MG: MOT pass rate and reliability

MG vehicles pass the MOT first time 83.9% of the time, measured across 121,686 DVSA tests. That is 6.9 points better than the 77% national average, ranking MG 9 of 50 major brands sold in the UK.

Looking at a written-off MG rather than a roadworthy one? The median recorded closing bid for a damaged MG was £2,150, from 24 ended listings across every MG model. These bids are not independently confirmed sales.

Bidding on a damaged MG at Copart? Run the lot through the salvage profit analyzer for the repair cost, fees, VAT and your maximum bid. Buying a used MG, damaged or not? Run its registration through the free vehicle history check first: these are brand averages, that page checks the exact car.

Every brand ranked

1. Ferrari - 95.9%
2. LEVC - 95.4%
3. Aston Martin - 93.2%
4. Bentley - 92.5%
5. Porsche - 88.7%
6. Lexus - 87.7%
7. Tesla - 84.8%
8. Maserati - 84.3%
9. MG - 83.9%
10. BMW - 82.5%
11. Jaguar - 81.9%
12. Abarth - 81.8%
13. Audi - 81.6%
14. MINI - 81.6%
15. Toyota - 81.3%
16. Land Rover - 80.6%
17. Skoda - 80.6%
18. Mercedes-Benz - 79.9%
19. Suzuki - 79.5%
20. Kia - 78.9%
21. Hyundai - 78.8%
22. SEAT - 78.7%
23. Subaru - 78.6%
24. Honda - 78.3%
25. Dacia - 78.3%
26. Volvo - 78.2%
27. Jeep - 78%
28. Smart - 77.6%
29. Volkswagen - 77.1%
30. Mazda - 77%
31. Mitsubishi - 76.9%
32. DS - 76.2%
33. London Taxis International - 75.5%
34. Ford - 74.8%
35. Isuzu - 73.7%
36. Nissan - 73.4%
37. Peugeot - 73.2%
38. Fiat - 73%
39. Ssangyong - 73%
40. Vauxhall - 72.4%
41. Alfa Romeo - 72.4%
42. Citroen - 70.8%
43. Iveco - 70.2%
44. Rover - 70.2%
45. Saab - 69.1%
46. Renault - 68.1%
47. Chrysler - 67.2%
48. Daihatsu - 67.1%
49. Chrysler-Jeep - 67%
50. Chevrolet - 62.8%

MG models

• MG Zs - 81.4%, 19,207 tests
• MG 3 - 80.1%, 18,910 tests
• MG Zs Exclusive Ev - 90.6%, 9,690 tests
• MG Tf - 72.4%, 9,402 tests
• MG Mgf - 69.6%, 5,751 tests
• MG 5 Exclusive - 91.6%, 5,732 tests
• MG Zs Exclusive Vti-Tech - 90.3%, 5,282 tests
• MG Hs Exclusive S-A - 91.9%, 3,996 tests
• MG Hs Exclusive - 90.7%, 3,291 tests
• MG Zs Exclusive T-Gdi Auto - 91.2%, 2,997 tests
• MG Gs - 79.5%, 2,883 tests
• MG Zs Excite Vti-Tech - 87.6%, 2,756 tests
• MG B - 83.7%, 2,527 tests
• MG 5 Excite - 89.1%, 2,493 tests
• MG 3 Exclusive Nav Vti-Tech - 90%, 2,213 tests
• MG Zr - 69.5%, 1,998 tests
• MG 6 - 67%, 1,882 tests
• MG Zs Excite Ev - 87.9%, 1,716 tests
• MG Hs Excite S-A - 91.4%, 1,648 tests
• MG Hs Exclusive Phev Auto - 94.7%, 1,592 tests
• MG Hs Excite - 90.5%, 1,586 tests
• MG Zt - 70.4%, 1,428 tests
• MG B GT - 82.1%, 1,275 tests
• MG Zs Exclusive T-Gdi - 92.9%, 1,003 tests
• MG Zs Excite T-Gdi Auto - 88.9%, 944 tests
• MG Zs Trophy Ev - 93.6%, 890 tests
• MG Zt-T - 65.2%, 781 tests
• MG Midget - 84%, 767 tests
• MG 4 Se - 93.9%, 677 tests
• MG Zs Se Ev - 86.8%, 607 tests
• MG Hs Excite Phev Auto - 92.6%, 591 tests
• MG Rv8 - 90.4%, 552 tests

Most common MOT failures across every MG

Pooled across all MG models, not just one: what actually fails on a MG more than the UK average.

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1% of tests (2.69x the national rate for this defect)
2. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.7% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.5% of tests
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.4% of tests
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.3% of tests
8. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.2% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.2% of tests

From 122,280 DVSA-tracked MG tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.78% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories across every MG

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. Pooled across all MG models, this is a different list from the failures above.

1. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16.6% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 20.6% of tests, also fails
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 12.3% of tests, also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.7% of tests, also fails
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6% of tests, also fails
6. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 5.5% of tests
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 4.3% of tests
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 3.4% of tests
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.2% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.9% of tests

From 122,280 DVSA-tracked MG tests, 2024.

More on brand reliability

• Britain's most and least reliable car brands: MOT pass rate by manufacturer
• Which car brands beat their age on the MOT test? 33 million tests, ranked
• The cheapest, most reliable makes to buy at salvage auction

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