2025 MOT results
MINI John Cooper Works common problems
The most common reason a MINI John Cooper Works fails its MOT is a bulge in a tyre, on 20.3% of its 2,998 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 20.3% of failures against 2.5% expected; a tyres lump at 4.3% of failures against 0.9% expected; a torn tyre at 3.6% of failures against 2.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 22,402 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.4% 2,998 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 30.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a MINI John Cooper Works MOT
Each bar is the share of failed MINI John Cooper Works 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 20.3% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 13.6% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 11.4% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 7.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 5.1% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
| Tyres: lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 4.3% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.8% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 2.7% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Bulge in a tyre
20.3% of failures 2.5% expected 8.1 times as often
A bulge in the sidewall, where the casing inside the tyre has failed after an impact.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Cut tyre
13.6% of failures 8.9% expected 1.5 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.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
11.4% of failures 9.1% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.4% of failures 10.0% 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.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
7.0% of failures 6.1% 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.
-
Worn brake pads
5.1% of failures 8.6% expected 1.7 times 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a MINI John Cooper Works, on 52.5% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 31.9%.
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 | 52.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.7% |
| Visibility | 16.0% |
| Brakes | 11.7% |
| Suspension | 9.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.6% |
| Road wheels | 3.1% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
30.1% of MINI John Cooper Works tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On MINI John Cooper Workses, 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 | 10.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 3.8% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.1% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 1.1% |
| Road wheels: slightly distorted Road wheels | 1.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 0.9% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 0.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a MINI John Cooper Works gets older
A 2022 MINI John Cooper Works failed 8.1% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2016 one failed 16.9%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 MINI John Cooper Works 8.1% failed, from 2,437 tests
- Bulge in a tyre 34.3%
- Cut tyre 16.2%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 10.1%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 6.6%
- Worn brake pads 5.6%
- Non-standard number plate 5.6%
2016 MINI John Cooper Works 16.9% failed, from 2,041 tests
- Bulge in a tyre 24.7%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 12.5%
- Cut tyre 11.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 9.0%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 5.8%
- Tyres lump 5.5%
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 John Cooper Works problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a MINI John Cooper Works?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” is the most common: it appears on 20.3% of failed MINI John Cooper Works tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 52.5% of failed tests.
How often does a MINI John Cooper Works fail its MOT?
13.4% of MINI John Cooper Works tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 22,402 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 54 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a MINI John Cooper Works than on other cars?
Yes. “Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 20.3% of its failures against 2.5% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 4.3% of its failures against 0.9% 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 John Cooper Works 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 | 22,402 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.