MG4, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
51,072 MG4s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 88.9% of initial MOT tests, 16.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific MG4? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
MG4 at the MOT
88.9% of 4,402 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the MG4 54th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where MG4s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on MG4 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were headlamp aim too low (18.9%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (16.7%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (15.6%).
The MOT page lists every common MG4 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The MG4's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.43.2% of MG4 failure items
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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.28.7% of MG4 failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.15.9% of MG4 failure items
MG4s in the UK
51,072 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 112% since the end of 2023.
- Change since 2023
- +112%from 24,094 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2024half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2024 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 8,785against 21,461 in 2023
- Declared off the road
- 2210.4% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed MG4s since 2022
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2022 | 2,939 |
| End of 2023 | 24,094 |
| End of 2024 | 38,658 |
| End of 2025 | 47,060 |
| End of June 2026 | 51,072 |
How old they are
Licensed MG4s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,669 | 8,785 |
| 2024 | 14,965 | 15,189 |
| 2023 | 20,608 | 21,461 |
| 2022 | 2,818 | 2,991 |
MG4 recalls
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the MG4. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every MG4 is affected.
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Jan 2023 R/2022/355
Potential for MG4 vehicles to superlock whilst still in running mode
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there is potential for MG4 vehicles to superlock whilst still in running mode when the vehicle comes to a stop. The doors are locked and cannot be opened by the interior/exterior handles the remote key is disabled and the windows will not function.
- Remedy
- The remedy involves a software update.
MG4 FAQs
How many MG4s are there in the UK?
51,072 MG4s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 221 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the MG4 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 an 88.9% first-time pass rate for the MG4 across 4,402 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the MG4 had any recalls?
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the MG4. The most recent was published in January 2023. 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 MG4?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. 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 MG4'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 MG4?
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). 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.