MG TF MOT pass rate & common failures

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

We are not publishing a ranking for the TF. 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 8,683 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1. 1.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement18.6%

   425 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

2. 2.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play10.8%

   246 occurrencesBall joint worn explained

3. 3.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired9.8%

   224 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

4. 4.Audible warning inoperative9.2%

   209 occurrencesHorn not working, or of the wrong type explained

5. 5.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded8.4%

   192 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

6. 6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.4%

   191 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

7. 7.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer8.2%

   187 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained

8. 8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.7%

   153 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

9. 9.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits6.5%

   148 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained

10. 10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.4%

    145 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1. 1.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured21.0%

   1,826 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

2. 2.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded14.5%

   1,260 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

3. 3.A tyre seriously damaged13.7%

   1,188 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

4. 4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.3%

   981 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

5. 5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.1%

   787 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

6. 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.0%

   612 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

7. 7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.8%

   593 tests

8. 8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play6.7%

   582 testsBall joint worn explained

What gets tested

The TF fleet

Average mileage recorded at test

57,655

Across examples of every age, so this is a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure.

Fuel mix of tested cars

Petrol100.0%

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 Mgf — 66.9% unadjusted
• MG 4 — 88.8% unadjusted
• All MG models →

Common questions

How reliable is the MG TF compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the MG TF, 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 69.6% across 8,683 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 TF?

The item recorded most often is "Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement", which appears in 18.6% of failed MG TF 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 TF?

The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 21.0% of all MG TF tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 57,655 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.

Further reading

Make sense of the numbers

• How to judge reliability from evidence rather than reputation
• What counts as high or low mileage for a car’s age
• The most common MOT failures and how to avoid them
• What to check before buying a used MG