Euro NCAP urges MG3 owners to book the free seat-rail repair

Euro NCAP urges MG3 owners to book the free seat-rail repair

13 May 2026: Euro NCAP is asking every owner of an affected MG3 to arrange a free repair with an MG dealer as soon as possible. The recall covers MG3 cars built before August 2025 and follows a seat failure the testing body found in a frontal crash test.

Not yet independently verified. The story rests on Euro NCAP's own release. It gives no count of recalled cars and no build cut-off beyond "before August 2025"; the dealer confirms whether a given car is affected. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

How the seat came loose

The fault surfaced in Euro NCAP's independent crash testing in 2025. In the frontal test, the MG3 suffered a front seat rail failure, and the driver's seat became unlatched during the impact. Euro NCAP's related news item from 10 September 2025 is headlined "MG3 receives four stars after seat failure in crash test".

A seat that unlatches in a crash is not a cosmetic defect. The occupant is no longer held where the belt and airbag were designed to act. The release is brief about the mechanism and does not describe the load or speed at which the rail let go.

What MG agreed and changed

After a detailed technical review, MG agreed with Euro NCAP's findings that the problem could also occur in real-world crashes. It changed the design to remove the root cause. Euro NCAP says it verified the new design and that it eliminates any risk of the seat unlatching, and MG has fitted the change to cars coming off the line.

For cars already sold, MG developed a repair and worked with authorities in Europe and the United Kingdom to start a recall and repair campaign. The repair is free through authorised MG dealerships.

Which MG3 cars are affected

Euro NCAP names two versions in its advice: the MG3 and the MG3 Hybrid+. The dividing line it gives is the build date. Recorded owners of MG3s built before August 2025 should already have been contacted directly by MG, and owners of those cars are told not to ignore or delay the repair. Anyone buying a new MG3 is told the issue has been addressed.

Dr Aled Williams, Programme Director at Euro NCAP, said: "This was a significant safety flaw that Euro NCAP uncovered". He added that owners who have not heard about the recall, or have yet to act, should contact their local MG dealer, who will confirm whether the car is affected and arrange the work at no cost.

What fleets and lessors should check

Contact from MG goes to the recorded owner, so a car that sits with a lessor, was bought second-hand or has changed hands since registration may not generate a letter to the person who drives it. The release does not say how MG handles those cases. A fleet that runs MG3s should compare registration dates against the August 2025 line, ask the dealer to confirm each vehicle, and keep the completed repair in the maintenance record for the car.

The release does not say how many cars are involved. The release closes by saying the recall shows how testing bodies, manufacturers and regulators can work together.

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Sources

• Euro NCAP: Euro NCAP urges MG3 owners to complete free safety recall repair, 13 May 2026