MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Does the MG ZS fail the MOT on steering more than it should?

The MG ZS records 0.33 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.29 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.04, 95% interval +0.00 to +0.07). It ranks 217 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a MG ZS by registration

What exactly fails on steering?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the MG ZS is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 68 times in 2019–2024.

MG ZS: most frequent steering defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wordingItemsPer 100 tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play680.07
Excessive wear or play in a universal joint or a flexible coupling excessively deteriorated530.06
Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive420.05
A steering linkage component with excessive movement between components or likely to become detached310.03

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 93,021 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Other pages for this model

MG ZS 2017 · MG ZS 2018 · MG ZS 2019 · MG ZS 2020 · MG ZS in Norway · MG ZS in the Netherlands · MG ZS by postcode area · MG ZS body, chassis and structure failures · MG ZS brakes failures · MG ZS vehicle identification failures · MG ZS lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · MG ZS noise, emissions and leaks failures · MG ZS road wheels failures · MG ZS seat belts and airbags failures · MG ZS suspension failures · MG ZS tyres failures · MG ZS visibility failures