Watch: MG hatchback suffers critical safety failure in crash tests
Our exclusive video shows rare seat failure in the MG 3 small hatchback during Euro NCAP tests
Crash safety organisation Euro NCAP has identified a critical safety failure with the MG 3.
During the MG 3’s crash test, its seat-latching mechanism failed. Euro NCAP says this is the first time a failure of this nature has occurred since it started testing cars in 1997.
Scroll down to see a video of what happened, how MG has reacted and the steps Which? has taken.
Exclusive video: seat-latching mechanism detaches during crash test
The video below, which is from the MG 3’s Euro NCAP test and exclusive to Which?, shows the moment the right-hand seat adjuster failed.
What went wrong in the MG 3'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 MG 3’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 MG 3 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 MG 3 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 MG 3.’
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’.
How has MG reacted?
MG has told Euro NCAP that it has committed to improving the design of the seat latch mechanism so it won’t detach in the event of an impact. This applies to all vehicles manufactured from August 2025.
We’ve contacted MG for additional comment, including whether MG 3 owners in the UK need to take any action, but MG didn't immediately reply. We will update this news story when we get a response.
What Which? is doing
It’s clear that the failure of the seat latching system is a very serious issue.
As such, we're marking the MG 3 as a Don't Buy as we don'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.
MG has, according to Euro NCAP, pledged to make changes to its design. We’re continuing to monitor the situation and are in communication with the relevant organisations.
What is the MG 3?
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 MG 3 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.
More than 9,000 MG 3 cars of this generation had been registered in the UK as of the end of March 2025.
Drive smarter and cut costs using our expert advice. Get our free monthly Cars newsletter