Renault Zoe MOT failure rate and common faults
26,997 Renault Zoe cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 21.3% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 16.2% of the time, which makes the Renault Zoe 31% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
21.3%
failed first time
26,997 MOT tests in 2025
+31%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 16.2%
198 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
87.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 68.9
What fails on a Renault Zoe MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Renault Zoe MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 57.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 38.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 31.6 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 21.3 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 13.7 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 13.6 |
| Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour | Lights and electrics | 11.6 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 11.5 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 10.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 9.5 |
Renault Zoe MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,578 | 10.5% | 11.4% | 20,300 |
| 2021 | 6,111 | 13.3% | 12.8% | 27,500 |
| 2020 | 6,044 | 15.0% | 14.1% | 32,500 |
| 2019 | 2,276 | 33.9% | 16.5% | 35,500 |
| 2018 | 1,791 | 34.2% | 19.1% | 43,500 |
| 2017 | 995 | 39.3% | 21.8% | 51,300 |
| 2016 | 1,477 | 38.0% | 25.1% | 44,300 |
| 2015 | 1,660 | 41.1% | 28.1% | 49,400 |
| 2014 | 767 | 39.4% | 31.4% | 54,500 |
Advisories to look for in a Renault Zoe's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Renault Zoe, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge269.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing141.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened116.2
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords33.6
- Ball joint has slight play26.4
- Road Wheels: slightly distorted23.7
Checking a used Renault Zoe before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Renault Zoe fails more often than average on tyres, suspension and lights and electrics. Start there.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Renault Zoe MOT questions
What is the Renault Zoe MOT failure rate?
21.3% of Renault Zoe cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 26,997 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 16.2% of the time, so the Renault Zoe was 31% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Renault Zoe MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 121 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Ball joint excessively worn", recorded 57.7 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Renault Zoe year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 10.5% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Renault Zoe will pass?
No. These are averages across every Renault Zoe tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Renault models
- Renault Clio42.9% failed
- Renault Captur24.0% failed
- Renault Trafic40.5% failed
- Renault Megane44.7% failed
- Renault Kadjar26.4% failed
- Renault Kangoo45.2% failed
Ranked close to the Renault Zoe
- Vauxhall Adamrank 195
- MG 3rank 197
- Citroen C4rank 199
- Vauxhall Mokkarank 200
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Renault Zoe cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.