Used car guide · 2011–2016

MG 6 common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used MG 6, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 5,647 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

5,647MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
1,600on the UK register
2013best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

201620152014201320122011

What usually goes wrong with an MG 6?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the MG 6 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common MG 6 MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, for each fuel on its own. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

Petrol

  • Suspension arm

    up to 12.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Rigid brake pipes

    up to 7.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Anti-roll bar link joints

    up to 6.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Sub-frame

    up to 5.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Ball joint

    up to 3.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2013 and 2014.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

MG 6 MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2013 MG 6 did best (63% passed first time, 4 points below all 2013 cars) and the 2014 did worst (59%, 11 points below all 2014 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
201668%77% -9905
201564%74% -101,148
201459%70% -111,162
201363%67% -4607
201258%64% -61,312
201156%62% -6513

Questions to ask the seller before buying an MG 6

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 9.6× as often on the MG 6 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the sub-frame? (Flagged at MOT 5.5× as often on the MG 6 as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the suspension arm? (Flagged at MOT 10.9× as often on the MG 6 as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at an MG 6?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score