- One MG5 user’s car suffered a fault at a recharging station.
- The EV surged forward when a repairman put it in reverse.
- MG closed the case before reopening after media pressure.
Does MG have a runaway car problem? With heightened scrutiny on the safety of Chinese-made EVs, there seems to be a worrying trend of reported issues seemingly going unresolved. Be it in China or in Europe, reports continue to stack up.
For one MG5 owner in the UK, that concern turned into something more immediate. After what appeared to be a charging fault, their electric estate reportedly behaved as if it had a mind of its own, a story that uncomfortably echoes a 2023 case involving an MG ZS EV that also lost control.
Runaway 5
Writing to The Guardian, the MG5 owner recounted how their electric estate reportedly went “out of control” after charging at a motorway service station. According to the owner, the car wouldn’t respond to any input, forcing them to call the AA roadside assistance service for help.
Read: These Two Cars Managed To Earn A Shocking Zero-Star Safety Rating
When the AA patrolman tried to back the car up the car, it reportedly “surged forward” when reverse was selected. The car subsequently collided with the AA van, yet continued to spin its wheels. The roadside assistance operative was eventually able to shut the MG5 down from outside the car, and unsurprisingly deemed the car unsafe to drive.
Despite this, and a £2,500 repair bill (which was footed by the AA), the report states that MG then investigated the problem, charging the owner of the car an additional £500, and closed the case.
It took further intervention from The Guardian for the company to carry out a more detailed 25-mile test drive, but again concluded that “no malfunctions with any of the relevant in-vehicle equipment” were found, attributing the issue to an unspecified external error.
However, to MG’s credit, they reportedly didn’t charge for the second test and retracted the previous bill.
Same Same, But Different
A second incident back in 2023, reported by the BBC, saw a Glasgow driver’s MG ZS EV lose all braking function while traveling at 30 mph. Brian Morrison, 53, was forced to call 999 when his car became stuck at speed. Police officers carried out a “controlled halt,” instructing Morrison to drive into the back of a police van to stop the runaway vehicle.
More: EU Regulators Say Drivers Are Dying Inside Cars With Electric Door Handles
When the RAC later inspected the car, the technician reportedly found “pages of faults” in the diagnostic log and refused to restart it.
While both drivers escaped unharmed, the incidents have left owners unsettled, especially given the growing reliance on complex electronic systems in modern EVs.
With MG’s UK sales having surged in recent years, maybe these cases underscore the urgent need for transparency and swift investigation when software or control faults are suspected in electric vehicles. Or perhaps they require swifter intervention or investigation from the authorities as well.
