Mini MOT pass rates and reliability
We have 793,154 MOT tests on Mini cars from 2023, covering 10 models with enough tests to compare. Choose a model to see what it fails on most often, how its pass rate changes with age and how far it is typically driven.
Across 793,154 MOT tests on Mini cars in 2023, 76% passed first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. Of the Mini models with enough tests, the Countryman did best at 86% and the Mini did least well at 63%. Newer models pass more often whatever the make, so compare cars of a similar age.
Mini models
| Model | Tests | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | 306,321 | 63% |
| Cooper | 289,542 | 85% |
| Countryman | 87,958 | 86% |
| ONE | 50,867 | 80% |
| Clubman | 25,824 | 83% |
| John Cooper Works | 17,656 | 85% |
| Paceman | 7,986 | 85% |
| Roadster | 2,710 | 79% |
| Cooper SD | 2,667 | 72% |
| First | 1,623 | 74% |
What Mini cars fail on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, across all models, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics9.7% (all cars 11.3%)
- Tyres6.1% (all cars 6.4%)
- Brakes5.1% (all cars 6.8%)
- Visibility4.5% (all cars 4.8%)
- Suspension4.0% (all cars 9.0%)
- Exhaust and emissions3.8% (all cars 3.1%)
- Body and structure2.4% (all cars 3.5%)
- Steering1.0% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common Mini failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Position lamp: not working 3.4%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.6%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.8%
- Stop lamp: not working 1.1%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.1%
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 1.0%
- Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 1.0%
- Headlamp aim: too low 1.0%
Check a particular Mini
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.