2025 MOT results
MG TF common problems
The most common reason a MG TF fails its MOT is a weak handbrake, on 16.3% of its 2,644 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a horn not working at 8.6% of failures against 1.3% expected; emissions above the limit at 5.7% of failures against 2.0% expected; a weak handbrake at 16.3% of failures against 6.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 8,694 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 30.4% 2,644 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 53.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a MG TF MOT
Each bar is the share of failed MG TF tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (11 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 16.3% |
| Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.6% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 8.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.4% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 7.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | 6.3% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 6.1% |
| SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.8% |
| Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Weak handbrake
16.3% of failures 6.6% expected 2.5 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.1% of failures 4.1% expected 2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.4% of failures 7.5% expected about as expected
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Emissions above the limit
7.3% of failures 4.2% expected 1.7 times as often
The exhaust gases are outside the limits for the car, which can be the catalytic converter, a sensor, or simply a poor state of tune.
A long run before the test helps a catalyst get hot; a persistent failure usually needs a diagnosis.
-
Washers that do not work
7.0% of failures 5.1% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
Which parts of the car fail
Brakes is the area that most often fails a MG TF, on 34.2% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is noise, emissions and leaks, on 24.9% against 17.6% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 34.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 33.2% |
| Suspension | 29.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 24.9% |
| Visibility | 19.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.4% |
| Tyres | 10.9% |
| Steering | 9.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
53.1% of MG TF tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On MG TFs, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.9% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 9.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 7.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.8% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 6.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 5.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.4% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 4.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.2% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 4.0% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
MG TF problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a MG TF?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” is the most common: it appears on 16.3% of failed MG TF tests. Across categories, brakes is the area that most often fails one, on 34.2% of failed tests.
How often does a MG TF fail its MOT?
30.4% of MG TF tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 8,694 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 60 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a MG TF than on other cars?
Yes. “Horn: not working” appears on 8.6% of its failures against 1.3% for cars of the same age, and “Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits” appears on 5.7% of its failures against 2.0% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a MG TF aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 8,694 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.