MG 3 Faces Safety Setback : Europe’s leading vehicle safety body, Euro NCAP, has uncovered a serious safety flaw in the MG 3 supermini. During a frontal offset crash test, the car’s seat latching mechanism failed, causing the driver’s seat to twist and increasing the risk of injury.
Seat Latching Mechanism Failure Raises Concerns
According to Euro NCAP, when 40% of the car’s front end collided with a barrier, the driver’s seat latch failed, allowing the seat to rotate.
- This resulted in higher impact forces on the dummy’s right leg.
- The driver’s femur protection was graded “Poor.”
- Euro NCAP noted it had never witnessed such a failure in its 28 years of crash testing.
Airbag Protection Also Questioned
The test also revealed that the driver’s head could “bottom out” through the airbag. As a result, head protection was rated only “Adequate.”
MG’s Corrective Measures
- In August 2025, MG reinforced the seat latching system.
- By October 2025, MG has promised to redesign the airbag.
- However, these updates won’t apply to cars already delivered since the MG 3’s launch.
Recall Possibility and Euro NCAP’s Response
Euro NCAP has reported these issues to type-approval authorities, who will decide if a recall is necessary.
The agency also confirmed that it will revise its crash test protocols to penalize cars for such safety failures in the future.
Current Safety Rating
Despite the issues, the MG 3 still received a four-star rating, as Euro NCAP’s current system has no penalty mechanism for component failures.
Euro NCAP’s Statement
Euro NCAP programme director Aled Williams stated:
“This is an almost unheard-of occurrence. But we will update our protocols and scoring system so that such failures are properly reflected.”