An MG ZS EV with a single bad cell — and a senior inspector who renegotiated $4,800

Why the buyer chose Elite

The buyer was an engineer — she didn't want a translator, she wanted a closer. Elite ($449) includes a senior inspector, paint-depth checks, Risk Radar and on-site negotiation. Battery diagnostics are a separately purchased add-on, subject to vehicle support.

What the battery diagnostics recorded

This case describes pack and module diagnostic findings. Available data depends on vehicle and tool support. The findings should not be read as proof that a module would fail on a particular date, or as a promise of a specific tool combination on every Elite booking.

• Pack-level SoH: 92.4% — within expected band for build year and km.
• Individual module check: 7 of 8 modules within ±1.1% of pack average. Module 7 was 4.2% below.
• Cell voltage spread: 47mV under load (healthy is under 30mV).
• BMS log: 2 thermal events during DC fast-charging in summer 2024.
• MG warranty: traction battery covered to 7 years / 160,000km — the car is at 3 years / 31,200km. Module replacement is the dealer's cost, not the buyer's.

How the negotiation went

Our inspector sat down with the dealer principal at the desk. She presented the AVILOO report, the BMS log and the warranty math. The dealer was given two options: replace module 7 under warranty before delivery (4-week wait), or discount the price by $4,800 and provide a written 12-month assurance covering the module if it failed. The dealer chose the discount.

Final price: $28,190 from $32,990. The written module-assurance letter went into the buyer's settlement pack. The car is at 39,000km six months on with no degradation.

"I would have paid asking and hoped for the best. Priya walked in, said three sentences, and walked out with $4,800 and a warranty letter. That's the whole product."