Austin MINI Mayfair: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Austin MINI Mayfair fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 1.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 825 individual Austin MINI Mayfair tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 74.9% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -1.8 points |
| Tests analysed | 825 |
| Average mileage at test | 51,223 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1986 |
| Reliability rank | 1,622 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 74.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 25 in every 100 Austin MINI Mayfairs presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Austin MINI Mayfair tested had covered 51,223 miles and was built around 1986.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Austin MINI Mayfair bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.
Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.
Looking at a specific Austin MINI Mayfair rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Austin MINI Mayfairs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Austin MINI Mayfair
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 7.8% of tests (26.86x the national rate for this defect)
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.5% of tests (8.88x the national rate for this defect)
- An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.5% of tests (7.38x the national rate for this defect)
- Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 2.6% of tests (6.5x the national rate for this defect)
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.2% of tests (6.08x the national rate for this defect)
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 4% of tests (4.87x the national rate for this defect)
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.5% of tests (4.51x the national rate for this defect)
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.8% of tests (3.65x the national rate for this defect)
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.2% of tests (2.63x the national rate for this defect)
- A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.3% of tests (2.62x the national rate for this defect)
From 2,128 DVSA-tracked Austin MINI Mayfair tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.49% of these flagged Austin MINI Mayfair defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Other Austin models
- Austin MINI 1000 City E - 74.5%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Dacia Sandero - 75%
- Mercedes-Benz Slk - 75%
- Suzuki Sx4 - 75%
- Mercedes-Benz 220 - 74.9%
- Ford C-Max - 74.8%
- BMW 630 - 74.8%
If this car is a salvage or write-off
- What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
- What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
- Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
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