MG 3 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the MG 3 took 19,042 MOT tests in Britain and passed 77% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 19,042
- First-time pass rate
- 77%
- All cars
- 71%
What the 3 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Tyres7.4% (all cars 6.4%)
- Lights and electrics6.3% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes5.0% (all cars 6.8%)
- Visibility4.2% (all cars 4.8%)
- Suspension3.6% (all cars 9.0%)
- Seat belts and airbags2.1% (all cars 1.0%)
- Exhaust and emissions0.9% (all cars 3.1%)
- Steering0.7% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Headlamp aim: too low 2.2%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.0%
- SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 1.9%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.9%
- Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.8%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.6%
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative 1.5%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.5%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 16.9%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 8.8%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 8.6%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 7.4%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 6.7%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 3.5%
- Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.1%
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened 2.1%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,629 | 70% |
| 2015 | 2,420 | 73% |
| 2016 | 3,111 | 74% |
| 2017 | 2,896 | 76% |
| 2018 | 2,572 | 78% |
| 2019 | 3,685 | 83% |
| 2020 | 2,467 | 84% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 16,777 miles |
| 4 years | 22,532 miles |
| 5 years | 29,887 miles |
| 6 years | 36,391 miles |
| 7 years | 41,350 miles |
| 8 years | 46,171 miles |
| 9 years | 51,672 miles |
| 10 years | 57,856 miles |
Check a particular 3
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other MG models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.