MG named most-improved brand in the What Car? Reliability Survey

If you drive an MG, or you've been thinking about one, there's some good news this autumn. MG has been named the most improved brand in the 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey, climbing into the top ten for the first time with a reliability score of 92.0%. Two of the models we know well here in Dumfries did particularly well, too:

• MGS5 EV: first place in the small family electric SUV class
• MG5: third place, finishing in the top three of its class

As the only MG dealer in Dumfries and Galloway, we thought it was worth explaining what's behind the result, and what it means if you own an MG in our part of the world.

Why this survey matters

The What Car? Reliability Survey is one of the UK's biggest independent looks at how cars actually hold up in everyday use. This year it gathered more than 39,000 responses from owners of cars up to five years old. Importantly, it doesn't just count faults. It also looks at how much repairs cost and how long cars spend off the road while they're being fixed. That means the support you get from your manufacturer and your dealer counts just as much as the car itself. And that's exactly where MG has been putting its effort.

What's changed behind the scenes

MG has spent the past year investing heavily in its aftersales operation. Here are the headlines.

Faster parts

A new parts warehouse in Daventry, Northamptonshire opened in November 2025 and dispatches around 2,500 orders a day. For participating dealers, parts ordered before the noon cut-off can arrive before 8am the next morning, ready for technicians to start work. So far in 2026, more than 96% of parts orders have been fulfilled first time.

Better-trained people

MG has invested around £500,000 in the Cecil Kimber College MG Academy at Longbridge, its training centre for dealers across the UK and Europe. The facility has doubled in size, workshop ramps have increased from four to nine, and each class can now take up to 100 delegates, up from 24. Training now goes beyond technicians to cover service advisers, parts managers and warranty specialists too, so you get informed help from your first phone call right through to collecting your car.

Expert back-up for workshops

A new three-level technical support system means dealer workshops can call on increasingly specialist help when a job gets tricky. The most complex cases go to MG's field engineers, nicknamed the "flying doctors", who visit dealerships to help resolve faults and share their know-how. MG has also grown its technical workforce by 30%.

Smarter diagnostics

New digital diagnostic equipment across the UK network lets technicians work on several vehicles from a tablet and carry out software updates more efficiently.

Keeping you moving

MG's expanded mobility programme gives eligible customers a replacement vehicle while their own car is repaired after a qualifying breakdown, and now goes beyond the previous 96-hour limit. It has already helped more than 3,000 customers in 2026.

What it means for MG drivers in Dumfries and Galloway

Around here, your car isn't a luxury. Whether it's the school run in Dumfries, the commute from Castle Douglas or Annan, or the long drive out to Stranraer, most of us rely on our cars every single day, often with plenty of miles between home and the nearest alternative. So when something does need fixing, how quickly you're back on the road matters just as much as the repair itself. That's why we're pleased to see MG's focus on getting parts, expertise and support to dealers faster. Our MG workshop on St Mary's Street is backed by that wider network, so local owners can be confident there's a manufacturer behind us that's serious about looking after them. As MG Managing Director William Wang put it: "At its heart, this is about delivering meaningful, dependable support at every stage of the ownership journey." That's something we've believed in for over 50 years as a family-run dealership.

Come and see us

Thinking about an MGS5 EV, an MG5, or any of the MG range? Or just due a service on the MG you already own? Pop in to see the team at 2 St Mary's Street, Dumfries, DG1 1HD, call us on 01387 255 291, or browse the range at jameshaugh.co.uk.