Safety body warns drivers NOT to buy this Chinese car

Europe’s leading car safety organisation has warned motorists to avoid buying Britain’s cheapest new hybrid car after the Chinese-made motor suffered a dangerous fault during crash tests.

Euro NCAP found that the seat latching mechanism on the MG3 Hybrid+ – which starts from £19,245 in UK showrooms – catastrophically failed the ‘frontal offset’ collision test.

This involves 40 per cent of the car’s front end taking the impact from smashing into a safety barrier at a speed of 31mph during controlled and repeatable lab tests.

The mechanism’s failure caused more severe damage to the crash test dummy’s right leg than if the seat had remained in place, resulting in a ‘poor’ score for protection of the driver’s right femur. 

Euro NCAP said that the type of failure had ‘not been seen’ since it began crash testing passenger vehicles in 1997, though acknowledged that the Chinese brand has improved the manufacturing process of the seat latching mechanism since August after raising the issue with MG.

A spokesman for the car maker also told the Daily Mail that ‘the specific concern’ is being ‘proactively investigated’.

Despite the concerning crash test fail, the MG3 hybrid still received an overall test score of four stars out of five. However, Euro NCAP said it will review its scoring system as a result.

Car safety organisation Euro NCAP has warned people to avoid buying the MG3 after it suffered a dangerous fault during testing: the seat latch failed during the 31mp frontal offset crash test

Launched in March 2024, the MG3 Hybrid+ claims to offer ‘drivers exceptional value, with state-of-the-art hybrid technology available for a comparable price or less than many petrol superminis presently on sale in the UK’. 

However, the crash test results will do little to make it appeal to customers, with Euro NCAP officials recommending ‘alternative’ models to motorists. 

Aled Williams, programme director at Euro NCAP, spoke on the MG3’s results: ‘It is 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. 

‘This fault has been reported to the relevant Type-Approval authorities so consideration can be given as to whether a vehicle recall should be issued. 

‘For that reason, we would recommend that consumers consider alternatives to the MG3.’

MG consequently told us: ‘With a technical appraisal underway, we are presently not in a position to add any more at this stage. 

‘We wish to reassure all customers that Euro NCAP’s feedback is valued and that MG is prioritising the matter and will naturally, be providing further updates.’

The seat latch mechanism failure resulted in extra impact on the dummy driver’s right leg, and making the head ‘bottom out’ against the steering wheel rather than the airbag

In the eyes of Euro NCAP, this issue is grave enough to warrant a look into how its safety scores are determined after the MG3 still managed a four-star rating despite this critical issue.

The safety body said: ‘Despite the highly unusual failure of a critical safety component, the car’s relatively strong performance in other areas allowed it to retain a four-star overall rating. 

‘Euro NCAP will review this aspect of its protocols, particularly considering manufacturers choosing not to rectify or improve failed safety elements.’ 

The entry MG3 Hybrid+ starts from just £19,245 in the most basic SE trim, while the most luxurious specification (Trophy) still costs just £21,245.

This is less than all its hybrid rivals, including the Renault Clio (from £21,595), Toyota Yaris (from £22,640), and Mazda2 (from £24,135).