2012 MINI Cooper Auto: MOT pass rate and reliability

86.6% of 2012 MINI Cooper Autos pass the MOT first time, measured across 410 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 56,126 miles.

How the 2012 compares

• Against all MINI Cooper Autos (83.2%, 1,472 tests): +3.4 points
• Against all 2012 cars (70.8%): +15.8 points
• National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every MINI Cooper Auto model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2012 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the MINI Cooper Auto:

What this means if you are buying a 2012 Cooper Auto

The 2012 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 3.4 points more often than the MINI Cooper Auto average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 14-year-old car fails on

A 2012 car is 14 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

• Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
• Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
• Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
• Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
• Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
• Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is around average, so condition and service history will tell you more than the odometer does. On a 2012 MINI Cooper Auto the average at test was 56,126 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

2012 is the strongest year on record for this model at 86.6%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.

Nearby model years

• 2013 MINI Cooper Auto - 84.2%

All MINI Cooper Auto MOT data · Every model