MINI MINI: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The MINI MINI fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 8.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 261,157 individual MINI MINI tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 68.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 32 in every 100 MINI MINIs 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 MINI MINI tested had covered 89,692 miles and was built around 2008.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a MINI MINI 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. See how it stacks up against the Ford Fiesta.

Looking at a specific MINI MINI 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 MINI MINIs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a MINI MINI

1. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.7% of tests (12.37x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.2% of tests (10.83x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 2.2% of tests (5.53x the national rate for this defect)
4. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.6% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.2% of tests (2.62x the national rate for this defect)
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.5% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.7% of tests (2.26x the national rate for this defect)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.4% of tests (1.9x the national rate for this defect)
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.6% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect)
10. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.9% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)

From 426,309 DVSA-tracked MINI MINI tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.35% of these flagged MINI MINI defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

MINI MINI pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each MINI MINI year:

• 2001 MINI MINI - 60.5% first-time pass, 1,935 tests
• 2002 MINI MINI - 60.1% first-time pass, 8,002 tests
• 2003 MINI MINI - 61.6% first-time pass, 12,406 tests
• 2004 MINI MINI - 61.2% first-time pass, 17,335 tests
• 2005 MINI MINI - 61.7% first-time pass, 21,566 tests
• 2006 MINI MINI - 62.4% first-time pass, 20,411 tests
• 2007 MINI MINI - 64.4% first-time pass, 24,897 tests
• 2008 MINI MINI - 65.6% first-time pass, 25,479 tests
• 2009 MINI MINI - 68.7% first-time pass, 28,301 tests
• 2010 MINI MINI - 74.7% first-time pass, 30,341 tests
• 2011 MINI MINI - 76.5% first-time pass, 25,851 tests
• 2012 MINI MINI - 80% first-time pass, 22,149 tests
• 2013 MINI MINI - 82.3% first-time pass, 19,173 tests
• 2014 MINI MINI - 83.8% first-time pass, 525 tests

MINI MINI by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol MINI MINI - 68.2% first-time pass, 214,900 tests
• Diesel MINI MINI - 74.3% first-time pass, 43,594 tests

Other MINI models

• MINI Cooper - 87.9%
• MINI Countryman - 89.1%
• MINI Cooper S - 88.1%
• MINI One - 84.8%
• MINI Clubman - 85.1%
• MINI John Cooper Works - 87.8%
• MINI MINI (R60) - 79%
• MINI Paceman - 86.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Alfa Romeo Brera - 68.8%
• Vauxhall Zafira - 68.7%
• Toyota Landcruiser Colorado - 68.6%
• Chevrolet Orlando - 68.5%
• Mazda Eunos - 68.5%
• Suzuki Splash - 68.4%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Does a car's age affect its MOT pass rate? We checked 32.6 million tests
• 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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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate