MINI Roadster MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

MINI Roadster MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The MINI Roadster passed on its first attempt in 85.0%, and its overall record sits +5.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the MINI Roadster in the 2023–2025 data: 9,016 tests across 5 model years (2012–2016). 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 Roadster MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded MINI Roadster DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the MINI Roadster, each with how many of the model's 9,016 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 353 MINI Roadster tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 266 MINI Roadster tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 180 MINI Roadster tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 148 MINI Roadster tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 126 MINI Roadster tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 109 MINI Roadster tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst MINI Roadster Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest MINI Roadster model year on record is 2016 (92.4% across 66 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (85.5%). The gap between them is 6.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

MINI Roadster reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.5 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 Roadster Owners

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

• 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 shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: MINI Roadster MOT & Reliability