MG B: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The MG B passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 2,527 individual MG B tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate83.7%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+7 points
Tests analysed2,527
Average mileage at test43,598 miles
Average year of manufacture1976
Reliability rank1,314 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 83.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 MG Bs 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 B tested had covered 43,598 miles and was built around 1976.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a MG B 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 B 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 Bs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a MG B

  1. Stop lamps all missing or inoperative, 0.7% of tests (10.84x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 2.5% of tests (8.46x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Audible warning inoperative, 1.2% of tests (5.9x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 1.8% of tests (4.44x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.2% of tests (3.98x the national rate for this defect)
  6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.9% of tests (2.33x the national rate for this defect)
  7. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.9% of tests (1.78x the national rate for this defect)
  8. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.5% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this defect)
  9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.2% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this defect)
  10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2% of tests

From 3,681 DVSA-tracked MG B tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.09% of these flagged MG B defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

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