Chinese car maker MG is recalling more than 10,000 MG3 vehicles after a potentially deadly safety issue was identified.
Euro NCAP, the European new car assessment program, carried out a crash test that revealed the model failed.
Engineers found that the driver’s seat latching mechanism failed, something which has not been seen before in Euro NCAP testing since it began work in 1997.
‘In the event of collision, the inner side of the cushion frame may move forward and downwards much further than expected,’ a recall notice said on Monday.
This would ‘inadvertently contact’ the unlocking lever and then the locking pin, which could causing the inboard rail to unlock.
‘In the event of an accident if the driver seat moves excessively, it could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants,’ the notice said.
The warning, which was listed on the federal government’s vehicle recalls page, has a spreadsheet identifying 10,516 affected cars from the years 2024 to 2025.
In addition to the seat mechanism failure, the driver dummy’s head was found to ‘bottom out’ the airbag, contacting the steering wheel. As a result, head protection was downgraded to ‘adequate’.
Chinese car maker MG is recalling more than 10,000 vehicles after a safety issue
The notice said that, in the event of an accident if the driver seat moves excessively, it could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants
The warning listed on the government website included a spreadsheet identifying 10,517 cars
MG Motor Australia will contact impacted owners directly, and advise them to schedule an appointment with an authorised dealership to have the fix carried out.
Euro NCAP’s programme director Aled Williams was alarmed by the crash test 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,’ he said.
‘This fault has been reported to the relevant Type-Approval authorities.’
MG was car maker but is now owned by SAIC Motor Corporation, the largest of the ‘Big Four’ state-owned Chinese car manufacturers.
The brand has marketed itself as a value-focused alternative to established Japanese and European makers, with low prices, long warranties and high equipment levels.
