First MOT, major fail, both front suspension bushes

[siteguru]

Very surprised there replacing under warranty wear and tear surly.

Not unless they're covered by the warranty - which is 36 months according to Clive.

 

[Kithmo]

Very surprised there replacing under warranty wear and tear surly.

Dangerous wear and tear on a car that is not gone through its first MOT.

 

[stevie211]

Mine wasnt 2 yrs old when they found the bushes cracking and splitting so worth checking prior to the mot

 

[PeteC]

Mine was 2 years old at about 22000 miles when the dealer found worn bushes at the second service. They were replaced under warranty. Seemed very early to me for this to happen.

 

[T1 Terry]

Interesting, starting to sound like a design fault, MG know about it and they changed the design with the updated rear window wiper model ...... does that match the failed v still good suspension bush discoveries?

T1 Terry

 

[stevie211]

Mine was an early model without rear wiper

 

[siteguru]

Mine is an early model without rear wiper, and nothing was mentioned about them at any of the 3 services (and 1 MOT) mine has had. Mine's only done about 14k miles though.

 

[gazza487]

Mine had its first MOT last year. It was fine but I did have a track rod end that was knocking like a good’un the year prior, which was done under warranty (believe suspension bits have 2 years on them).

 

[NickHeynes]

MY early 4 flew through it's first MOT and had all four tyres changed at 54000. Sounds like I was lucky!

 

[jasonh]

This was picked up on our mg5 on its first mot as an advisory last december.
if it is the same as our mg5, then I was told by mg that the warranty was for 45000 miles (ours is on 75000).
Just decided to take the hit, and had the lowers replaced

 

[Macadoodle]

Looks like it's going to be a common failure on these cars as they age.

If you own and intend to keep your MG 4, I would strongly advise cleaning out the 4 recessed 'cups' that are formed into the top of the front subframe where the bushes in question attach.

The bolts securing the track control arms pass through the subframe and bushes at these points and the tops with the nut are submerged in water, road salt, rocks, you name it

I covered mine in thick grease first year of ownership and they're pretty rust free.
If those bolts turn into a lump of rust it'll make a pretty straightforward job a complete mare, if the subframe rusts through -- total disaster

 

[fshuk1]

Looks like it's going to be a common failure on these cars as they age.

If you own and intend to keep your MG 4, I would strongly advise cleaning out the 4 recessed 'cups' that are formed into the top of the front subframe where the bushes in question attach.

The bolts securing the track control arms pass through the subframe and bushes at these points and the tops with the nut are submerged in water, road salt, rocks, you name it

I covered mine in thick grease first year of ownership and they're pretty rust free.
If those bolts turn into a lump of rust it'll make a pretty straightforward job a complete mare, if the subframe rusts through -- total disaster

Could you take some pictures. I don't know what cups in front sub-frame means

 

[MG Clive]

Could you take some pictures. I don't know what cups in front sub-frame means

Take a look at this video @fshuk1, it shows the tops of the 'cups' where the rubber bushes sit.

 

[tsedge]

Had my 3 year service and MOT today and it failed: both front lower arm bushings worn and one seriously so.

Now arguing with my dealer whether or not this will be fixed under warranty. They initially said not and this was normal for all cars - I pointed out it wasn't and the warranty said otherwise. Then I was told MG make it very difficult to claim.

Quoted over £250 per arm to replace (they will not replace the bushing, just the whole assembly).

Complaint already put in to the dealer and I'll escalate as needed. Am also seeing what local independent garages could do. Bushes cost £15 each, no corrosion and shouldn't be hard with the right equipment.

Videos of the problem and full details all here:

Thread 'MOT Fail! Lower Suspension Arm Bushings'

Feb 20, 2026

Just been in for third service and first MOT at 32,000 miles and it failed the MOT on worn lower-arm bushings (both at front, one failed and one part-worn). The video evidence looks convincing.

Anyone else had a problem with these?

£250 each at my MG dealer to fix, because they replace the whole lower arm, although I believe the bushing itself is about £15 (but would need pressing into the existing lower arm assembly).

Have booked in but will also find out what the cost would be at an independent garage and if they'll just change the bushings, not the arms. Will cancel if I find a...

• tsedge
• 32000 miles lower suspension arm mg4 routine service suspension bushing suspension wear vehicle inspection failure
• Replies: 51
• Forum: MG4 EV (2022 to 2025) Forum

• 
• 

Not unless they're covered by the warranty - which is 36 months according to Clive.

36 months and 45,000 miles.

 

[T1 Terry]

Had my 3 year service and MOT today and it failed: both front lower arm bushings worn and one seriously so.

Now arguing with my dealer whether or not this will be fixed under warranty. They initially said not and this was normal for all cars - I pointed out it wasn't and the warranty said otherwise. Then I was told MG make it very difficult to claim.

Quoted over £250 per arm to replace (they will not replace the bushing, just the whole assembly).

Complaint already put in to the dealer and I'll escalate as needed. Am also seeing what local independent garages could do. Bushes cost £15 each, no corrosion and shouldn't be hard with the right equipment.

Videos of the problem and full details all here:

Thread 'MOT Fail! Lower Suspension Arm Bushings'

Feb 20, 2026

Just been in for third service and first MOT at 32,000 miles and it failed the MOT on worn lower-arm bushings (both at front, one failed and one part-worn). The video evidence looks convincing.

Anyone else had a problem with these?

£250 each at my MG dealer to fix, because they replace the whole lower arm, although I believe the bushing itself is about £15 (but would need pressing into the existing lower arm assembly).

Have booked in but will also find out what the cost would be at an independent garage and if they'll just change the bushings, not the arms. Will cancel if I find a...

• tsedge
• 32000 miles lower suspension arm mg4 routine service suspension bushing suspension wear vehicle inspection failure
• Replies: 51
• Forum: MG4 EV (2022 to 2025) Forum

• 
• 

36 months and 45,000 miles.

Put a CC to the vehicle safety people when you send the email to escalate the claim ..... or just do that at the dealer level first, just to let them know to pass it on to MG, that the current nonsense isn't going to be tolerated and the vehicle safety mob could demand a total recall to evaluate how serious the problem is ..... Dealers losing their dealer licence or MG losing their access to the UK market, just might be enough to scare the powers that be back in China that the game they are playing could have a devastating effect on their market share

Here in Australia, we have the Dept of Fair Trading. Anything to do with a licenced vehicle sales or mechanical repair business, it's a case of "fix it or say goodbye to your licence to trade" .... if the party still refuses to solve the issue, they are also hit with a court enforced order to pay the cost for another dealer to fix the problem, and this money goes to the person lodging the claim ... up to them if they want to use a dealer to fix the problem, or they take it to Joe's garage to fit the part and pocket the change

T1 Terry

 

[siteguru]

Over here it's the DVSA ... Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency. (Which is different to the DVLA ... Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency ... the latter is for driving licences and Vehicle Excise Duty ["Road Tax"], and the former is for vehicle safety).

 

[T1 Terry]

Over here it's the DVSA ... Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency. (Which is different to the DVLA ... Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency ... the latter is for driving licences and Vehicle Excise Duty ["Road Tax"], and the former is for vehicle safety).

Then they are the ones to show this recurring problem and let them determine if it is natural wear and tear or a defective design or materials problem ..... from there, they wouldn't have much option than to call in a random sample of MG4s to inspect themselves .....

I wouldn't mind betting word gets to MG well before that happens and they suddenly have a change of heart about fixing the problem bushings.

The fact they change the whole lower arm rather than just the bushing, indicates they know there is a problem .....

T1 Terry

 

[BryG]

The dealer picked this up at the 2nd service. MG said it wasn't bad enough but got it done under warranty 6 months later. Can't fault the dealer. Clearly MG have saved too much on the bushes.

 

[Tuareg]

Clearly MG have saved too much on the bushes.

Why? Simply because a handful of owners on here have had 'problems' getting the work handled under warranty? The vast majority of MG owners don't post on this forum, so 'experiences' from a handful of owner (without the input from the dealers they approached) isn't a valid representation of this 'issue' being manhandled by MG.

 

[siteguru]

I've got to agree ... anecdote is not data, at least not of significance anyway. I've not personally checked mine, but my car had no advisories whatsoever at first MOT last November - the first car I've ever had which has sailed through its first MOT. If this was a generic issue, shouldn't mine have suffered this too?