MG3, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
57,075 MG3s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 75.1% of initial MOT tests, 2.8 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific MG3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
MG3 at the MOT
75.1% of 24,993 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the MG3 264th of 575 models. MG3s aged 3 to 5 years passed 80.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 62.9%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
MG3 tests in 2025.
Where MG3s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on MG3 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (7.2%), headlamp aim too low (6.4%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.1%).
The MOT page lists every common MG3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The MG3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.24.8% of MG3 failure items
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.19.1% of MG3 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.19.1% of MG3 failure items
MG3s in the UK
57,075 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any MG. The number licensed has grown 353% since the end of 2018.
- Change since 2018
- +353%from 12,612 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2023half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2023 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 13,183
- Declared off the road
- 6321.1% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed MG3s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 1,904 |
| End of 2015 | 4,306 |
| End of 2016 | 7,269 |
| End of 2017 | 10,300 |
| End of 2018 | 12,612 |
| End of 2019 | 16,076 |
| End of 2020 | 18,194 |
| End of 2021 | 20,628 |
| End of 2022 | 24,713 |
| End of 2023 | 28,784 |
| End of 2024 | 38,276 |
| End of 2025 | 49,655 |
| End of June 2026 | 57,075 |
How old they are
Licensed MG3s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 148 were first used before 2014.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,402 | 13,183 |
| 2024 | 9,231 | 9,807 |
| 2023 | 4,446 | 4,634 |
| 2022 | 4,104 | 4,368 |
| 2021 | 1,888 | 2,011 |
| 2020 | 2,366 | 2,532 |
| 2019 | 3,545 | 3,805 |
| 2018 | 2,476 | 2,678 |
| 2017 | 2,767 | 3,050 |
| 2016 | 2,836 | 3,216 |
| 2015 | 2,080 | 2,563 |
| 2014 | 1,361 |
2,080 MG3s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 81% of the 2,563 first registered that year.
MG3 engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 99% of MG3 MOT tests in 2025. Petrol accounts for 59% of licensed MG3s and hybrid electric for 41%.
Fuel type, licensed MG3s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 33,915 | 59% |
| Hybrid electric | 23,159 | 41% |
| Gas | 1 | <0.1% |
MG3 recalls
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG3. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every MG3 is affected.
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Nov 2025 R/2025/434
Possibility for front seat to delatch in a front collision
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there is the possibility for the front seat to delatch in a front collision.
- Remedy
- An attachment will be fitted to the seat rail to prevent delatching occurring.
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Jun 2021 R/2021/216
Fuel tank strap bolts were not manufactured to the correct hardness specification
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Fit replacement bolt fixing and torque to the specified load.
MG3 FAQs
How many MG3s are there in the UK?
57,075 MG3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 632 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the MG3 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 75.1% first-time pass rate for the MG3 across 24,993 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the MG3 had any recalls?
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG3. The most recent was published in November 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used MG3?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, tyres and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check an MG3's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an MG3?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the MG history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the MG VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.