Rover MINI: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Rover MINI fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 11,138 individual Rover MINI tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 26 in every 100 Rover 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 Rover MINI tested had covered 50,387 miles and was built around 1994.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Rover MINI sits 3 points below the national average, ranked 1,654 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 Rover 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Rover MINIs at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Rover MINI

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 7.7% of tests (21.64x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.7% of tests (10.11x the national rate for this defect)
3. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.8% of tests (6.46x the national rate for this defect)
4. 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., 3.3% of tests (6.29x the national rate for this defect)
5. 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, 2.3% of tests (5.27x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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, 4.9% of tests (5.15x the national rate for this defect)
7. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 2.4% of tests (4.7x the national rate for this defect)
8. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.7% of tests (4.16x the national rate for this defect)
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.9% of tests (2.32x the national rate for this defect)
10. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.7% of tests (2.18x the national rate for this defect)

From 11,138 DVSA-tracked Rover MINI tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.11% of these flagged Rover MINI defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Rover MINI

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Rover MINI before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 7.5% of tests (11.52x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.5% of tests (3.63x the national rate for this advisory)
3. 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, 4.9% of tests (3.26x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A shock absorber bush excessively worn, 1.2% of tests (2.49x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 12.4% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.4% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 15.1% of tests
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 7.1% of tests
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 6.5% of tests
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 5.2% of tests

From 11,138 DVSA-tracked Rover MINI tests, 2024.

Rover MINI pass rate by model year

From its 1990 to its 2001 model year, the Rover MINI's first-time pass rate has fallen 0.5 points, from 76.6% to 76.1%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Rover MINI year:

• 1990 Rover MINI - 76.6% first-time pass, 956 tests
• 1991 Rover MINI - 75.8% first-time pass, 902 tests
• 1992 Rover MINI - 73% first-time pass, 789 tests
• 1993 Rover MINI - 70.4% first-time pass, 877 tests
• 1994 Rover MINI - 72.5% first-time pass, 857 tests
• 1995 Rover MINI - 73.6% first-time pass, 740 tests
• 1996 Rover MINI - 70.7% first-time pass, 769 tests
• 1997 Rover MINI - 74% first-time pass, 627 tests
• 1998 Rover MINI - 74.8% first-time pass, 861 tests
• 1999 Rover MINI - 74.9% first-time pass, 756 tests
• 2000 Rover MINI - 76.5% first-time pass, 1,100 tests
• 2001 Rover MINI - 76.1% first-time pass, 368 tests

Other Rover models

• Rover 75 - 62.6%
• Rover 25 - 69.2%
• Rover 45 - 62.1%
• Rover 216 - 70.7%
• Rover Metro - 70.4%
• Rover 214 - 67.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Toyota Avensis - 73.7%
• Kia Soul - 73.7%
• Volvo Xc70 - 73.7%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Progressive Cdi - 73.7%
• MINI Countryman Cooper D All4 - 73.7%
• Volkswagen Scirocco - 73.6%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate