MG3s recalled in UK over critical seat failure
Owners of affected models should contact their local MG dealership for advice
With a masters degree in automotive journalism, Dino has a forensic knowledge of the car industry and works closely with our lab to find the best (and worst) models.
Michael joined Which? in 2017 and is the senior researcher on the Cars team. He’s passionate about improving safety and fairness for all road users — from drivers to pedestrians.
MG3 owners in the UK are being notified of a recall, three months after it was revealed the car had suffered a critical failure in crash safety tests.
During the MG3’s crash test, its seat-latching mechanism failed.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed the car is now subject to a recall for the underlying problem to be fixed.
Crash safety organisation Euro NCAP said it was the first time a failure of this nature had occurred since it started testing cars in 1997.
What will the recall involve?
The recall applies to both MG3 and MG3 Hybrid+ models, sold from 2024 onwards.
Which? understands the recall applies to cars manufactured before August 2025.
The affected models will be recalled to allow the issue to be fixed. This will involve an attachment being fitted to the seat rail to prevent delatching.
The recall notices state around 2,115 cars are affected, although DVSA data suggests the number could be higher.
The recall will be conducted free of charge, as is required for all car recalls.
The recall is classed as standard, rather than an urgent stop-drive recall, so owners can continue using their vehicles while the issue is addressed.
Owners started receiving letters in November. Any owners of affected models who haven't received a letter should contact their local MG dealership to check whether the issue applies to their car.
Which? has contacted MG to ask for further details about the recall.
Exclusive video: seat-latching mechanism detaches during crash test
The video below, which is from the MG3’s Euro NCAP test and exclusive to Which?, shows the moment the right-hand seat adjuster failed.
What went wrong in the MG3's crash test?
The issue occurred during the frontal offset test – one of the most demanding in the Euro NCAP programme. This test involves crashing the car at an offset angle and at a closing speed of 100km/h (62mph) into an obstacle. It was during this test that the right-hand seat adjuster of the MG3’s driver seat failed, causing the seat to twist partway through the impact.
This resulted in extra forces being applied to the dummy’s right leg, with protection for that body region assessed as ‘poor’.
Because the MG3 did so poorly in this aspect of the test, Euro NCAP was unable to complete its assessment on what protection it could give to occupants of different sizes or occupants in different seating positions.
What did Euro NCAP say?
Despite the failure, the MG3 still scored four stars out of five because of its performance in other areas of the crash test.
Euro NCAP says that this is because its scoring system doesn’t allow for deductions when a component fails in this way.
However, the organisation has acknowledged that this case has exposed a gap in its scoring framework and committed to reviewing this aspect of its test protocols.
Euro NCAP programme director, Aled Williams, said: ‘It's troubling to find a car on sale in 2025 with a fundamental weakness in its seat latching mechanism, an essential part of the car’s occupant restraint system.
‘For that reason, we would recommend that consumers consider alternatives to the MG3.’
Euro NCAP has also reported the fault to regulatory bodies such as the UK's Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for it to assess the extent of the problem.
When we asked the DVSA what action it would take, it told us that it's ‘actively monitoring the situation and will work with the manufacturer to ensure that any potential safety defects are addressed promptly’.
What Which? is doing
In September, we marked the MG3 as a Don't Buy as we didn't yet have sufficient reassurance that this failure won't happen again in the real world, and there are other, similar cars that perform well in safety tests overall. We have updated our safety notices on our review of this car, and will review its Don't Buy status in early 2026.
What is the MG3?
MG is one of many Chinese car manufacturers that sell cars in the UK, and is owned by the state-owned SAIC company (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation).
The MG3 is the smallest car MG sells in Europe. It’s a supermini that rivals lower-priced cars such as the Renault Clio and Suzuki Swift. It’s available as both a petrol and a full hybrid, and was launched in February 2024.