4,928 tests in 2025
MG Mgf reliability and MOT pass rate
70.4% passed first time. The 29.6% fail rate is 7.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 26 years old with 63,416 miles.
Pass rate
70.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,416 mi
26 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 4,928 | 29.6% |
What the Mgf 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.
- Brakes111 dangerous39.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous39.1%
- Suspension85 dangerous35.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment59 dangerous32.5%
- Visibility18.1%
- Steering5 dangerous13%
- Tyres169 dangerous11.3%
- Body, chassis, structure6 dangerous10.4%
Is the Mgf getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.3 points to 29.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-3.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,080 | 23 | 31.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,347 | 24 | 30.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,836 | 25 | 29.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,904 | 26 | 29.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Mgf 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 Mgf in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements272 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits251 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits166 tests
- 4Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements165 tests
- 5Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits120 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength119 tests
- 7Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits112 tests
- 8Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play103 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Mgf collects 3.19 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.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened660 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine462 tests
- 3Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened434 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded422 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm384 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure333 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn298 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn269 tests
Questions
What is the MG Mgf MOT pass rate?
70.4% of the 4,928 MG Mgf first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a MG Mgf usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 272 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" and "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits". By section, brakes appears in 39.1% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 39.1% of failures, suspension appears in 35.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 29.6%. The median MG Mgf tested in 2025 was 26 years old with 63,416 miles.
Is the MG Mgf getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.3 points to 29.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-3.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Mgf 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 Mgf?
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.