Know Your MOT
27.7%fail rate

Piaggio Zi common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Piaggio Zi fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 357 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 27.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Piaggio Zi in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 44.4% of the Piaggio Zi's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, steering, suspension. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical44.4% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes38.4% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Steering23.2% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Suspension22.2% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Exhaust & emissions13.1% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Tyres13.1% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Piaggio Zi headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Piaggio Zi brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Piaggio Zi steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Piaggio Zi suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Piaggio Zi exhaustSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi exhaustaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Piaggio Zi tyresSearch Amazon for Piaggio Zi tyresaffiliate searchFind Piaggio Zi tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Piaggio Vespa MOT failures16.2% failure ratePiaggio Zip MOT failures23.0% failure ratePiaggio Px MOT failures14.7% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain