Diesel MINI Cooper: MOT pass rate

84% of diesel MINI Coopers pass the MOT first time, measured across 29,462 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 70,771.

Diesel against the other MINI Cooper versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the MINI Cooper specifically, petrol is the strongest at 89%, and this diesel version sits 4.3 points below the 88.3% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel MINI Cooper fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel MINI Cooper had covered 70,771 miles at test, against 41,279 for the petrol. That is a shade above the middle of the range, still ordinary wear rather than a red flag, but worth checking against the service book for the car's age.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the MINI Cooper page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel MINI Cooper

1. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.6% of tests (2.25x the national rate for this defect)
2. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.7% of tests (2.1x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.7% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.9% of tests
6. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.7% of tests
7. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.6% of tests
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.3% of tests
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.2% of tests
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.9% of tests

From 29,445 DVSA-tracked diesel MINI Cooper tests, 2024, split out from the MINI Cooper's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 6.82% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel MINI Cooper

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.8% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 18.4% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.7% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 8.1% of tests, also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.4% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.9% of tests
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.6% of tests
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.5% of tests
10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.3% of tests

From 29,445 DVSA-tracked diesel MINI Cooper tests, 2024.

Other MINI Cooper fuel types

• Petrol MINI Cooper - 89%

All MINI Cooper MOT data · Every model