MG5, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
15,341 MG5s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 84.3% of initial MOT tests, 12 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific MG5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
MG5 at the MOT
84.3% of 15,164 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the MG5 133rd of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where MG5s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on MG5 tests in 2025.
The 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%).
The MOT page lists every common MG5 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The MG5'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.41.6% of MG5 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.30.9% of MG5 failure items
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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
MG5s in the UK
15,341 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 192% since the end of 2021.
- Change since 2021
- +192%from 5,262 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2022half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2022 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 110against 6,933 in 2022
- Declared off the road
- 1561% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed MG5s since 2020
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2020 | 270 |
| End of 2021 | 5,262 |
| End of 2022 | 11,776 |
| End of 2023 | 13,961 |
| End of 2024 | 15,326 |
| End of 2025 | 15,274 |
| End of June 2026 | 15,341 |
How old they are
Licensed MG5s 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 | 108 | 110 |
| 2024 | 1,562 | 1,592 |
| 2023 | 2,044 | 2,112 |
| 2022 | 6,589 | 6,933 |
| 2021 | 4,725 | 5,073 |
| 2020 | 246 | 274 |
MG5 recalls
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG5. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every MG5 is affected.
-
Nov 2021 R/2021/377
Brake lights are not activated when the car is regeneratively braking over 1.3m/s2
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- A software reflash of the vehicle Gateway Module to ensure that the brake lights are activated according to the regulation.
-
May 2021 R/2021/179
Vehicle roof bars were previously recorded as being non-load bearing
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Confirmation of vehicle roof being capable of carrying 35kg to be sent to dealers and customers
MG5 FAQs
How many MG5s are there in the UK?
15,341 MG5s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 156 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
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.
Has the MG5 had any recalls?
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG5. The most recent was published in November 2021. 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 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 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 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.
Already found an MG5?
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.