The MG ZS was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw significant concerns raised about mis-selling practices in motor finance, affecting millions of car owners who financed their vehicles through these arrangements.
How the MG ZS was Typically Financed
The MG ZS, a compact crossover SUV popular for its affordability and features, was often sold on PCP or HP agreements ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. Common lenders providing finance for the MG ZS during this period included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) is a popular financing option where customers make monthly payments over a term of typically 36 to 48 months. At the end of the contract, there is usually an optional final payment known as a balloon payment, which allows the customer to own the car outright or return it and start again with another vehicle.
Hire Purchase (HP), on the other hand, involves making regular payments until the total cost plus interest has been paid off. Ownership transfers once all payments are made, but there is no option for a final lower balloon payment as in PCP.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority launched an investigation into
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) within motor finance agreements from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. DCAs allowed lenders and brokers to receive additional commissions based on the type of deal chosen by consumers, such as PCP or HP.
This investigation revealed that millions of car owners who financed their vehicles through these arrangements may have been affected by mis-selling practices. The FCA estimates that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) impacted (FCA estimate) (FCA, March 2026).2 billion to the industry (£7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), FCA estimate).
How to Check Your Agreement Look for terms such as "Discretionary Commission Arrangements" (DCA) or any reference to additional commissions being paid based on the type of financing chosen.
Relevant dates are crucial: agreements made between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 fall under the scope of the FCA investigation. If your agreement was signed within this period, there is a possibility that it may have been affected by DCAs.
If you suspect that your MG ZS finance agreement has been mis-sold due to DCAs, you can complain directly to your lender without the need for a
claims management company. Common lenders providing finance for the MG ZS include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
Complaining directly is straightforward and free of charge. You should contact your lender’s customer service department to discuss any concerns you have regarding your agreement. Lenders are required by law to address these complaints in a fair and transparent manner.
You do not need a claims management company to handle your complaint; the process can be managed independently through direct communication with your finance provider.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Discretionary Commission Arrangements Investigation." FCA, 2024.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census. "UK Population Estimates," 2021.
Based on 17,479 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the MG Zs has a pass rate of 83.6%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Zs performs well in MOT testing.
The Zs pass rate is in line with the overall MG average of 85.4%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 39,509 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 83.6%
- MOT failure rate: 16.4%
- Tests analysed: 17,479 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 39,509 miles
- MG average pass rate: 85.4%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.