MG 3 MOT failure rate and common faults
24,672 MG 3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 25.0% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 19.1% of the time, which makes the MG 3 31% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
25.0%
failed first time
24,672 MOT tests in 2025
+31%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 19.1%
197 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
88.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 78.3
What fails on a MG 3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common MG 3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 34.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 30.3 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 24.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 21.4 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 20.6 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 20.5 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 17.8 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 17.3 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 16.3 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 16.2 |
MG 3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,268 | 14.8% | 11.4% | 21,900 |
| 2021 | 1,932 | 18.1% | 12.8% | 25,800 |
| 2020 | 2,469 | 20.7% | 14.1% | 28,900 |
| 2019 | 3,629 | 24.8% | 16.5% | 34,500 |
| 2018 | 2,546 | 27.9% | 19.1% | 41,400 |
| 2017 | 2,837 | 30.4% | 21.8% | 47,700 |
| 2016 | 3,042 | 28.8% | 25.1% | 52,000 |
| 2015 | 2,256 | 34.3% | 28.1% | 55,900 |
| 2014 | 1,528 | 32.7% | 31.4% | 60,200 |
Advisories to look for in a MG 3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the MG 3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge276.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing180.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened119.8
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement97.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin81.6
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material69.5
Checking a used MG 3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the MG 3 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, brakes and tyres. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
MG 3 MOT questions
What is the MG 3 MOT failure rate?
25.0% of MG 3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 24,672 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 19.1% of the time, so the MG 3 was 31% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a MG 3 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 119 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded 34.8 times per 1,000 tests.
Which MG 3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2014 registrations did best: 32.7% failed against an average of 31.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular MG 3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every MG 3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Ranked close to the MG 3
- Renault Kadjarrank 194
- Vauxhall Adamrank 195
- Renault Meganerank 196
- Renault Zoerank 198
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many MG 3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.