MINI COOPER Graphite MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

MINI COOPER Graphite MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The MINI COOPER Graphite passed on its first attempt in 77.6%, and its overall record sits −0.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the MINI COOPER Graphite in the 2023–2025 data: 194 tests across 2 model years (2009–2010). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common MINI COOPER Graphite MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the MINI COOPER Graphite, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the MINI COOPER Graphite's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded MINI COOPER Graphite DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the MINI COOPER Graphite, each with how many of the model's 194 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 13 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 6.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 12 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 6.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 11 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 5.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 7 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 5 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 4 MINI COOPER Graphite tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst MINI COOPER Graphite Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest MINI COOPER Graphite model year on record is 2009 (80.5% across 87 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (80.4%). The gap between them is 0.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for MINI COOPER Graphite Owners

These checks follow this MINI COOPER Graphite's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a MINI COOPER Graphite.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the MINI COOPER Graphite. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: MINI COOPER Graphite MOT & Reliability