How reliable is the MG Midget compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the MG Midget, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 80.0% across 959 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 do testers most often warn about on a MG Midget?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 11.5% of all MG Midget tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 45,283 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.

Model reliability file

MG Midget MOT pass rate & common failures

From 959 recorded MOT tests of the MG Midget, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 959 MOT tests, 80.0% of MG Midget tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the MG Midget 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 brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle, which appears in 18.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 45,283 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

80.0%unadjusted, not comparable959 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Midget. 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 959 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle18.8%
30 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
2.Emissions levels exceed default limits13.8%
22 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
3.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake11.9%
19 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
4.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen10.6%
17 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.6%
17 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Stop lamps all missing or inoperative10.0%
16 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
7.Audible warning inoperative8.8%
14 occurrencesHorn not working, or of the wrong type explained
8.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED8.1%
13 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.1%
13 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
10.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.9%
11 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users11.5%
110 tests
2.A wheel bearing with excessive play9.1%
87 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
3.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.7%
45 tests
4.A tyre seriously damaged3.2%
31 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)3.0%
29 tests
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn2.8%
27 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened2.4%
23 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.2%
21 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

What gets tested

The Midget fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 45,283
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (4)

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

MG MIDGET
MIDGET 1500
MIDGET SPORT
MIDGET SPORTS

Check a specific MG Midget

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 HS — 88.3% unadjusted
MG 3 — 75.1% unadjusted
MG 5 — 84.3% unadjusted
MG TF — 69.6% unadjusted
MG Mgf — 66.9% unadjusted
All MG models

Common questions

How reliable is the MG Midget compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the MG Midget, 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 80.0% across 959 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 Midget?: The item recorded most often is "Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle", which appears in 18.8% of failed MG Midget 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 Midget?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 11.5% of all MG Midget tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a MG Midget usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 45,283 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.

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.