MG
3,479 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 3 Exclusive Nav Vti Techs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.0%
Pass-after-fix
4.5%
Fail
7.9%
Avg miles
21,115
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,479 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.9 points across the cohorts — newer 3 Exclusive Nav Vti Tech examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
85.7%
Fail
9.3%
PRS
4.4%
Avg mileage at test
22,831 mi
Pass
87.6%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
4.6%
Avg mileage at test
20,188 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 858 MOT tests, the 3 Exclusive Nav Vti-Tech returns 86.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a defective wiper blade. A tyre with the cords showing and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 16,710, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
5–12
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A tyre seriously damaged
44 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
35 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
30 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
23 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
21 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
16 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
15 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
14 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
14 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
13 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£80–£140
If every one of this 3 Exclusive Nav Vti Tech's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy MG 3 Exclusive Nav Vti Tech makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
87.6%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 87.6% — a 1.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, has ply or cords exposed — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
85.7%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 85.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: blade defective, has a cut in excess of the…, and efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 22,831 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (87.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (85.7% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 1,220 older tests and 2,259 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-60 MG Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£7.69
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Autotek
Autotek Ford Nordic Blue 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Motor World
Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Motor World
Motor World Rover MGB Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
So much better than the car it replaced, the MG 3’s core appeal is its self-charging Hybrid+ drive system, although a cheaper, more conventional petrol-only model is also available. High levels of equipment are standard yet despite it being a big small car, it doesn’t feel especially roomy inside.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 3 Exclusive Nav Vti Tech and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
