Should I be worried about the number of used MG4s around at the moment?

[Bam Bam]

I would normally agree but , in my case I had a lease car that was going back and I couldn't wait around for demonstrators, pre reg or used examples to com up . I wanted to go electric and there weren't any other comparable deals to the MG 4 out there . In addition to that PCP's are often set up to favour a new car purchase ( lower finance rates etc) especially when doing high mileage.
I'm still saving a fortune on fuel , and I still really like the car so I'm happy to wait .

Agree - we've always bought old petrol cars. But electric cars only became good a few years ago, so had to buy a nearly new one in order to go electric.

Very different to our usual MO and I expect we will revert to having 5-10ish year old EVs eventually. Like maybe when this one gets to 8 or 10 we will get one that is about 4 years old or something.

 

[tsedge]

Buying a new EV isn't sensible from a cost point of view. Used wins every time.

However, if cost isn't a priority and you want the latest and greatest, you can insulate yourself from some risks if you get a good lease or PCP deal, for a price. At least you get certainty on costs.

Cars are not good financial investments, unless you are very wealthy enough to collect them!

 

[NickHeynes]

Buying a new EV isn't sensible from a cost point of view. Used wins every time.

However, if cost isn't a priority and you want the latest and greatest, you can insulate yourself from some risks if you get a good lease or PCP deal, for a price. At least you get certainty on costs.

Cars are not good financial investments, unless you are very wealthy enough to collect them!

I'd agree . While I'm commuting it make sense to go through PCP route or to lease .When I retire things will probably change as far as financing my next car but one!

 

[Starplots]

We have Just got past the 2nd anniversary of the MG4 being released into the UK, there will be a lot of cars dropping out of lease schemes as their previous owners move on to something new, be that another MG4 (if they liked it) or something different. There are a lot of ID.3s for example on the market at the moment for the same reason.

3rd anniversary. I see a lot of comments on the MG4 owners FB group where people are trading in but the majority are 2 year leases or PCP with quite a few 1 year leases too. Distorts the numbers as there are more EV’s to choose from as well!

 

[Kevin Smith]

I guess that depends if you own one and plan to trade for something newer. If like me you usually buy used it's great. That said the last 2 cars I've bought new because there weren't and used fuel efficient diesel estates in 2014 (but I then kept that for 11 years) and there weren't any good used EVs in late 2022 to compare with a new MG4. This year there were more new and used small cheap EVs but the MG4 had incomparable space/price/range and now almost continuous 30% off offers so we got a second. We may now keep the 2 4s until we die/can't drive/are taken away by the men in white coats...

 

[Phil]

Can’t think of a reason to sell mine after 2 years and 35000km. Due for 1st service and will put a tow-bar. Don’t know if they’ll update any software but tbh , I’ve no issues with that aspect. I guess a lot of folk turn over their cars every two to three years.

 

[domwild]

Agree - we've always bought old petrol cars. But electric cars only became good a few years ago, so had to buy a nearly new one in order to go electric.

Very different to our usual MO and I expect we will revert to having 5-10ish year old EVs eventually. Like maybe when this one gets to 8 or 10 we will get one that is about 4 years old or something.

More relevant to Australian readers: Bought my MG4 51kWh Excite in 2024 for AU$40k minus $3,500 WA (West Aus.) gov. rebate. Two months later one company was selling them for $31k, a $9,000 drop, perhaps 2023 models? Now they are selling for $38,000 and no more gov. rebate, so they definitely upped the price again and that may tempt former buyers to sell again??

 

[decrep]

I can't predict the future, but at 80 this could be our last car, fits us exactly.

 

[T1 Terry]

More relevant to Australian readers: Bought my MG4 51kWh Excite in 2024 for AU$40k minus $3,500 WA (West Aus.) gov. rebate. Two months later one company was selling them for $31k, a $9,000 drop, perhaps 2023 models? Now they are selling for $38,000 and no more gov. rebate, so they definitely upped the price again and that may tempt former buyers to sell again??

I bought our MG4 51 for $30,000 outright ..... well, the smooth talking accessories sales leech sold the wife on an addition $2,000 worth of $500 add ons, so it was really $3200 that was vaporised from the bank account, but I would never consider trading the MG4 51 on an MG5 .... now to pick which of the other 15 vehicle to sacrifice to the wolves .... do you think I'd get a good trade in valuation on an ex taxi gen 2 Prius with 720,000kms something on the clock? It might be the enamel orange that has oxidised rather severely in the harsh South Australian sun that might affect it's trade in value .... maybe reverse logic .... how much off if I don't trade it in

T1 Terry

 

[JonnyG]

Thinking of getting an Mg4 - most likely Trophy LR. However I am a bit concerned by the number of low mileage / not very old cars on the markets as it would seem to suggest that a lot people get them and don't like them/have too many issues etc. So just checking in with real world owners here so get a feel on what it's like to own the car please? I have read a lot about the software issues and faults, most of which seem to be resolved in the end. And as in most things there are bound to be more social posts on issues than - i love the car - it's all good etc. Anyway I'd love your thoughts thank you

Just my personal view and I'm sure it will be shot down by MG fan boys but IMHO MG are a "stack ‘em high" and "sell 'em cheap" type of car retailer. Again all IMHO but they will eagerly sell you a car with all sorts of promises but once sold to you their aftersales and dealing with warranty issues can be a massive battle to get things sorted to your satisfaction unless you have a very good dealer.

It can also take a considerable amount of time and multiple dealer visits to put things right in some cases. Some parts can also be hard to get quickly and hence it can take take a long time to fix certain issues and even then can take considerable pressure from multiple owners for MG UK to accept it is a genuine issue

If you look at independent customer satisfaction surveys MG have also done extremely poorly in most. A quick Perplexity search comes up with:-

Quote :-

“Reliability and Problems

Where the MG4 struggles is reliability. According to What Car?’s 2024–2025 owner reliability survey, the MG4 finished last out of 18 electric cars, scoring just 63.8%, with widespread faults in electronics, infotainment, and bodywork. This contributed to MG being rated the least reliable car brand in the UK, with the MG4 specifically cited as its weakest-performing model. Around 30–37% of MG4s reported faults, and 68% of affected vehicles took over a week to repair”

I did the underlining btw.

A ChatGPT research also gives similarish results

Quote from ChatGPT :-

What’s less good / causes for caution

• According to a review on Carbuyer, for the MG4 and the brand overall:

“It’s not good news for MG in terms of customer satisfaction … the brand came in dead last out of 32 manufacturers in our most recent 2024 Driver Power survey.”

They report ~28.1% of MG owners reported an issue in the first year of ownership.

• In the reliability survey by What Car? (used cars up to 5 years old) MG as a brand scored 76.9% (worst among brands); and the MG4 model specifically scored just 63.8% reliability, making it the worst performing EV in that survey.

• There have been owner complaints and independent test concerns with the MG4’s driver assistance systems (lane-keep and lane departure) in the UK.

• On the dealer / service side, reviews of the brand’s UK after-sales have been poor in online review sites: e.g., the company’s Trustpilot profile shows a very low average (1.8/5) from many customer service complaints.

Bottom line

While the MG4 has many strong attributes (value for money, good spec, strong warranty, awards) it appears that owner satisfaction and reliability (especially based on current survey data in the UK) are weaker than many rivals. If you’re considering buying one, it would be wise to factor in:

• The potential risk of more frequent issues/repairs compared to top-brands.

• Inspect which version you look at (early vs later build) since some problematic driver-assistance software updates have been flagged.

• Consider servicing and dealer network experience in your local area (since after-sales appears variable).

• Balance the award-winning aspects (value, design) with the risk side (owner satisfaction, reliability) — depending on how much risk you’re comfortable taking.



Then there is the big fiasco over the Xpower vibration issue that owners are not getting resolved in the UK even though MG Australia recognised the issue straight away.

 

[salty]

Just my personal view and I'm sure it will be shot down by MG fan boys but IMHO MG are a "stack ‘em high" and "sell 'em cheap" type of car retailer. Again all IMHO but they will eagerly sell you a car with all sorts of promises but once sold to you their aftersales and dealing with warranty issues can be a massive battle to get things sorted to your satisfaction unless you have a very good dealer.

It can also take a considerable amount of time and multiple dealer visits to put things right in some cases. Some parts can also be hard to get quickly and hence it can take take a long time to fix certain issues and even then can take considerable pressure from multiple owners for MG UK to accept it is a genuine issue

If you look at independent customer satisfaction surveys MG have also done extremely poorly in most. A quick Perplexity search comes up with:-

Quote :-

“Reliability and Problems

Where the MG4 struggles is reliability. According to What Car?’s 2024–2025 owner reliability survey, the MG4 finished last out of 18 electric cars, scoring just 63.8%, with widespread faults in electronics, infotainment, and bodywork. This contributed to MG being rated the least reliable car brand in the UK, with the MG4 specifically cited as its weakest-performing model. Around 30–37% of MG4s reported faults, and 68% of affected vehicles took over a week to repair”

I did the underlining btw.

A ChatGPT research also gives similarish results

Quote from ChatGPT :-

What’s less good / causes for caution

• According to a review on Carbuyer, for the MG4 and the brand overall:

“It’s not good news for MG in terms of customer satisfaction … the brand came in dead last out of 32 manufacturers in our most recent 2024 Driver Power survey.”

They report ~28.1% of MG owners reported an issue in the first year of ownership.

• In the reliability survey by What Car? (used cars up to 5 years old) MG as a brand scored 76.9% (worst among brands); and the MG4 model specifically scored just 63.8% reliability, making it the worst performing EV in that survey.

• There have been owner complaints and independent test concerns with the MG4’s driver assistance systems (lane-keep and lane departure) in the UK.

• On the dealer / service side, reviews of the brand’s UK after-sales have been poor in online review sites: e.g., the company’s Trustpilot profile shows a very low average (1.8/5) from many customer service complaints.

Bottom line

While the MG4 has many strong attributes (value for money, good spec, strong warranty, awards) it appears that owner satisfaction and reliability (especially based on current survey data in the UK) are weaker than many rivals. If you’re considering buying one, it would be wise to factor in:

• The potential risk of more frequent issues/repairs compared to top-brands.

• Inspect which version you look at (early vs later build) since some problematic driver-assistance software updates have been flagged.

• Consider servicing and dealer network experience in your local area (since after-sales appears variable).

• Balance the award-winning aspects (value, design) with the risk side (owner satisfaction, reliability) — depending on how much risk you’re comfortable taking.



Then there is the big fiasco over the Xpower vibration issue that owners are not getting resolved in the UK even though MG Australia recognised the issue straight away.

Totally agree. Once MG have got ya money, they don't give a Shit. And MG do seem to be worse than others.
But it's basically the same with any manufacturer, and not just cars. Nobody thinks for one second, that any company gives a Toss, once they've got ya Dosh.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Thinking of getting an Mg4 - most likely Trophy LR. However I am a bit concerned by the number of low mileage / not very old cars on the markets as it would seem to suggest that a lot people get them and don't like them/have too many issues etc. So just checking in with real world owners here so get a feel on what it's like to own the car please? I have read a lot about the software issues and faults, most of which seem to be resolved in the end. And as in most things there are bound to be more social posts on issues than - i love the car - it's all good etc. Anyway I'd love your thoughts thank you

I think if you were to pick on any car that's been around since 2022 and scan its 2nd hand adverts there will be a close match in low/high mileage models available. In France there are lots of 2nd hand MG4s available , but we at the time got generous grants for electric cars but we had to keep them a minimum of a year and 6000 kms , and then that grant could not be applied for again for 3 years. Consequently some people got a cheap car they could try for a couple of years without losing too much money so they flew off the shelves, many on PCP deals which are now ending . Around 50% of that stock has quite high mileage which is pretty encouraging for the model, if they are spending long periods of time having problems fixed at the dealers they cannot be doing the miles.
As with any individual car a scrutiny of its history is key , if its low mileage is a red flag.
For myself , its great and a keeper, I would have more concerns for a low mileage diesel which has been running cold for most of its time on the road.

 

[siteguru]

Low mileage isn't necessarily a red flag ... mine's just coming up to 12k miles in almost 3 years; not because it's a lemon (or that anything at all is wrong with it), just that I'm retired so a low mileage owner.

PS - mine's not for sale; I've no intention of changing it anytime soon.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Low mileage isn't necessarily a red flag ... mine's just coming up to 12k miles in almost 3 years; not because it's a lemon (or that anything at all is wrong with it), just that I'm retired so a low mileage owner.

PS - mine's not for sale; I've no intention of changing it anytime soon.

Completely agree with that sentiment , the OP did mention about concerns about low mileage cars and presumably a connection as to why there are quite a few available. Many reasons why of course , too many to list, but the obvious first thought is " don't like it, dump it" to which the OP wanted answers. Again on this forum there have been a good number with those views to which they are entitled, and yet again many of us who are happy with their choices , a view which could be echoed around many different car forums from every manufacturer.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm retired too. Mine is setting off on its sixth trip from Scotland to Brighton in a couple of days. I wouldn't have been so eager to drive an ICE car on these trips. (Although to be fair, when I lived in Sussex, I pretty much wore my own groove in the M6.)

 

[T1 Terry]

A lot of MGs bad rep seems to stem from the MG UK lack of caring than the vehicles themselves ...... when did a problem with the radio make a vehicle a poor choice regarding reliability?
Sure, the MG XPower early issues gave them a bad name, but do they still have the same problem after a certain manufacture date?

I think these problem car reports that @JonnyG posted need to be divided up into safety and drivability problem, and second group for those annoying issues that shouldn't be there in a new car .....

Let's face it, the vibration issue in the XPower is at speeds that aren't even legal in Australia .... and we don't have roads smooth enough to identify a minor vibration from the "come to be accepted" feel of a vehicle doing it's best to keep all 4 wheels on the road at any one time .... Germany has the Autobahn, Australia has the auto launch ..... but we have a much bigger area for the roads to cover and much heavier vehicles using them along with a much smaller population to fund the upkeep .........

When the radio or heater setting become a driveability problem, it might be time for those people to start taking busses and trains for a while ...... I doubt the problems will appear near as bad once they get to drive the MG4 again .....

T1 Terry

 

[Tuareg]

Just my personal view and I'm sure it will be shot down by MG fan boys but IMHO MG are a "stack ‘em high" and "sell 'em cheap" type of car retailer. Again all IMHO but they will eagerly sell you a car with all sorts of promises but once sold to you their aftersales and dealing with warranty issues can be a massive battle to get things sorted to your satisfaction unless you have a very good dealer.

It can also take a considerable amount of time and multiple dealer visits to put things right in some cases. Some parts can also be hard to get quickly and hence it can take take a long time to fix certain issues and even then can take considerable pressure from multiple owners for MG UK to accept it is a genuine issue

Well, BMW are a "stack 'em high" and "sell 'em expensive" type of car retailer. I bought my 2009 330D touring from a dealer in Birmingham but I lived in Surrey, no problem, it was the spec I was looking for. The car was only 3 months old with 2500 miles on the clock. After washing the car at home a couple of days later I notices what looked like 2-3 large tar stains on the wing and bonnet but in fact they were under the clear coat on grey metallic paint. Went to my local BMW dealer and they said that the car had been repainetd at some point. The original dealer denied that so I then had to go to the nearest otjer dealer about 30 miles as the supplying dealer was too far away for that kind of issue. This dealer said it hadn't been repainted at all and was a clearly factory issue which looked like a problem with the painting process. It took more than 3 months to get the bonnet and wing repainted under warranty when in fact it should have been sorted out immediately. No courtesy car was provided. I went back to the local dealer who claimed the car was repainted and they stuck to their story, so I never ever went back there for any service or anything else. Appalling treatment that caused me lots of hassle and wasted time.

I will never, ever touch a BMW again after that experience and the Xpower is better in every way except the leather interior of the BMW. That 330D cost me £34,000 in late 2009. The Xpower cost me the equivalent of £26,000 brand new in 2025. No contest in price, performance, running costs and in my experience, quality. Friends have had similar unprofessional issues with other well known manufacturers.