84.3%
MG5 pass rate
Used MG5 buying guide
In 2025, MG5 cars passed 84.3% of 15,164 initial MOT tests, 12 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific MG5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
MG5 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+12
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the MG5 sits 133rd of 575 models in the data. MG as a brand averaged 80.9%, so this model runs 3.4 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full MG5 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the MG5 compares with similar cars.
MG5 fuel types
Most MG5 cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the MG5 fails its MOT
Where MG5 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (10.8%), headlamp not working on dipped beam (8.8%) and shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (8.4%). See every common MG5 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every MG5 that failed, not a claim that every MG5 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used MG5?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 41.6% of MG5 failure items.
2
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. 30.9% of MG5 failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 15.6% of MG5 failure items.
4
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 6.5% of MG5 failure items.
5
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. 2.7% of MG5 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing MG5 failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and tyres tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact MG5 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the MG history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used MG models
The most-tested MG models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the MG5.
Used MG5 FAQs
Is the MG5 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 84.3% first-time pass rate for the MG5 across 15,164 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used MG5?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, tyres and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a MG5'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.