An MG ZS EV with a single bad cell — and a senior inspector who renegotiated $4,800
Elite Buyers' Protection: AVILOO test, Risk Radar and face-to-face negotiation
2022 MG ZS EV Essence — 31,200km
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, AVILOO battery test, paint gauge on every panel, the Risk Radar score, and — crucially — face-to-face price negotiation with the seller while we're on-site.
What the AVILOO test revealed
Module-level state-of-health on the ZS EV's pack requires deep BMS access — not something every EV inspector carries. Our Elite kit pairs the AVILOO flash test with a dealer-grade JLR/SAIC scan tool that exposes per-module voltage, temperature and balancing history under load. Without that combination, module 7 would have stayed invisible until it failed in the buyer's driveway.
- 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."
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