OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
So, I guess this is the first real showing of Chinese (FAIC with an MG badge) cars in Europe? If so, your impressions do not paint a favourable picture.
MG ZS
- Thread starter Bailes1992
- Start date
And so it continues…
Just a little update. I don't plan on using this as a diary like I do my Duster thread as it will be getting maintained solely at the dealer. But while it's being an unreliable pile of excrement, I'll add some notes and thoughts.
So after the radio went faulty again we started suffering with battery drain. Apparently this radio issue is a common fault that's been going on for a long time (I can find threads going back to 2021 on MG forums) and is down to a faulty DAB radio module. When the module is in a 'faulty' state it doesn't go to sleep and drains the battery. You can reset the module by disconnecting the battery, but after a couple of days it goes back into fault.
The dealer replaced the radio module on Monday morning and we haven't seen the issue again. But it's early days.
So we currently own a 7 week old car that's been back to the dealer 3 times and had breakdown assistance phoned on it a number of times to jump start it.
The engine is not getting better. It's honestly so flat and lumpy low down. Totally unacceptable for such a modern car to drive so poorly. Oh, and the trip computer has settled down at 31mpg (26mpg US).
Even more interesting was a Facebook page I come across for the MG ZS. Most pages I'm on, if someone complains their car is unreliable people suggest that you're a one off, they're good cars, give it a chance etc. The MG page was just full of people agreeing with me and saying how poor the cars were. Quite a few people had started off with the bigger MG HS, had a load of issues with it and then were convinced by the dealer to try a ZS instead.
Urgh. I'm just glad it's got a 7 year warranty and 4 year service plan and that I shouldn't need to touch the thing.
So after the radio went faulty again we started suffering with battery drain. Apparently this radio issue is a common fault that's been going on for a long time (I can find threads going back to 2021 on MG forums) and is down to a faulty DAB radio module. When the module is in a 'faulty' state it doesn't go to sleep and drains the battery. You can reset the module by disconnecting the battery, but after a couple of days it goes back into fault.
The dealer replaced the radio module on Monday morning and we haven't seen the issue again. But it's early days.
So we currently own a 7 week old car that's been back to the dealer 3 times and had breakdown assistance phoned on it a number of times to jump start it.
The engine is not getting better. It's honestly so flat and lumpy low down. Totally unacceptable for such a modern car to drive so poorly. Oh, and the trip computer has settled down at 31mpg (26mpg US).
Even more interesting was a Facebook page I come across for the MG ZS. Most pages I'm on, if someone complains their car is unreliable people suggest that you're a one off, they're good cars, give it a chance etc. The MG page was just full of people agreeing with me and saying how poor the cars were. Quite a few people had started off with the bigger MG HS, had a load of issues with it and then were convinced by the dealer to try a ZS instead.
Urgh. I'm just glad it's got a 7 year warranty and 4 year service plan and that I shouldn't need to touch the thing.
My MG HS should arrive in July. It's got the 1.5 turbo though. That was half the reason I chose the HS over the ZS, neither the 1.0 turbo or 1.5 NA could convince me.
Turbo engines are only economical if you don't need boost for cruise and light acceleration. But when you do, you're better off with a bigger NA engine. So the engine in your ZS would be best suited for motorway use, the 1.0 turbo for around town. I'm hoping the 1.5 turbo can cruise at 45 mph without boost in 6th or 7th gear. They seem to get better mileage than your ZS anyway (in a bigger car too)
I'll open up a thread about mine when it gets here. ICE sales (new cars and possibly trucks aswell, that's a new development) are getting banned in 2029 so I need to find a decent enough petrol car before then. I wasn't gonna put all my eggs in a 2028 basket with a rotten bottom....
Turbo engines are only economical if you don't need boost for cruise and light acceleration. But when you do, you're better off with a bigger NA engine. So the engine in your ZS would be best suited for motorway use, the 1.0 turbo for around town. I'm hoping the 1.5 turbo can cruise at 45 mph without boost in 6th or 7th gear. They seem to get better mileage than your ZS anyway (in a bigger car too)
I'll open up a thread about mine when it gets here. ICE sales (new cars and possibly trucks aswell, that's a new development) are getting banned in 2029 so I need to find a decent enough petrol car before then. I wasn't gonna put all my eggs in a 2028 basket with a rotten bottom....
I'm surprised you're having to wait? Our local dealer has hundreds of the things ready to go.
They have here also, but not the combo I wanted. If you want all the bells and whistles you can have one as soon as you have insurance. But I don't want that.
So today is 6 months and 3 days since we took ownership of the MG ZS and it's on it's way back to the dealer for a refund. Much like the lemon law in the US, if a new car goes back more than twice within the first 6 months with the same issue then you're eligible for a refund.
Intermittent flat batteries continued and now it's started popping the fuse randomly for the fuel pump control module.
Here it is after being stranded on the side of the road for 4 hours on Monday evening while I waited for AA to come save me.
I'm quite relieved. It wasn't a nice car to drive and I started to loose trust in it. My Wife wants to go back to driving beaters, anxious now for the next chapter and picking a suitable replacement.
Intermittent flat batteries continued and now it's started popping the fuse randomly for the fuel pump control module.
Here it is after being stranded on the side of the road for 4 hours on Monday evening while I waited for AA to come save me.
I'm quite relieved. It wasn't a nice car to drive and I started to loose trust in it. My Wife wants to go back to driving beaters, anxious now for the next chapter and picking a suitable replacement.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
How long have you had yours for? I also see yours is the HS while his is the ZS? Does that make a difference?
since beginning of july, not much less than Bailes. 3k miles now
Did your wife not take it for a test drive? Was taking it home over the weekend not an option? I'm shocked it even offers a manual transmission. Third isn't MG now Chinese owned, so behind the curve in certain areas and more or less mediocre Chinese quality with an MG badge?
In fairness, real MGs built in the Abingdon on Thames factory were also of mediocre quality at best.
I write this having spent many miles in an MGB I bought while young. I was well enough informed not to expect trouble free use out of it.
At least it was easy to fix as needed.
I still have the car sitting in the rear part of the garage, bought 45 years ago.
