MGF, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
3,896 MGFs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 66.9% of initial MOT tests, 5.4 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific MGF? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
MGF at the MOT
66.9% of 5,318 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the MGF 407th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where MGFs fail
Share of all failure items recorded on MGF tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (5.4%), catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (5%) and component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (3.5%).
The MOT page lists every common MGF MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The MGF's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.20.8% of MGF 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.19.4% of MGF failure items
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Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks.18.2% of MGF failure items
MGFs in the UK
3,896 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 70% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −70%from 12,891 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 1999half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 1999 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 8,55169% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed MGFs since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 12,891 |
| End of 2015 | 11,360 |
| End of 2016 | 9,878 |
| End of 2017 | 8,407 |
| End of 2018 | 7,231 |
| End of 2019 | 6,343 |
| End of 2020 | 5,521 |
| End of 2021 | 5,160 |
| End of 2022 | 4,560 |
| End of 2023 | 3,909 |
| End of 2024 | 3,442 |
| End of 2025 | 3,067 |
| End of June 2026 | 3,896 |
How old they are
Licensed MGFs by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 64 |
| 2001 | 877 |
| 2000 | 519 |
| 1999 | 454 |
| 1998 | 463 |
| 1997 | 360 |
| 1996 | 246 |
| 1995 | 33 |
MGF engine sizes
1.8 litre engines made up 97% of MGF MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 2.9%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed MGFs.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 5,317 initial MOT tests in 2025.
MGF recalls
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the MGF. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every MGF is affected.
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Dec 2001 R/2001/139
Seat belt pre- tensioner malfunction
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Possible electrical short circuit in wiring harness may cause seat belt pre-tensioners to activate unnecessarily when ignition switched on.
- Remedy
- Examine seat belt pre-tensioner wiring harness for damage and fit an additional protective sleeve.
MGF FAQs
How many MGFs are there in the UK?
3,896 MGFs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 8,551 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the MGF 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 66.9% first-time pass rate for the MGF across 5,318 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the MGF had any recalls?
1 DVSA safety recall launched from 1992 to October 2026 names the MGF. The most recent was published in December 2001. 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 MGF?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks. 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 MGF'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 MGF?
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.