MINI Mini John COOPER MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

MINI Mini John COOPER MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The MINI Mini John COOPER passed on its first attempt in 69.2%, and its overall record sits −6.4 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the MINI Mini John COOPER in the 2023–2025 data: 114 tests across 2 model years (2008–2009). 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 Mini John COOPER MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded MINI Mini John COOPER DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the MINI Mini John COOPER, each with how many of the model's 114 tests it was noted on.

• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 6 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 5.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective" (Major) — noted on about 4 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 4 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 4 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault" (Major) — noted on about 3 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 3 MINI Mini John COOPER tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst MINI Mini John COOPER Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest MINI Mini John COOPER model year on record is 2008 (75.8% across 62 tests), and the weakest is 2009 (73.1%). The gap between them is 2.7 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 Mini John COOPER Owners

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

• the lights — “position lamp not working”

  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 suspension joints — “linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: MINI Mini John COOPER MOT & Reliability