24,660 tests in 2025
Renault Zoe reliability and MOT pass rate
81.7% passed first time. The 18.3% fail rate is 4.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 29,276 miles.
Pass rate
81.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
29,276 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 16,095 | 10.7% |
| 6-9 years | 5,974 | 31.2% |
| 10-13 years | 2,528 | 36.3% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Zoe 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.
- Tyres1,771 dangerous44.6%
- Suspension71 dangerous41.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous19.2%
- Brakes250 dangerous14.8%
- Visibility2 dangerous8%
- Steering16 dangerous3.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.1%
- Body, chassis, structure6 dangerous1.6%
Is the Zoe getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 21% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9,749 | 5 | 22.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 15,403 | — | 19.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 16,994 | — | 19.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 18,940 | — | 21% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Zoe 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 Zoe in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,186 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords732 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed618 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm397 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken342 tests
- 6Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn240 tests
- 7Stop lamp: not working200 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding189 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Zoe collects 2.09 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,813 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,317 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,141 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords709 tests
- 5Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn606 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm600 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt597 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding529 tests
Questions
What is the Renault Zoe MOT pass rate?
81.7% of the 24,660 Renault Zoe first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Renault Zoe usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 1,186 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 44.6% of failures, suspension appears in 41.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 19.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.7%; at 10-13 years it was 36.3%. The median Renault Zoe tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 29,276 miles.
Is the Renault Zoe getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 21% 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 Zoe trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 6 safety recalls naming the Renault Zoe: Renault Zoe recalls.
Other Renault models
Checking a particular Zoe?
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.