17,821 tests in 2025
MG Zs Electric reliability and MOT pass rate
87.5% passed first time. The 12.5% fail rate is 10.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 31,593 miles.
Electric versions only, by DVSA’s fuel record for each test. Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions are on the MG Zs page.
Pass rate
87.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
31,593 mi
4 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 16,211 | 12.5% |
| 6-9 years | 584 | 16.8% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Zs Electric fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres755 dangerous46.8%
- Suspension9 dangerous25.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment20.7%
- Brakes170 dangerous12.8%
- Visibility1 dangerous8%
- Steering16 dangerous4.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous2.6%
- Body, chassis, structure1.4%
Is the Zs Electric getting worse?
The fail rate rose 8.2 points to 12.6% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 896 | 3 | 4.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,443 | — | 7.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 10,741 | — | 9.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 16,242 | — | 12.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Zs Electric at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Zs Electric in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords443 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken414 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm289 tests
- 4Headlamp: not working on dipped beam254 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed208 tests
- 6Headlamp: not working on main beam164 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively124 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn106 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Zs Electric collects 2.28 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,497 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,379 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,713 tests
- 4Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt613 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords571 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre549 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn399 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm375 tests
Questions
What is the MG Zs Electric MOT pass rate?
87.5% of the 17,821 MG Zs Electric first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a MG Zs Electric usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 443 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 46.8% of failures, suspension appears in 25.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 20.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.5%; at 6-9 years it was 16.8%. The median MG Zs Electric tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 31,593 miles.
Is the MG Zs Electric getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 8.2 points to 12.6% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Zs Electric trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other MG models
Checking a particular Zs Electric?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.