG ZS fails 13.0% of MOTs (55,218 tests), about the same as the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 7 years it fails 25.4% (5,461 tests), 4.8 points above the 20.6% average.
The gap is widest at 6 years: 6.5 points above all cars.
Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 3 years: Coil spring broken, at 1.2 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age, first used undefined or later

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

MG ZS (first used undefined or later): share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference	Median mileage
3 years	13.0%	55,218	12.1%	+0.9 pts	21,578 miles
4 years	15.1%	41,631	13.4%	+1.8 pts	27,357 miles
5 years	19.5%	26,673	15.3%	+4.1 pts	33,186 miles
6 years	24.3%	14,187	17.8%	+6.5 pts	39,099 miles
7 years	25.4%	5,461	20.6%	+4.8 pts	45,890 miles

Most common fail items at 3 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Coil spring broken Major	1.2
Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Major	0.9
Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Major	0.8

Out of 55,218 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous	1.9
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major	1.6
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Dangerous	1.4
Wipers not clearing screen Major	1
Headlight aimed too high Major	0.9
Headlamp aim: too low Major	0.8
Dipped headlight not working Major	0.8

Out of 55,218 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 3 years

Model	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
MG 3	15.1%	12,347	12.1%
Ford Fiesta	12.9%	187,046	12.1%
Vauxhall Corsa	14.7%	179,235	12.1%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated 28 September 2026.

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First used	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
2018	7 years in 2025	25.3%	5,111	20.6%
2019	6 years in 2025	24.3%	8,717	17.8%
2020	5 years in 2025	18.8%	12,526	15.3%
2021	4 years in 2025	13.4%	15,210	13.4%
2022	3 years in 2025	14.6%	18,862	12.1%

More on the MG ZS

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Looking at one MG ZS?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources