23,008 tests in 2025
MG 3 reliability and MOT pass rate
80.9% passed first time. The 19.1% fail rate is 3.5 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 34,611 miles.
Pass rate
80.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 19.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
34,611 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 7,984 | 11.7% |
| 6-9 years | 11,091 | 22% |
| 10-13 years | 3,650 | 27.3% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the 3 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres1,285 dangerous33.6%
- Brakes496 dangerous28.8%
- Suspension54 dangerous24.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment8 dangerous22.5%
- Visibility2 dangerous16.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems9.2%
- Steering15 dangerous5.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous5%
Is the 3 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 19.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16,455 | 5 | 15.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 18,966 | — | 16.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 17,572 | — | 18.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 22,936 | — | 19.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 3 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively423 tests
- 2Condition: has ply or cords exposed416 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm379 tests
- 4Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements373 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken366 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords355 tests
- 7SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault338 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn328 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 3 collects 2.55 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,838 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,565 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,221 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,699 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,505 tests
- 6Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,046 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,029 tests
- 8Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened829 tests
Questions
What is the MG 3 MOT pass rate?
80.9% of the 23,008 MG 3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 19.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a MG 3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded on 423 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has ply or cords exposed" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 33.6% of failures, brakes appears in 28.8% of failures, suspension appears in 24.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.7%; at 10-13 years it was 27.3%. The median MG 3 tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 34,611 miles.
Is the MG 3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 19.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 3 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other MG models
Checking a particular 3?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.