Renault Zoe MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Renault Zoe MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Renault Zoe passed on its first attempt in 76.1%, and its overall record sits −0.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Renault Zoe in the 2023–2025 data: 48,129 tests across 10 model years (2013–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Renault Zoe MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Renault Zoe, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Renault Zoe's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Renault Zoe DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Renault Zoe, each with how many of the model's 48,129 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 3,588 Renault Zoe tests, 7.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 1,184 Renault Zoe tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 800 Renault Zoe tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 754 Renault Zoe tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 621 Renault Zoe tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 575 Renault Zoe tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Renault Zoe Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Renault Zoe model year on record is 2022 (91.9% across 4,966 tests), and the weakest is 2013 (72.0%). The gap between them is 19.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Renault Zoe reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.7 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Renault Zoe Owners

These checks follow this Renault Zoe's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Renault Zoe.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the lights — “stop lamp not working”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Renault Zoe. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Renault Zoe is most common

Across every Zoe model year on record (2013–2022): 23,839 Renault Zoe cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 48,124 tests. Bristol (BS) has the most, with 671 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Renault Zoe cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Renault Zoe MOT & Reliability