How reliable is the MG HS compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the MG HS, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 88.3% across 32,716 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a MG HS?

The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 21.7% of failed MG HS tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a MG HS?

The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 23.9% of all MG HS tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a MG HS usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 28,770 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most MG HS models petrol or diesel?

Of the MG HS cars tested, 85% are petrol, 15% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

MG HS MOT pass rate & common failures

From 32,716 recorded MOT tests of the MG HS, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 32,716 MOT tests, 88.3% of MG HS tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the MG HS fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which appears in 21.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 28,770 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

88.3%unadjusted, not comparable32,716 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the HS. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 32,716 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed MG HS tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm21.7%
586 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged19.2%
519 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative13.5%
365 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained
4.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn11.6%
313 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.7%
234 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen7.0%
189 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured4.7%
127 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction4.6%
124 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen4.4%
119 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution3.5%
95 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all MG HS tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured23.9%
7,698 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.3%
2,673 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged7.8%
2,527 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.6%
2,453 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Nail in tyre4.0%
1,276 tests
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt3.9%
1,261 tests
7.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage2.9%
926 testsShock absorber defective explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged2.6%
843 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

What gets tested

The HS fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 28,770
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol84.9%
Hybrid15.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (18)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

HS EXCITE
HS EXCITE DCT
HS EXCITE PHEV AUTO
HS EXCITE S-A
HS EXCLUSIVE
HS EXCLUSIVE PHEV AUTO
HS EXCLUSIVE S-A
HS SE
HS SE AUTO
HS SE PHEV AUTO
HS SE S-A
HS TROPHY
HS TROPHY AUTO
HS TROPHY DCT
HS TROPHY HEV AUTO
HS TROPHY PHEV AUTO
HS TROPHY S-A
MG HS

Check a specific MG HS

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other MG models

MG ZS — 82.1% unadjusted
MG 3 — 75.1% unadjusted
MG 5 — 84.3% unadjusted
MG TF — 69.6% unadjusted
MG Mgf — 66.9% unadjusted
MG 4 — 88.8% unadjusted
All MG models

Common questions

How reliable is the MG HS compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the MG HS, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 88.3% across 32,716 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a MG HS?: The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 21.7% of failed MG HS tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a MG HS?: The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 23.9% of all MG HS tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a MG HS usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 28,770 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most MG HS models petrol or diesel?: Of the MG HS cars tested, 85% are petrol, 15% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.