How many MG 3 cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 53,691 licensed and 623 SORN vehicles in the UK within the MG 3 generic-model group.
Looking at a 3?
Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Wondering whether one particular 3 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the 3 disappearing?
53,691 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the 3 is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 184% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 623 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 54,314 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.
3 MOT pass rate
In 2024, 74.9% of 15,066 MG 3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 81.5% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 68.1% aged 10–14 years.
- Condition — 4.4% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.6% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Brake Performance — 3.4% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Wipers — 2.6% of tests. Worn wiper blades. Minutes to fix, and a fair hint that servicing was skipped.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the MG 3 MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Condition — 4.4% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.6% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Brake Performance — 3.4% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Wipers — 2.6% of tests in 2024. Worn wiper blades. Minutes to fix, and a fair hint that servicing was skipped.
- Check the actual 3 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Quarterly licensed and SORN counts
Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 53,691 | 623 |
| 2025 Q4 | 49,655 | 682 |
| 2025 Q3 | 47,208 | 565 |
| 2025 Q2 | 43,645 | 584 |
| 2025 Q1 | 40,976 | 479 |
| 2024 Q4 | 38,276 | 444 |
| 2024 Q3 | 36,014 | 454 |
| 2024 Q2 | 32,639 | 519 |
| 2024 Q1 | 29,613 | 406 |
| 2023 Q4 | 28,784 | 345 |
| 2023 Q3 | 28,250 | 273 |
| 2023 Q2 | 27,414 | 251 |
| 2023 Q1 | 26,475 | 245 |
| 2022 Q4 | 24,713 | 223 |
| 2022 Q3 | 24,335 | 205 |
| 2022 Q2 | 23,131 | 192 |
| 2022 Q1 | 22,470 | 192 |
| 2021 Q4 | 20,628 | 163 |
| 2021 Q3 | 20,370 | 186 |
| 2021 Q2 | 19,845 | 184 |
| 2021 Q1 | 18,890 | 228 |
| 2020 Q4 | 18,194 | 267 |
| 2020 Q3 | 17,701 | 209 |
| 2020 Q2 | 17,257 | 191 |
| 2020 Q1 | 16,860 | 154 |
| 2019 Q4 | 16,076 | 177 |
| 2019 Q3 | 15,273 | 146 |
| 2019 Q2 | 14,514 | 136 |
| 2019 Q1 | 13,540 | 98 |
| 2018 Q4 | 12,612 | 98 |
| 2018 Q3 | 12,237 | 95 |
| 2018 Q2 | 11,654 | 97 |
| 2018 Q1 | 10,853 | 85 |
| 2017 Q4 | 10,300 | 167 |
| 2017 Q3 | 9,760 | 89 |
| 2017 Q2 | 8,895 | 32 |
| 2017 Q1 | 8,227 | 31 |
| 2016 Q4 | 7,269 | 80 |
| 2016 Q3 | 6,789 | 89 |
| 2016 Q2 | 5,803 | 50 |
| 2016 Q1 | 5,240 | 23 |
| 2015 Q4 | 4,306 | 21 |
| 2015 Q3 | 3,740 | 1 |
| 2015 Q2 | 3,092 | 5 |
| 2015 Q1 | 2,462 | 1 |
| 2014 Q4 | 1,904 | 2 |
| 2014 Q3 | 1,576 | 3 |
Other MG models
- ZS — 133,658 licensed. MOT pass rate
- HS — 120,142 licensed
- 4 — 48,656 licensed
- MGB — 25,082 licensed
- 5 — 15,224 licensed
- Midget — 9,266 licensed
See how many of every MG model are left
Common questions
How many MG 3 cars are left in the UK?
53,691 were licensed and 623 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many MG 3 cars are SORN?
623 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 54,314 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the 3 disappearing?
53,691 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the 3 is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 184% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 623 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 54,314 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the MG 3 MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 74.9% of 15,066 MG 3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.
What does the 3 fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (4.4% of tests), headlamp aim (3.6% of tests), brake performance (3.4% of tests).
Does this say whether one 3 is a good buy?
No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.
Source and limitations
Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.
Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.