2025 MOT results
MINI Cooper common problems
The most common reason a MINI Cooper fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 16.4% of its 55,483 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a bulge in a tyre at 6.0% of failures against 2.3% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 16.4% of failures against 8.3% expected; a sidelight out at 7.6% of failures against 4.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 355,275 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 15.6% 55,483 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 38.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a MINI Cooper MOT
Each bar is the share of failed MINI Cooper tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 16.4% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 12.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.0% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.6% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.3% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 6.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.0% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.9% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
16.4% of failures 8.3% expected 2 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Cut tyre
12.8% of failures 7.8% expected 1.6 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.0% of failures 9.5% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Sidelight out
7.6% of failures 4.4% expected 1.7 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn brake pads
6.4% of failures 7.9% expected somewhat less often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
6.3% of failures 5.8% expected about as expected
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a MINI Cooper, on 38.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 29.6%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 38.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 25.4% |
| Visibility | 23.8% |
| Brakes | 14.0% |
| Suspension | 9.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.8% |
| Road wheels | 1.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
38.0% of MINI Cooper tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On MINI Coopers, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.6% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.9% |
| Road wheels: slightly distorted Road wheels | 1.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 1.7% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 1.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a MINI Cooper gets older
A 2022 MINI Cooper failed 9.8% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2011 one failed 32.2%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 MINI Cooper 9.8% failed, from 34,437 tests
- Cut tyre 29.5%
- Bulge in a tyre 16.2%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 11.7%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 11.0%
- Headlamp aim set too high 7.8%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 6.6%
2011 MINI Cooper 32.2% failed, from 3,142 tests
- Sidelight out 29.4%
- Brake light out 10.1%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.1%
- Leaking damper 7.9%
- Headlamp aim set too low 6.5%
- Rear fog lamp out 6.2%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
MINI Cooper problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a MINI Cooper?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 16.4% of failed MINI Cooper tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 38.3% of failed tests.
How often does a MINI Cooper fail its MOT?
15.6% of MINI Cooper tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 355,275 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 60 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a MINI Cooper than on other cars?
Yes. “Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 6.0% of its failures against 2.3% for cars of the same age, and “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” appears on 16.4% of its failures against 8.3% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a MINI Cooper aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 355,275 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.