MINI Mini MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

MINI Mini MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The MINI Mini passed on its first attempt in 70.1%, and its overall record sits −5.0 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the MINI Mini in the 2023–2025 data: 1,024,301 tests across 18 model years (2001–2018). 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 MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded MINI Mini DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the MINI Mini, each with how many of the model's 1,024,301 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 61,347 MINI Mini tests, 6.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 51,533 MINI Mini tests, 5.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 50,605 MINI Mini tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 22,831 MINI Mini tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 15,707 MINI Mini tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 14,039 MINI Mini tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst MINI Mini Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest MINI Mini model year on record is 2017 (94.3% across 53 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (68.2%). The gap between them is 26.1 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 Mini Owners

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

• 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 exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside 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 Mini. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: MINI Mini MOT & Reliability