Common problems
MG HS common problems
What MOT testers find on the MG HS: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 45,337 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 3 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Brakes fails show up on 2.9 of every 100 MOTs of a MG HS at 3 years old (n=30,673), against 1.7 for all cars of that age (n=8,016,463).
- Tyres fails are less common: 3.5 per 100 MOTs against 4.8 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 3 years: brake pads under 1.5 mm, on 1.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars 1.0).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened, on 17.0 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 3 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.5 | 4.8 | 9.0 | 18.1 |
| Brakes | 2.9 | 1.7 | 20.0 | 8.8 |
| Lights and electrics | 2.8 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 2.3 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Body and structure | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Suspension | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| Steering | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Road wheels | under 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
What testers fail most on the HS at 3 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 1.7 | 1.0 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | Tyres | 1.4 | 0.3 | £53 to £125 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.3 | 1.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 1.0 | 0.6 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Washers: not working | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 0.9 | 0.3 | £28 to £118 per car (rough guide) |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 0.8 | 0.6 | £2 to £14 per car (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 0.8 | 0.2 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Headlight aimed too high | Lights and electrics | 0.7 | 0.9 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 0.5 | 1.9 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 0.4 | 0.2 | diagnosis from £39 (rough guide) |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 3 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 17.0 | 3.9 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 6.0 | 4.8 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 4.2 | 11.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Nail in tyre | Other | 3.7 | 2.3 | |
| Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt | Other | 3.1 | 2.1 | |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 2.3 | 3.7 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Suspension | 2.0 | 1.0 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 2.0 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread | Number plates and VIN | 1.6 | 0.5 | £23 to £63 per plate (rough guide) |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test | Other | 1.1 | 0.7 |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Tyres | Brakes | Lights and electrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 30,673 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| 4 years | 11,470 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 |
| 5 years | 3,194 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 2.2 |
Mileage
At 3 years, MG HS cars showing under 30,000 miles failed 10.0% of MOTs (n=21,494); the band that failed most, 30,000 to 60,000 miles, failed 15.9% (n=8,467). For pass and fail rates by age, see MOT fail rates by model.
What to check on a viewing
On the MG HS, testers most often record brake pads under 1.5 mm; tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative; tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Tyres
- Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
- Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
- Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the MG HS?
At 3 years, the age with the most MOT tests (30,673), the fail items testers record most often on the MG HS are brake pads under 1.5 mm (1.7 per 100 MOTs), tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative (1.4 per 100 MOTs), tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (1.3 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (17.0) and brake pads: wearing thin (6.0).
Which parts of the MG HS fail more often than on other cars?
At 3 years: brakes (2.9 per 100 MOTs against 1.7 for all cars). Compared with 8,016,463 MOTs of all cars the same age.
MG HS problems by area
More on the MG HS
Other MG models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a MG HS?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources