How reliable is the MG ZS compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the MG ZS, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 82.1% across 63,767 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a MG ZS?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 17.4% of failed MG ZS tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a MG ZS?

The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 23.7% of all MG ZS tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a MG ZS usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 35,145 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a MG ZS get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 84.6% of MG ZS tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most MG ZS models petrol or diesel?

Of the MG ZS cars tested, 69% are petrol, 31% are electric. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

MG ZS MOT pass rate & common failures

From 63,767 recorded MOT tests of the MG ZS, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 63,767 MOT tests, 82.1% of MG ZS tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the MG ZS fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 17.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 35,145 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

82.1%unadjusted, not comparable63,767 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the ZS. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 63,767 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed MG ZS tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.4%
1,609 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.9%
1,278 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged12.5%
1,156 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.5%
968 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED9.4%
868 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn8.3%
767 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.1%
743 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.3%
669 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
9.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED6.1%
561 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
10.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement5.3%
485 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all MG ZS tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured23.7%
15,095 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.7%
14,444 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged11.5%
7,358 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.7%
5,533 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4.5%
2,855 tests
6.Nail in tyre3.3%
2,081 tests
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.9%
1,850 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn2.5%
1,610 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs85%

6–8 yrs75%

15+ yrs59%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The ZS fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 35,145
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol69.3%
Electric30.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (15)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

ZS EXCITE EV
ZS EXCITE T-GDI AUTO
ZS EXCITE VTI-TECH
ZS EXCLUSIVE EV
ZS EXCLUSIVE T-GDI
ZS EXCLUSIVE T-GDI AUTO
ZS EXCLUSIVE VTI-TECH
ZS LIMITED EDITION AUTO
ZS SE
ZS SE EV
ZS SE HEV AUTO
ZS TROPHY CONNECT EV
ZS TROPHY EV
ZS TROPHY HEV AUTO
ZS TURBO

Check a specific MG ZS

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other MG models

MG HS — 88.3% unadjusted
MG 3 — 75.1% unadjusted
MG 5 — 84.3% unadjusted
MG TF — 69.6% unadjusted
MG Mgf — 66.9% unadjusted
MG 4 — 88.8% unadjusted
All MG models

Common questions

How reliable is the MG ZS compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the MG ZS, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 82.1% across 63,767 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a MG ZS?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 17.4% of failed MG ZS tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a MG ZS?: The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 23.7% of all MG ZS tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a MG ZS usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 35,145 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a MG ZS get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 84.6% of MG ZS tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most MG ZS models petrol or diesel?: Of the MG ZS cars tested, 69% are petrol, 31% are electric. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.