MG4 Reduction Gearbox Oil Leak

[AndyL61]

Picked up my Trophy yesterday, dealer told me from inspection at PDI that my car had a new breather fitted from Factory. I doubted it and low and behold after 60 miles done on car I indeed have oil leak at rear and on my drive.

Email with photos sent to dealer today.

My car was manufactured on 20th September 2022 and arrived in Portbury Docks on 17th November.

This is exactly what I've being saying in my post's. They are not fitting the modified breather before collection, and at PDI the oil leak won't be evident. They seem to be happy to release cars knowing they may leak and let the customer bring the car back first for verification that the leak exists then again to fit the new breather. This is bad customer service and it will go on & on for months to come. MG handling this terribly.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Picked up my Trophy yesterday, dealer told me from inspection at PDI that my car had a new breather fitted from Factory. I doubted it and low and behold after 60 miles done on car I indeed have oil leak at rear and on my drive.

Email with photos sent to dealer today.

My car was manufactured on 20th September 2022 and arrived in Portbury Docks on 17th November.

the biggest problem this car faces, either the worst communication ever between MG and the dealers or dealers just down right telling a pack of lies.
Had the car one day and it's got to go back to the dealers already, total joke.

I think the first reported oil leak on the forum was the beginning of October (sure someone can confirm) so unless they are leaking all over China your car was built before it was first reported here.
Unsure then how a car gets a new breather fitted for a problem that didn't exist till a month later (In the UK anyway)
Coming up for 3 months now this issue has been dragging on and still not fully resolved, could have and should have though. The solution was simple.

 

[Mr H]

Looking like its a phone call to the dealers when they reopen. Ive had our MG4 5 days and its showing the oil leak. It has a manufacture date of 10/05/2022

Went to the dealership yesterday they had it up on the lift took pictures and submitted a warranty claim to MG. Apparently this is the process they have to follow with MG. So we wait for the part and it shall be fitted when it arrives. The dealership have been great and they have been in the past when I have had issues with my ZS EV Mk1.

 

[Cocijo]

I get the impression, certainly from the 4 or 5 dealers that I’ve been to and spoken with, that they don’t have the greatest relationship with MG.
I know that sounds strange but I don’t think the dealers are given much authority or flexibility within the franchise. They also don’t seem to get much information from MG about new car shipments.
I’m not trying to defend dealers, far from it. I do wonder how well MG pay them for warranty work compared to other manufacturers. It would be interesting to find out.
Certainly with warranty issues everything seems to be as it was many years ago, getting proof and submitting evidence to get authority etc etc while the customer is stuck in the middle.
In addition it always seems to have to go back to China to get the relevant authority - why don’t MG have local regional technical people who can provide support and authority etc?
I also think that MG take a strict approach to warranty claims and will look to keep a very tight reign on these as much as they can - perhaps this is all part of their approach to keeping costs down and focusing on sales and new car pricing?

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I also think that MG take a strict approach to warranty claims and will look to keep a very tight reign on these as much as they can - perhaps this is all part of their approach to keeping costs down and focusing on sales and new car pricing?

All the while messing new owners around with various trips backwards and forwards to a dealers that could have all been avoided with a near 3 month old known issue.

1 day and 60 miles might be a new record, embarrassing

 

[BarryH]

I was sorry I had to let my MG 4 go and not go through with my order, but so many of the cars seem to manifest this fault so soon after delivery I doubt if I would have made it home, unfortunately.

But is it every car that has this problem or is there a large silent majority for whom this leaking problem is a complete non-event and not a drop of oil is escaping? Clearly, it is really unacceptable if it happens to your car, but is there any indication of what percentage of owners are dealing with this issue?

 

[Oberoy]

There is a poll
Thread 'MG4 Oil Leak Poll (Part 1)' MG4 Oil Leak Poll (Part 1)
This is for people who find the way here, so likely not truly representative of the wider ownership, they could either be largely unaffected or oblivious, though I would expect they would see the oil spots. There is a fix though this requires a meeting modified breather, that seems to take a week to arrive after diagnosis. The official line is new builds are now fitting with the fix, though I these batches are probably not yet being delivered with the timescale between production shipping and delivery.
I remain oil leak free at 1500 miles, we shall see how long it continues. TBH, I'm quite chilled about this, if it happens I'm fortunate to have a near by dealer, and the car remains drivable should it happen.

 

[AndyL61]

I was sorry I had to let my MG 4 go and not go through with my order, but so many of the cars seem to manifest this fault so soon after delivery I doubt if I would have made it home, unfortunately.

But is it every car that has this problem or is there a large silent majority for whom this leaking problem is a complete non-event and not a drop of oil is escaping? Clearly, it is really unacceptable if it happens to your car, but is there any indication of what percentage of owners are dealing with this issue?

I know I have a negative attitude to this and to MG's handling of this issue, but I believe as this is caused by a very basic design issue then it must be present in all cars that have not had the modified breather fitted. I do accept that there are other things that can affect the likelihood such as length of journeys , speed of journeys, the act of checking for the leak and also the fact that a reduced amount of oil could reduce the leaking effect. But the fundamental problem is purely down to the design and positioning of the breather and as such it means that all cars have the potential to leak until this design is modified. The breather mod just enables an amount of oil to be held in the breather tube which will run back into the casing once stopped driving. There are a lot more cars leaking yet to be discovered and they are still being delivered to customers. Sad but true.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I know I have a negative attitude to this and to MG's handling of this issue, but I believe as this is caused by a very basic design issue then it must be present in all cars that have not had the modified breather fitted. I do accept that there are other things that can affect the likelihood such as length of journeys , speed of journeys, the act of checking for the leak and also the fact that a reduced amount of oil could reduce the leaking effect. But the fundamental problem is purely down to the design and positioning of the breather and as such it means that all cars have the potential to leak until this design is modified. The breather mod just enables an amount of oil to be held in the breather tube which will run back into the casing once stopped driving. There are a lot more cars leaking yet to be discovered and they are still being delivered to customers. Sad but true.

Exactly why else will every future car be leaving the factory with the modified breather fitted

 

[wiz043]

Exactly why else will every future car be leaving the factory with the modified breather fitted

Simply because MG could not give a rat's otherwise they would issue a recall.
They are just relying on new owners experiencing the issue putting up with it or returning the car for the mod.
Surely all MG dealers would be aware of this oil leak problem by now but maybe they have not got the intestinal fortitute to put pressure on MG to put a recall in place.
Every other major vehicle manufacturer does this when an obvious fault becomes known whether it is a safety issue or not.

 

[BugEyed]

Exactly why else will every future car be leaving the factory with the modified breather fitted

And exactly when will deliveries to UK customers of these "improved" cars begin?

 

[Deleted member 10041]

They had an opportunity to fix this before the newer cars left the dealerships and didn't.

Twice I've asked now if anyone has been contacted to bring their cars in for the fix, for the locking in the car issue, a far more serious issue with potentially dangerous implications.

After both times I've asked not a single member has stated they have been proactively contacted by their dealer/MG

Plenty are contacting their dealer and asking but it speaks volumes that there has been no contact the other way.

Really poor

 

[wiz043]

And exactly when will deliveries to UK customers of these "improved" cars begin?

I would imagine when all the ones that have left the factory and now on ships with the original breather have been sold, as new buyers on this forum alone are still reporting oil leak issues just after delivery.
If I was to pick up one from a dealer now I would insist on seeing proof that the modified breather had actually been fitted before parting with cash and if the dealer puts on a puzzled 'act' show them a copy of complaints from this forum and others and google searches etc.
Also I would not accept the so called 'lowering oil level' fix as all they are trying to do if lower the level to such an extent that it will not find it's way out of the faulty breather which could cause issues with gear lubrication down the track.
The amount of oil originally placed in this area is done for a reason.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

It's sad, as has become apparent today, dealers are now claiming they have been fitted and it's just not the case

 

[wiz043]

It's sad, as has become apparent today, dealers are now claiming they have been fitted and it's just not the case

They are either just downright lying or have been advised by MG that modifications have been done.
Either way it is deception and will come back to haunt the brand in the long run.

 

[AndyL61]

Exactly why else will every future car be leaving the factory with the modified breather fitted

Let's hope you're right. But could take months for any evidence of this to come through. They are still delivering cars made from before the oil leak was heard of , and still down to the customer to find it and take it back at least twice to get it fixed.

 

[Greenie]

It's sad, as has become apparent today, dealers are now claiming they have been fitted and it's just not the case

I'll be asking my dealer to swear on his child's life that the breather has been done. I'll then check.
I, for one, can't bring myself to knowingly drive a car with an oil leak around, dropping oil to catch out an unsuspecting motor cyclist.
In fact, I think the Department for Transport should stop MG from releasing oil drippers onto the roads.

 

[Cocijo]

Has anyone got to the bottom of why this oil issue has raised its head now? Are other countries experiencing this issue?
The car has been available and in use outside the UK for quite a while, so you would think that this sort of thing would have been discovered long before now?

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Has anyone got to the bottom of why this oil issue has raised its head now? Are other countries experiencing this issue?
The car has been available and in use outside the UK for quite a while, so you would think that this sort of thing would have been discovered long before now?

There are reports in France and Germany, not sure about Spain yet, maybe some of our Spanish members can confirm, and we will probably never know about China.
There was a you tube clip a while back from China claiming a good few issues withe the Mulan and SAIC in general and poor reputation in China, again there is no way of really validating that

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I'll be asking my dealer to swear on his child's life that the breather has been done. I'll then check.
I, for one, can't bring myself to knowingly drive a car with an oil leak around, dropping oil to catch out an unsuspecting motor cyclist.
In fact, I think the Department for Transport should stop MG from releasing oil drippers onto the roads.

Oil on the road is really hazardous for motor bikes, hopefully the amount leaking might not present a major problem.
I'd also like to know the long term prognosis on the reduction gearbox of little to no oil within.
If someone has a gravel drive/parking different places on a street and isn't on social media/forums they could be oblivious to the leak