Petrol MINI Cooper: MOT pass rate

89% of petrol MINI Coopers pass the MOT first time, measured across 186,568 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 41,279.

Petrol against the other MINI Cooper versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.

On the MINI Cooper specifically, petrol is the strongest at 89%, and this petrol version sits 0.7 points above the 88.3% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

There is little to choose between fuel types on this model, so decide on running costs and mileage rather than MOT record. 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 petrol MINI Cooper had covered 41,279 miles at test, against 70,771 for the diesel. That is below average for a car this age, worth a mileage-consistency check since an unusually low reading is sometimes clocking rather than luck.

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 petrol MINI Cooper

1. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.3% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber, 0.3% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.7% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
4. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.2% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.6% of tests
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.1% of tests
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1% of tests
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.7% of tests
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.5% of tests

From 186,128 DVSA-tracked petrol MINI Cooper tests, 2024, split out from the MINI Cooper's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 6.13% 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 petrol MINI Cooper

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

1. A tyre seriously damaged, 23.4% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.6% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 20.4% of tests, also fails
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.6% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 4.5% of tests
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.1% of tests
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.8% of tests
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 1% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1% of tests
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 0.9% of tests

From 186,128 DVSA-tracked petrol MINI Cooper tests, 2024.

Other MINI Cooper fuel types

• Diesel MINI Cooper - 84%

All MINI Cooper MOT data · Every model