MG ZST Owners Review - Unexpected Expenses at 20000 kms

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While our MG ZST Essence 2021 model is still doing fine overall, this 20000 kms service revealed that both the brake disks and the pads need replacing ALREADY - which is the main topic of this video, along with a few related ones on the subject of MG build quality and China-made cars vs. everything else you can find on the Australian car market these days in 2023.
Are MG cars of a good quality after almost 2 years and 20,000 kms of ownership? I'd say so, BUT some parts such as brakes would need you to keep an eye on and replace probably sooner than those of some of MG rivals such as Toyota.
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📃 VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Main topics
10:00 - Final thoughts
🎵 Music by @TheFatRat

[@aiboltoleu155]

One day back Mazda quoted me around $1000 to replace battery and brake pads in Mazda 3. I did not go with them and bought the battery for around $200 and brake pads for $70 and did replacement myself.

[@ValueCarsAU]

As long as you have the tools and facilities to do this yourself - good on you. And of course the car companies will always charge the customers A LOT more than any other place or DIY.

[@ricglass5782]

@@ValueCarsAU Mazda off my new car buy list now as well. these are horror stories here.

[@NickAllgood]

Nice presentation, informative yet entertaining. Viewers are lucky to have a passion driven and honest reporting enthusiast. Keep up the great work and thank you.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Thanks for the words of support mate, appreciated

[@kramar15]

I have a MG ZST Vibe and have been told by a RAA mechanic with 40 years experience in SA that it all depends on the driver when brake pads etc have to be replaced. A driver who drives his car harder than another driver may only get 25,000 or 30,000 from a set of pads. The driver who does not drive his car hard or brakes hard may have to replace the pads at 40,000 or 50,000 kms. or even further. It is the driver at the end of the day.

[@ValueCarsAU]

It's a fair point, but there HAS TO be something because of the original material/quality - not just the driver - surely...

[@johnodwyer8171]

I have a 2017 Suzuki Swift manual, I replaced the pads for the first time at 140,000 Klm and the Discs were in perfect condition at 140,000 Klm , admittedly I do use the gears to slow the vehicle down, therefore not totally relying on the brakes 100 percent.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yep, I heard similar stories from other car owners mate, and - as I said in the most recent video - think 20k replacement is disgraceful.

[@lynettequirk9851]

Thanks for all of your honest opinions and first hand experience. My MG ZST Essence is finally at the dealership 7 months after ordering. I will take ownership in 2 weeks after windows tinting and autocare exterior and interior. Although it is not the pebble black that I wanted I ended up getting the new horizon orange which is so nice. Bla k essences in country Victoria are not coming. They have a few to get thru before mine but the anxious wait is almost over.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Hey I'm surprised it took you SO LONG to get your car - it's not like it's a Toyota Land Cruiser 300! 🙄 Very weird for MG! I hope it was all worth the wait and that you'll enjoy your new car very soon!

[@melbritt9277]

Lots of people are saying this about the ZSTs online as well. It’s becoming a very common issue. Not looking forward to my next service as I suspect I’ll be up for the same cost. Thanks for the tip re mycar. My local mycar is excellent. I used them for everything for my old car prior to purchasing my ZST Essence 18 months ago.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Glad to hear it helped you, and let me know what they'll tell you when you bring car in for service - would be good to "compare the notes".

[@kevinleaw3798]

Just did my 30,000kms service for ZST Excite. Both tyres and Brakes all good thankfully

[@ValueCarsAU]

That's good to hear. Maybe we were unlucky with our wear and tear? Not sure.

[@darroncrick9993]

Glad to see you taking my advice and using an independent repairer rather than the dealership. MyCar is only just under a dealership, there are still far better options available. Still you are coming around. 20,000km is terrible so maybe there was something wrong to start with. The next 20k will prove whether it was a one off.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yeah hard to tell mate, but 20k is not generally something I'd consider acceptable

[@mickymo]

Hi I was wondering if you get your brakes services somewhere other than MG do you loose your roadside assistance and extended warranty?

[@ValueCarsAU]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't (otherwise we wouldn't do it either). Brakes are one of those things that are wear and tear, MG can't expect you to come back to them for stuff like that every time

[@user-bf8uh4ou4l]

Hi, Дмитрий. Have MG ZST picked up end of October 2022 for small business, just had service 30k - 32k on the clock actually, the same issue. $700 quoted by MG for front brake pads and brake rotors. Just bought ceramic DBA from super cheap auto = front brake pads and replaced them myself, and left brake rotors to go for another 10-30k - 2mm should last roughly for another like 6 months. Apart from that not many issues with the car, apart from occasional cracking noise in the steering wheel when turning on the roundabouts (dealer just retightening this every 10k) and drivers seat pump does not really hold in position, just have to pump it up occasionally - dealer says always can’t replicate this and this is totally normal. I also did few mods on the car as a hobby. Done so far: - fully tinted (ceramic) including front windshield strip - as MG ZST glass UV resistance is appalling - swapped rubber pedals for alloy pedals - replaced all lightbulbs with LEDs - added Bluetooth Throttle controller with function to lock pedal - Installed glovebox light - Added wireless CarPlay via CarLinkit 4.0 - Added rear ambient lights via USB light plugs, but purchased usb ports and thinking to install and wire them permanently instead of using existing rear ports. - installed charcoal carbon cabin air filter - installed mud flaps - installed 70mai Omni360 camera with 4G kit for remote monitoring and GPS tracking. - installed front and rear door scuff plates - air vents stickers to change colour to red - installed rear passenger down light when door opens - added sunglasses holder in place of grip handle for driver - added bonnet gas struts to hold the bonnet when open - checked if can add DAB+ module, as it can be activated via head unit engineering menu (unfortunately head unit P/N: 11306789 has only 1 FAKRA connector for radio and none for DAB/RDS 😥). Unless… can try and solder it on, there is a spot for it, but too much hassle. - eventually just Changed head unit, got one from wreckers and GPS module off AliExpress - have OEM navigation now as well. - also car has proper GPS tracker installed

[@ValueCarsAU]

We honestly had zero issues other than intermittent Apple Carplay disconnects (fixed by now using wireless adapter), and the brake replacement which was expensive and happened too soon. Sounds like you're listing what you decided to do "extra" to your car, rather than just what went wrong with it?

[@user-bf8uh4ou4l]

@ValueCarsAU correct, so far not much wrong. Front brakes worn too soon, same as your experience, had dealer doing full re-flash of the software, as at one stage MG pilot started glitching and would not hold lines, clicking sound from steering column at certain turning angle (especially roundabout) - but they keep on retightening something every service, front seat does not retain pumped position, have to pump it up occasionally, say once after 3-4 drives - dealer says nothing wrong here.

[@peterpepi672]

Thank you for the advice

[@ValueCarsAU]

Glad you found it helpful

[@peterpepi672]

@@ValueCarsAU have you had any trouble with your auto wipers

[@russelll2245]

Wow, something is seriously wrong if you need to replace the rotors at 20,000ks! My wife operates a driving school using a Hyundai i30. It cops a bit of abuse yet it's still running the original pads & rotors at 115,000ks. I have an earlier model i30 with 200,000ks on the clock and I only replaced the front pads at 180,000...still running the original pads on the rear...Still the original rotors too... You've got to wonder about the quality of the materials used by MG for them to wear out that fast...🤔

[@ValueCarsAU]

It's surprising to hear that the original pads are holding for you after 100k - what are they made of, Titanium? 🤣 - but yeah, overall I agree - materials that SAIC/MG used are clearly sub-par and 20k replacement AT MY COST is simply not acceptable.

[@Mayh3m-inc]

Come on mate, no brake pads last 115k. I work in the automotive industry, I’ve never in my entire life seen pads last anywhere close to that long. The average is 40-50k most people go through them faster.

[@williamlam1661]

If the genuine brake pads and rotors are this bad, I think everyone is better off getting non-genuine ones from a reputable brand.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Not a bad suggestion actually mate

[@johnschannel449]

l was thinking about buying an MG mainly because l can get a new car insead of a second hand at the same price and get a new car warranty, but my concerns is that it will have much more mechanical problems compared to a toyota or mazda, yes it has a 7 year warranty but will that cover the costs or everything that will go wrong, whats not covered in the warrranty like brakes that l would have to pay for. What will the MG be like after 5 years and 100,000 Kms , yes it will still be under warranty but will l have to take it in for repairs every month

[@ValueCarsAU]

I think all of these are fair points one needs to weigh up before buying one. Warranty covers a lot, just not things that are wear and tear like brakes - as its much harder to make a case for it under warranty.

[@malcolmscott4150]

120k and original brakes - rotors and pads - but manual and regional Vic driving in my Renault. With Sydney traffic and an automatic plus remembering if correct when you had this new you had squeaky brakes or was this your HS? I had breaks replaced under warranty once on a 99 TS Astra made in Belgium as rear disc brakes on early cars wore really quickly due to faulty calipers at around 16k - I’d get a trusted mechanic to check your front calipers to see that these are operating correctly - great to see the ZST again 🎯👏

[@ValueCarsAU]

Hey yeah 20k is nothing and I still feel weird about it - like I should have fought MG and said "replace this crap on warranty you clowns" - but I didn't, and thought it wasn't worth the trouble of arguing with them back and forth, especially when it's not something like a radiator, but a part that's known to "wear and tear"... It is what it is mate.

[@chunhow9009]

Hey! Thanks for sharing your opinions on your car ownership. It has been very interesting going through them as the MG ZST is on my list to consider. I'am currently looking at the KIA Seltos(Base Spec) and MG ZST for awhile now. A concern i have been worried about on the MG ZST is about long term reliability and durability, furthermore in my country we only get a 5 year warranty instead of 7 years in other countries. Nonetheless, so far from your videos i mainly see normal wear and tear stuffs happening and nothing major which is good. One thing did bug me with the MG ZST vs other competitors was that the rear seats have no air-conditioning and middle Arm rest. and the MG ZST's steering wheel didn't felt like the best to hold during the test drive. Nonetheless all these are minor issues.

[@ValueCarsAU]

I think you should consider if those minor issues are "issues" at all, or are you just adding them to your list "to have something there", i.e. nit picking, really. As who cares about rear seat air-con, unless you REGULARLY drive someone there? unless you're a taxi driver, you probably wouldn't, would you?

[@chunhow9009]

@@ValueCarsAU Thank you for that insight from your prespective really. You are not wrong on that and i do agree with you.

[@randykelly5692]

Kia Sportage had the same problem . Check to see if other ZST owners have the same problem . Under Australia consumer law a product components should be reasonably durable .Brake rotors is one of these parts.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Problem is that the law exists but who would bother taking SAIC/MG to court over a cost of brake replacement? 🙄🤷‍♀️

[@ricglass5782]

@@ValueCarsAU in Queensland you can get a QCAT adjudication, it costs around $300 to lodge papers and get a date to be heard. My friend got his car replaced under the lemmon rules, in fact the manusfabturer settled out of court. YOU DO IT YOURSELF.

[@muzzamoose]

I would like to state that today my wife took her 2022 ZS excite in for the 20,000km service.Her car actually only had done 18,600kms and the dealer stated under their report with some pics that the front pads had 1 mm left and needed to be replaced along with the discs.The rear brakes had 8mm left.Now my jaw dropped as i look after this work to our family car .I advised my wife to tell the dealer to not proceed with the work which was going to be a $700 plus job by them.I have instead bought all new front and rear sintered pads (bendix equivalent) for $140 which i will install myself but only the front for now.I will check the thickness of the front disc to see if they need machining but i had a quick look only and cannot see any grooving yet.I believe the original pads have a soft cheap compound so replacing them with better parts will sort this out so lets see how bettter pads go.Good video by the way and note we are still happy with the car .

[@ValueCarsAU]

Lucky you can install stuff yourself mate, I'm not that handy! And yes, the durability on those MG stock brake pads is disgraceful. Otherwise the car is okay for the price we paid.

[@muzzamoose]

Dimitri its not that difficult to replace brakes on most cars.My father and my grandfather taught me from a young age as both were very handy with the tools being a boiler makers and fitter and turners.They both were trained making guns at the Baretta gun factory back in Rome ,Italy back in the 1920-1950’s.If you live in Melbourne i can teach you.Anyway keep up the good videos.

[@ricglass5782]

I have a Suzuki Jimny 4x4 purchased new in 2009. I have had one PAID services 4 years ago, I purchased some brake pads from the internet and mechanic said "no need" to replace them. I still have those brake pads "waiting for when they are required, my Jimny having now done 120,000 klms on original brakes and only ONE set of tyres replaced. I am thinking of getting a new car and MG was top of my list, feel happy, MG is now on the bottom of my list. The Service was $440 in 14 years and I change oil and filters every 10,000 klms

[@ValueCarsAU]

Interesting insights, thank you. Well mate, several things here, to make sure we compare apples to apples... Suzuki is manual, to start with. Very different brake engagement etc. It's Toyota. It's actually still made in Japan, probably the last bastion of real quality - especially the cars made "back in the day", in 2009. Hardly a 1:1 comparison to what's going on in the world right now in 2023, including with Toyota range.... With that being said, I'm not defending MG 20,000 kms need to replace the brakes, it's not acceptable from any brand, in my view.

[@ricglass5782]

@@ValueCarsAU apples to apples. Brakes are Brakes, Disks are Disks, Pads are Pads on all vehicles and used to be made by Bendix Universally. My comparison is very legitimate. Manual/Automatic ? both you put your foot on the brake and the car slows down or stops. I know what you mean as Manual can use gears to slow before applying brake to stop and automatic is always pushing forward under brake, BUT I think that is insignificant in city travel a 20,000 (replaced) to a 120,000 (and still going) comparison, dont you?

[@aygeeninty771]

Wow thats amazing 20,000km and unusual. My VW Caddy with hard driving commercial use in metro area has 80,000km on originals now. Will be interesting if the replacement parts last only 20,000km again.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yeah I'm disappointed as 20k shouldn't be ok for any car

[@sanwalmuzammal]

Hello , whould you recommend MG Hs 2.0 turbo with 3 year free service package and 6 year warranty in 10000 bhd which is arround $41000 aus dollar?

[@ValueCarsAU]

Definitely not. At that kind of price surely the are better cars you could buy.

[@sanwalmuzammal]

@@ValueCarsAU thank you, the market here is small and other car are like 2 to 5 thousand BHD expensive from this one. And this is 1000 bhd less than original price. We have 10% vat which makes car expensive here

[@sanwalmuzammal]

@@ValueCarsAU kia sportage is stating 11800 BHD.. and its standard base option

[@raymondsmith5046]

Yes I agree 20k is hopeless I would expect 40>50k out of disc pads 20>25 and the disc should have enough thickness to be able to be machined once before replacing. I suspect the genuine Pads are Hard and the disc are soft so that the brakes work great ,I myself find them too sensitive

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yep 20k is not acceptable by any stretch of imagination, but looks like that's an issue on more than just MG...

[@muzzamoose]

I would like to state that today my wife took her 2022 ZS excite in for the 20,000km service.Her car actually only had done 18,600kms and the dealer stated under their report with some pics that the front pads had 1 mm left and needed to be replaced along with the discs.The rear brakes had 8mm left.Now my jaw dropped as i look after this work to our family car .I advised my wife to tell the dealer to not proceed with the work which was going to be a $700 plus job by them.I have instead bought all new front and rear sintered pads (bendix equivalent) for $140 which i will install myself but only the front for now.I will check the thickness of the front disc to see if they need machining but i had a quick look only and cannot see any grooving yet.I believe the original pads have a soft cheap compound so replacing them with better parts will sort this out so lets see how bettter pads go.Good video by the way and note we are still happy with the car .

[@soniamariatorres2858]

Hi, good afternoon Demitri. I’m living close to Australia, in East Timor and I was considering to by an MG ZST, the base trim level. My concern is that this car was imported from Australia and it is from 2022. I’m afraid to buy it for many reasons: one is because here in East Timor we don’t have MG dealerships and if the car has any problem, I don’t know if the dealership here can fix it; second it’s because I think the engine it’s not powerful enough for the size of the car, it’s a 1.5 non turbo and the third reason it’s because it can be a car that had issues in Australia and they sold it to East Timor. Well, I don’t know if I take the risk to buy it. Thank you.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Hey, it's always hard to give advice like this, but in short - I probably would not buy it if I were you. Dealerships are probably secondary - and what matters more is if the car WARRANTY still works in East Timor. I.e. would any of your local mechanics and service centres respect the "international" SAIC motor warranty or not? That's what I'd check first, as otherwise the car is rather new, so it should come with a massive remaining balance of warranty. Ordering parts for MG from overseas could become an issue too if you don't have MG dealerships/service centres there... So basically, I'd go for something that has an established support network where you are - first and foremost.

[@soniamariatorres2858]

@@ValueCarsAU Thank you so much for your help! You are absolutely right! I will look for another car! I wish you all the best with yours!

[@toyshanger8945]

It can be the pilot system if you rely a lot on acc and auto brake on then it wear faster.

[@ValueCarsAU]

hmm interesting theory, my wife uses a lot of cruise control, while I don't.

[@normanafif1268]

My mothers 2020 Renault Koleos has just had pads and rotors changed in the front at 73,000km. I got 100,000km out of pads and rotors on my Holden Cruze SRi, but that’s manual. I would expect brakes to last much longer then 20k.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Wow thank you for sharing, I agree, 20k is not acceptable

[@rorylyons277]

@@ValueCarsAU The only time I have experienced similar was in 1991 with a then new Holden Commodore VN series, which needed front pads/rotors at 35,000 km. I was incensed, and the brake people told me that the manufacturers put "soft" pads on new cars, to avoid warranty complaints of squeaking brakes. Normally, since then, I regularly get 60k - 70k from pads/rotors, as they tend to wear equally, and there are very few rotors these days that are capable of being machined. 20,000km is utterly unacceptable.

[@rachaelb5465]

Thanks for the video. I'm tossing up between MG essence and Kia seltos

[@ValueCarsAU]

Hey mate, I've taken a look at Seltos almost a year ago and back then thought that ZST Essence won on every element - design, richness, etc. I haven't test-driven Seltos to confirm that but didn't regret my choice. Resale value would probably be retained by KIA a bit better. Quality of parts etc - questionable, hopefully better for KIA? Not sure.

[@apapath1181]

what is the company warranty on the MG ZS in your country? In Greece they offer 7 year warranty

[@ValueCarsAU]

7 years here too mate

[@apapath1181]

Thanks - and the disk wear was not part of the warrantly?

[@darrennorth7987]

Mycar is the old K-Mart auto service. K-Mart got rid of it for a reason. It was the most complained about service centre's is Australia. Mostly staffed by under paid apprentice's with no training or leadership. I hope they have changed thier ways.

[@ValueCarsAU]

I probably wouldn't take my car (yet) to them for a full service, but to replace brake pads? Probably safe enough.

[@fuoco13]

I have the same model Mg ZST as you. Coming up to 20,000 kms shortly. Will have to see what conditions my pads and discs will be. Have not had any problems with the vehicle at all. My wife drives a Hyundai I30 (four years old) but she fights me to drive the MG. As you mentioned, MG is not the only manufacturer to have pad and disc problems at relatively low mileage. By the way, if you break down the components in the MG, how many are actualy not Chinese made? Japanese gearbox, GM motor and Volkswagen safety package, not to mention all the other foreign bits and pieces.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Let me know how you go when you take the car into 20k service - would be interesting to compare the notes.

[@Aone9e]

any update on the same ?

[@fuoco13]

@@Aone9e Had the car serviced last Wednesday, a little over 20000 kms. No problems with brakes or rotors. However the dealer did try to charge me an extra $135 for work to be carried out which was already due to be done as per the service sheet. Something owners should watch out for.

[@Aone9e]

@fuoco13 I appreciate your prompt response... Thank you for the heads up, and yes, I agree on the part where these dealers try to charge extra either to reach their sales target or something for their own pocket.. Nevertheless, I have yet to reach 2000kms, let alone 20000, but it's good to hear that no issues were detected... have a good one buddy

[@baits9301]

A good set of after market brake pads could solve that . I relaced brake pads on Renaut lattitude with Bosch pads , and lasted twice as long . Without all the brake dust of original .

[@ValueCarsAU]

I'll definitely replace the MG pads with some other ones next time.

[@baits9301]

@@ValueCarsAU I'm not sure if Bendix make pads for the MG . But just noticed your from Australia , so am i . Bendix maked brake pads and shoes for most vehicles . Australian brand .

[@SangChoyBow]

Hey Mate. As a China born Aussie, I believe that MG cuts corners in manufacturing their products. This is why they are budget cars options. Most Chinese citizens look for the higher end brands instead of cheaper options due to short life span also due to poor build quality Thanks Sang

[@ValueCarsAU]

Appreciate your opinion

[@europeanconfidence32]

It's disappointing that the brakes ( both discs and pads failed and needed to be replaced so soon ) but as you said it doesn't mean the car itself is bad. Drive it for a number of years first and then decipher where it's a good or bad car.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Been driving for 3 years, good enough distance to see what's good and bad about it. A follow-up report soon

[@taffyftwpocoyoftl7937]

So was my MG my brakes needed replacing at 20,000km, i think MG servicing done something to my brakes, they charged me $750.00.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Exactly as we were quoted, but I still think that going somewhere else - even if it NEEDS to be done - is at least going to save you $100-150

[@stevens15007]

It's under warranty go to Consumer affairs, the disc are meant to last a reasonable amount of time or Klm, SSANGYONG had the same issue in 2021 they fixed the issue and covered the discs under warranty.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Too late for me this time around, plus who would wrestle with the big company in court for these kinds of issues? Not like the whole car needed to be replaced - then maybe it would be worth it.

[@T0nyGTSt]

Hey man. I have to comment about this because this is a common thing for just about every brand of FWD based cars like small hatches to medium sized SUVs. They ALL eat rear brake pads and rear rotors. You know why? its because the stability control systems in all of these cars use the rear brakes to control the car. Every so often the car will apply left rear or right rear brakes to maintain control of the car. I always budget this in. Now if you go with an RWD sports car then you will have differing issues. Fortunately most common brands the pads and discs are not expensive. MG doing this tells me their OEM materials are soft AND/OR their stability programs very aggressive... which is common due to... SAFETY.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Good points and insights, appreciated!

[@thewitchsmellerpersuivant9929]

I can share an insight here - many, many years ago Mercedes-Benz M Class (W163) models (especially the ML320 / 430 etc) were notorious for totally chewing out disc pads and rotors in less than 20,000kms! Sounds insane right? No - because of the ESP/Traction Control system is actually applying the brakes when the system needs to - and you are none the wiser! So - without ever touching the brake pedal the brakes are being used by the cars computer systems. And that wears out brakes! Therefore it's a balancing act - wear and tear on consumable items versus enhanced safety...! Nothing to do with where the car is made - and $700 for a brake pad / rotor replacement (one axle) is not a bad price! 🙂

[@ValueCarsAU]

Very interesting insights, thank you for sharing

[@shaunholzheimer6227]

HI Demitri, following on from the comment re car safety features. I have just purchased the ZST Vibe (now three days old), and I am utilising MG Pilot system as standard. Certainly with ACC features etc, it slows down the car quite often. How regularly during your ownership have you engaged the pilot systems, and if so do you think this has contributed greatly to the early change out required.

[@user-pd1ww3nk1g]

So what does the 7 year warranty cover?

[@ValueCarsAU]

Why don't you ask the dealer?

[@user-pd1ww3nk1g]

@@ValueCarsAU I'm not interested in an MG but U see the commercials where it says 7 years warranty and I thought well what does it cover? Wouldn't that brake problem be considered under the warranty?! You are very rude the way you respond to people btw, could have also been how I phrased my sentence but settled down I'm just asking a simple question.

[@therealkrisjenner]

ZSTs are known for wearing through pads extremely quickly - as per MG owner Facebook groups, strangely it's not the case for the HS, strange!

[@ValueCarsAU]

Hmmm HS might have different rate of wear and tear simply because it has DCT, not normal Auto transmission

[@marh5952]

Gee wiz, there is something wrong if the rotors are worn to that extent in 20k. That means rotors are as soft as the brake pads, doesn't make sense to me.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yep, disappointing for us too

[@deebee3901]

Demitri, I'm not going to rubbish you for driving a Chinese car - as you said, most things and most brands are manufacturing there including Tesla. Putting that aside, brakes should last way longer than 20,000 kms. I would be very keen to know the thickness of both the discs and the pads when the car was new? Further, if available, I would have gone for after market discs and after market pads. The MG pads and discs may both be a very soft compound. I probably would have tried Bendix pads as they are very consistent quality wise. They are available for your car. Part number for front pads are DB2466. Unfortunately Bendix do not make rotors for this car yet. DBA do. Part number for front rotors from DBA are DBA3220E. Hopefully I got the year and model right.

[@ValueCarsAU]

I agree that in any case 20k is not acceptable - as I said in the video. We wouldn't know the original thickness as who'd be bothered to take them off new and measure? 🤷‍♀️

[@deebee3901]

@@ValueCarsAU that is true Demiti, but since you just put original rotors and pads on the car now, you can easily measure them by removing on of the front wheels and taking the measurements.

[@KarleeHighett-nl6be]

Doesn't this void warranty?

[@ValueCarsAU]

It shouldn't

[@jasoncarmichael4540]

I have a 2015 Hyundai Accent hatch back , and my brakes are all untouched , iv done 44 thousand ks ,

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yep I heard that a lot of people keep driving 100k on the original brake pads. This "quality" from MG is laughable.

[@jamiefrangos9233]

I would be grateful if you could please do a 40,000klm and 60,000klm update, as this will be a bit more data to work with. I have seen other issues with Toyota and Mitsubishi with early pad and disc changes, this is extremely disappointing . No matter what the car, changing the brakes every 20,00klm is excessive, and a major addition to running cost. An acceptable standard is 2 years on Pads (30,000klm) and 4 years on discs (60,000klm) with one machining of the discs in-between pad sets. No matter what the size of their vehicle. Anything less than that, shows most likely a miss match of materials in the pad or poor disc quality. Bought a brand new light car in Automatic in sept 2017 haven't touched the brakes at all at this point, but will need pads and machine of discs by next service .......I presume.??? Currently 60,000klm on the clock. Not boasting.... just showing how the brakes could be, at their best . Yes it is a LIGHT car. Thanks for you videos, always interesting.

[@ValueCarsAU]

I thought 30k+ should be acceptable, but 20k is definitely low. Yeah I'll review at 40k+ if we keep the car. I generally try and resell my cars while they are relatively new and can still be sold for half-decent amount of cash.

[@jamiefrangos9233]

@@ValueCarsAU Very shrewd. Am actually considering replacing with new one very soon while market is still hot for second hand cars.

[@rc70ys]

You’re right a lot of things are made in China However I do believe a China vehicle manufacturer will use “cheaper” quality parts and say Toyota May use a part made in Japan ? Or in China too but of a better quality. Sometimes you have to see like for like. If we were to say compare a Toyota braking system at 20k and a MG braking system at your 20k interval you honestly believe it’s the same ? Irrespective where they’re made. Yes Toyota are more expensive no doubt but in the long run would it not be cheaper (Toyota) in terms of wear and tear?

[@ValueCarsAU]

I don't disagree mate. China often uses cheaper parts and hence we have faster wear and tear, you're right. My comment was to blind China-bashers, who poo-poo everything "from China".

[@talltree8697]

If course after 20000 km and how you drive it brakes pads do start to ware out regardless ...

[@ValueCarsAU]

How do you know how I drive?

[@talltree8697]

@@ValueCarsAU I wasn't implying you specifically as .mentioned regardless .....

[@abijag100]

Very well put re the " Country" bashing.....yes the world has moved on from decades ago. As we all know however, there will always those who are brand loyal....often with tragic consequences ......value for money has never been more important as it is at this time !!! Good Post mate !!

[@ValueCarsAU]

Yep, country-bashing aside, all manufacturers try and squeeze an extra buck out of every product, using cheaper materials and parts - it's inevitable. I guess this is one of those examples. "Something has to give"

[@JJ-uy2sg]

@@ValueCarsAU Its also true that standardisation / quality control within China is not the same as in Japan etc. MG might source different parts from different suppliers and those suppliers are also getting their material from someone else, all of whom might cut corners to save cost. Its unlikely that every China made car will be exactly the same build quality wise as the business regulations within the country are not yet as developed. One MG might be different from the next. However, as it becomes more expensive to manufacture cars in places like Japan, just as been the case with the UK/US/Europe China will become the next major player. It is inevitable. And off course as you mention there is a big price difference between say MG/ Great Wall etc and Toyota- expecting the same quality for less is unrealistic. Toyota is better and nobody argues that. The question is: overall is it still good value? Or what car is the best value on a modest budget. Which is an important subject for most regular people. Thanks for the honest reviews.

[@malamutten3203]

I have just had my discs and pads changed for the first time on my wv up turbo. 120,000 km. I drive with a lead foot most of the time. do not understand that your brakes must be changed at 20,000 km. seems completely unrealistic. there must be a huge quality problem in those brakes. original brakes must last at least 80,000 to 100,000 km ++ . regardless of how you drive. with the exception of track driving.

[@ValueCarsAU]

I'll be honest with you - I DOUBT that it's the very first time your breaks and pads (!!) were first changed at 120,000 km, I just can't believe it, I'm sorry - on ANY car from ANY manufacturer. That said, I agree that 20k is ridiculously low, which is why I posted this video.

[@malamutten3203]

@@ValueCarsAU it's perfectly ok what you believe .. I'm a mechanic myself and bought the car from new. and have kept all sevice myself. but OK . Good luck with your MG. Maybe you should look elsewhere. have worked with toyota for many years and same style 80 to 100.00 km before the first original brakes have to be changed

[@warrenjones5077]

Shouldn’t be replacing brake rotors at 30000 ks either mate, that’s just ridiculous.

[@ValueCarsAU]

No kidding

[@treecycle4631]

I hope this problem is only related to the ZST and not the HS as we just brought one a couple of weeks ago. We moved from a 2014 Holden Commodore which had 106,000 K's on the clock and the brakes hadn't been touched in all the time we had it. Find it hard to believe there was no underlying fault that caused your problem with your description of your wife's driving style.

[@ValueCarsAU]

No idea mate, we're surprised ourselves - hence the video - let me know what you discover at 20k with your MG HS. I suspect it should be a bit different even if just because HS has a different transmission, which would probably influence how you break (e.g. always engaging brakes or using the engine) too.

[@treecycle4631]

@@ValueCarsAU Unfortunately this could take a while to get an answer (or at least I hope it does) as we had the other car for 9 years to get to the 105k.

[@merandpitslifeadventure4581]

I love it China bashers are dumb 😂. Good on you Demitri because you are correct. Love your videos.

[@ValueCarsAU]

Lol thanks mate...

[@charliebailey9467]

Did anyone physically see the pads and rotors , sounds like you have been jammed by the service department !!!

[@ValueCarsAU]

I would have thought so if I jumped into MG quote and let them replace everything, but I got a second opinion, which was the same as MG told me. So I doubt it.

[@BillyKeeChicken]

Hi Demtri. I'm from China. Wise man once said , you buy the cheap china car and you get what you pay for. Please don't delete me I'm not china bashing just telling you my opinion. I'm not a troll Ni hao Billy

[@ValueCarsAU]

A person from China would never write this. I won't delete you though as I'm ok while you play within the rules. Everyone can have an opinion - you're entitled to yours. Just stop pretending to be someone you're not. I simply don't care who you are, so drop the act.