MINI First MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

MINI First MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The MINI First passed on its first attempt in 80.2%, and its overall record sits +2.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the MINI First in the 2023–2025 data: 5,454 tests across 5 model years (2009–2013). 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 First MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the MINI First, 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 First's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded MINI First DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the MINI First, each with how many of the model's 5,454 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 401 MINI First tests, 7.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 240 MINI First tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 226 MINI First tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 135 MINI First tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 114 MINI First tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 71 MINI First tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst MINI First Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest MINI First model year on record is 2012 (84.8% across 1,457 tests), and the weakest is 2009 (70.5%). The gap between them is 14.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

MINI First reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for MINI First Owners

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

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  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 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 wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: MINI First MOT & Reliability