Mini Cooper MOT failure rate and common faults
631,654 Mini Cooper cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 22.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 27.8% of the time, which makes the Mini Cooper 18% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
22.7%
failed first time
631,654 MOT tests in 2025
-18%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 27.8%
59 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
78.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 103.2
What fails on a Mini Cooper MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Mini Cooper MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 41.9 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 31.6 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 21.2 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 20.6 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 14.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 13.6 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 13.5 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 13.3 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 11.8 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 11.6 |
Mini Cooper MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 38,896 | 9.6% | 11.4% | 20,100 |
| 2021 | 38,252 | 11.3% | 12.8% | 26,200 |
| 2020 | 37,352 | 11.9% | 14.1% | 30,700 |
| 2019 | 50,169 | 12.1% | 16.5% | 36,800 |
| 2018 | 45,486 | 13.1% | 19.1% | 42,700 |
| 2017 | 46,135 | 15.1% | 21.8% | 50,500 |
| 2016 | 46,248 | 16.4% | 25.1% | 57,400 |
| 2015 | 46,138 | 18.4% | 28.1% | 64,600 |
| 2014 | 31,799 | 20.7% | 31.4% | 69,900 |
| 2013 | 41,849 | 26.9% | 34.3% | 75,800 |
| 2012 | 36,761 | 28.9% | 36.6% | 80,100 |
| 2011 | 30,640 | 33.3% | 38.8% | 85,400 |
| 2010 | 31,645 | 34.3% | 40.7% | 87,200 |
| 2009 | 27,177 | 38.9% | 41.8% | 89,400 |
| 2008 | 23,642 | 41.2% | 42.9% | 95,000 |
| 2007 | 22,253 | 43.0% | 42.7% | 92,700 |
| 2006 | 18,380 | 43.6% | 43.0% | 95,400 |
| 2005 | 18,832 | 44.2% | 42.4% | 98,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Mini Cooper's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Mini Cooper, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge224.7
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing169.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened102.6
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive69.5
- Brake pads: wearing thin66.7
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened65.3
Checking a used Mini Cooper before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mini Cooper fails more often than average on engine, emissions and leaks. Start there.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Mini Cooper cars tested: Petrol 81%, Diesel 15%. Average age at test 10.3 years, average recorded mileage 61,300.
Mini Cooper MOT questions
What is the Mini Cooper MOT failure rate?
22.7% of Mini Cooper cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 631,654 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 27.8% of the time, so the Mini Cooper was 18% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mini Cooper MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 139 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Position lamp: not working", recorded 41.9 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mini Cooper year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 16.4% failed against an average of 25.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Mini Cooper will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mini Cooper tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Mini models
- Mini Countryman16.9% failed
- Mini Clubman21.1% failed
Ranked close to the Mini Cooper
- Kia Stonicrank 56
- BMW 2 Seriesrank 57
- Jaguar XFrank 58
- Volkswagen Golfrank 60
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Mini Cooper cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.