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MG TF, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

7,197 MG TFs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 69.6% of initial MOT tests, 2.7 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific TF? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

MG TF at the MOT

69.6% of 8,698 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the TF 355th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • MG TF69.6%
  • All MG modelsThe TF is 11.3 pts behind80.9%
  • All cars72.3%

Where TFs fail

Share of all failure items recorded on MG TF tests in 2025.

  • Brakes23.2%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17.7%
  • Suspension17.5%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks13.5%
  • Visibility9%

The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (5.9%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.6%) and track rod end ball joint has excessive play (3.4%).

The MOT page lists every common TF MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full MG TF MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The TF's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. 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.23.2% of TF failure items

  2. 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.17.7% of TF failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.5% of TF failure items

MG TFs in the UK

7,197 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 58% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−58%from 17,057 licensed
Typical year of first use
2004half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2004 or earlier
Declared off the road
7,00449% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed MG TFs since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201417,057
End of 201515,680
End of 201614,218
End of 201712,671
End of 201811,467
End of 201910,306
End of 20209,228
End of 20218,713
End of 20228,035
End of 20237,134
End of 20246,452
End of 20255,904
End of June 20267,197

How old they are

Licensed MG TFs by year of first use.

A further 18 were first used before 2002.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
20127
201157
2010146
2009199
200878
200727
2006196
2005775
20041,585
20031,588
20021,019

TF engine sizes

1.8 litre engines made up 86% of MG TF MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 14%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed TFs.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 8,697 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.8 litre85.5%
  • 1.6 litre14%

MG TF recalls

4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG TF. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every TF is affected.

  1. Jan 2013 R/2012/147

    Rear suspension may fail

    TFs built Sep 2008 to May 2010 · 899 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Under extreme conditions it is possible that the rear suspension top arm may fail.
    Remedy
    Recall all affected vehicles and replace the nearside and offside rear suspension top arms.

  2. Mar 2011 R/2011/016

    Suspension may fail

    TFs built Jan 2008 to Dec 2010 · 900 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    In an isolated number of cases it is possible that the lower suspension swivel/ball joint mounting rivets can become detached. This may in extreme cases if not identified result in a possible detachment of the joint.
    Remedy
    Recall all affected vehicles to relace the lower suspension arm and swivel/ball joint.

  3. Oct 2009 R/2009/103

    Possible loss of directional control

    TFs built Oct 2008 to Sep 2009 · 282 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Poor weld penetration between the front suspension shock absorber damper and the lower fixing eye may cause detach of fixing eye. In extreme circumstances detachment may cause loss of directional control of the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Recall the affected vehicles to have the defective units replaced with quality assured units.

  4. Feb 2003 R/2002/165

    Possible loosening of damper fixing bolt

    TFs built Dec 2001 to Sep 2002 · 6,925 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The bolt that attaches the damper to the upper suspension arm may loosen and in extreme cases fracture.
    Remedy
    Check the torque of the front and rear suspension damper attachment bolts and tighten or replace as appropriate.
How to check a specific TF for recalls

Other MG models

The most-tested MG models in 2025, against the TF's 69.6% MOT pass rate.

All 12 MG models

MG TF FAQs

How many MG TFs are there in the UK?

7,197 MG TFs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 7,004 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the MG TF 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 69.6% first-time pass rate for the MG TF across 8,698 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the MG TF had any recalls?

4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the MG TF. The most recent was published in January 2013. 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 MG TF?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 MG TF'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 a TF?

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.