MG 3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The MG 3 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 18,910 individual MG 3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate80.1%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+3.4 points
Tests analysed18,910
Average mileage at test39,032 miles
Average year of manufacture2017
Reliability rank1,439 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 80.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 MG 3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average MG 3 tested had covered 39,032 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a MG 3 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific MG 3 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged MG 3s actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 3 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a MG 3

  1. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 1.5% of tests (4.76x the national rate for this defect)
  2. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.8% of tests (4.09x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.2% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.6% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.3% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.2% of tests
  7. A tyre seriously damaged, 2% of tests
  8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.8% of tests
  9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.5% of tests
  10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.3% of tests

From 27,061 DVSA-tracked MG 3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.28% of these flagged MG 3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

MG 3 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each MG 3 year:

  • 2014 MG 3 - 74.3% first-time pass, 1,557 tests
  • 2015 MG 3 - 74.2% first-time pass, 2,352 tests
  • 2016 MG 3 - 77.5% first-time pass, 3,074 tests
  • 2017 MG 3 - 77.2% first-time pass, 2,885 tests
  • 2018 MG 3 - 81.8% first-time pass, 2,588 tests
  • 2019 MG 3 - 85.7% first-time pass, 3,678 tests
  • 2020 MG 3 - 87.4% first-time pass, 1,732 tests
  • 2021 MG 3 - 90.9% first-time pass, 738 tests

Other MG models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate