2003 MG TF 1.8L Petrol · HV03 XMA

The most recent MOT on file is from January 2025, with 80,978 miles recorded. At over a year and a half old, that pass is now quite dated, so the car’s current condition can’t be verified from this history alone. It passed with only minor advisories for a binding nearside rear brake and front and rear subframes corroded but not seriously weakened. However, the earlier MOTs tell a more concerning story. Twice this car failed on structural corrosion severe enough to jeopardise rigidity. In November 2022, the offside front subframe mount was so rotten it reduced the stiffness of the whole assembly, and in December 2023 the offside front suspension arm was corroded and seriously weakened. Both items were clearly repaired to gain a pass shortly after, but the same areas continue to appear as advisories for corrosion right through to the most recent test. The underlying problem hasn’t gone away, so metal deterioration remains the number one risk. There’s a consistent supporting cast of age-related wear: multiple suspension bushes worn (though not to excess), play in the steering rack inner joint, corroded coolant pipes running under the floor, a transmission oil leak, and an engine management light that triggered two failures. The low annual mileage – roughly 3,500 miles per year – points to a car that’s done very little for a 23-year-old vehicle.