Model Reports 5 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

MG ZS 2020: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 81 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2020 MG ZS were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Tyre condition (front).

Summary

At the same mileage, an electric 2020 MG ZS passed first time more often than a petrol one: 84 in every 100 against 79 in every 100.

At a glance

How 11,763 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
81 in every 100
Did not pass first time
19 in every 1002,233 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
5 yearsabout 34,098 miles
First tests counted
11,763

What failed most often

  1. Tyre condition (front)14 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Tyre tread depth (front)10 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Headlight (front)10 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2020 MG ZS vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

One fault: wheel bearings (front), 14 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 2,232 of 2,233 failed first attempts that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Wheel bearings (front)

Failed on 58 first tests14 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Excessive play in a wheel bearing, or a bearing that is excessively rough, is Major. Play so excessive that the bearing is likely to break up or directional control is impaired is Dangerous, and so is a bearing so rough that it is likely to overheat or break up.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: petrol emissions (with catalyst), 7.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol emissions (with catalyst)

Failed on 124 first tests7.7 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Emissions levels over the manufacturer's specified limits are Major, as are levels over default limits, which apply when no exact match is found for the vehicle. Dense blue or clearly visible black smoke at idle, held for a set period, is Major, except for certain older vehicles and two stroke engines where smoke is unavoidable. An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels is Major too.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Lamps and electrical

One fault and one wear pattern. The strongest is the headlight aim not tested (front): 7.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Headlight aim not tested (front)

Failed on 41 first tests7.2 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Headlamp aim recorded as not tested, or unable to be tested, is a Major failure. These results must only be used where it becomes apparent during the test that the item cannot be tested, and this could not have been identified before starting. The reason must be included in the additional information box.

Headlight (front)

Failed on 217 first tests6.1 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

On vehicles first used on or after a set date, a halogen headlamp unit converted to take HID or LED bulbs fails for light source and lamp not compatible, which is Major. A complete unit built with those light sources is not failed for that. The precise position of the lamps is not part of the inspection beyond a visual look to see that they sit at about the same height and distance from each side.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

Two faults and one wear pattern. The strongest is the handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test): 4.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

Failed on 99 first tests4.3 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A parking brake with efficiency below the minimum requirement is Major, and graded Dangerous where efficiency is less than half of the required value. On a roller brake tester, the requirement counts as met if more than half of the wheels of a brake system lock. The check applies only to vehicles whose parking brake was not already tested as the secondary brake.

Brake performance (roller test, rear)

Failed on 78 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A wheel with no recorded braking effort on the roller test is graded Dangerous. Inadequate effort, a brake grabbing severely, abnormal lag and excessive fluctuation in effort are each Major. So is significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied, which indicates a binding brake.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 61 first tests, 3.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake discs (rear)

Failed on 131 first tests3.8 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A brake disc or drum must be significantly worn before it is rejected, and being worn below the manufacturer's recommended limits is not a reason in itself. Significantly and obviously worn is Major, as is contamination with oil or grease. A disc or drum that is fractured, insecure, seriously weakened or missing is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 471 first tests, 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Coil spring (front)

Noted on 72 first tests121 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Brake performance (plate test, rear)

Noted on 23 first tests7.0 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension arm ball joint (front)

Noted on 38 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Engine oil leaks

Noted on 48 first tests2.4 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
81in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
4in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
15in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 81.0% of 11,763 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 84.7%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 4 fixed and the 15 not fixed make the 19 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

By fuel type

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Petrol6,58132,720 miles7979
Electric5,18236,081 miles8384

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

406080100201720182019202020212022Older carsNewer cars
406080100201720182019202020212022Older carsNewer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 84 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
201766 in every 100333
201874 in every 1004,845
201975 in every 1008,181
2020 This car81 in every 10011,763
202186 in every 10014,459
202285 in every 10017,287

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2020 MG ZS.

Of 2020 MG ZS vehicles with under 23,000 miles, 90 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 48,000 miles or more, 72 in every 100 did.

Under 23,0002,352 tests
90
23,000–31,0002,499 tests
84
31,000–38,000 Typical car2,218 tests
81
38,000–48,0002,336 tests
78
48,000 and over2,357 tests
72

Which fuel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested		Passed first time,
same mileage
Petrol32,720 miles7979
Electric36,081 miles8384

Figures are in every 100 first tests. At the same mileage, electric passed more often (84 against 79 in every 100).

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 23,00031,000–38,00048,000 and over
Tyre condition (front)1.12.84.7
Tyre tread depth (front)0.31.53.4
Headlight (front)0.51.93.8
Brake pads (front)0.31.61.5
Brake discs (rear)0.50.82.0

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

49in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

21in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

6in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

At the same mileage, an electric 2020 MG ZS passed first time more often than a petrol one: 84 in every 100 against 79 in every 100. In 2025, 81.0% of 11,763 first MOTs on the 2020 MG ZS passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 84.7%. Among 2,233 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Petrol emissions (with catalyst) appears more often than on similar cars (5.6% of those tests; 124 observed failures; about 7.7× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2020 MG ZS at the first attempt were Tyre condition (front) (14.5%), Tyre tread depth (front) (9.8%) and Headlight (front) (9.7%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (5.6% of those tests; 124 observed failures; about 7.7× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Petrol emissions (with catalyst) shows up more often than on similar cars (5.6% of those tests; 124 observed failures; about 7.7× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2020 MG ZS include Petrol emissions (with catalyst), Headlight (front), Wheel bearings (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2020 MG ZS (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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