2014 MINI Cooper — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 140,445 MOT tests, the 2014 MINI Cooper recorded an 87.4% pass rate. Against superminis of a similar age (19.4% fail rate), the 2014 Cooper comes out 6.9pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.6%) and lighting & signalling (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 4,559 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.3% versus 8.4%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.9% fail against 14.4% for diesel, a 2.5-point gap across 140,437 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.6% | 7,889 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 6,590 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.1% | 5,763 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 3,692 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 2,631 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 2,058 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 4,559 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,452 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 2,660 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 2,215 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,097 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 1,830 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.3% | 34,122 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.0% | 19,651 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.2% | 10,106 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.3% | 7,402 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.8% | 6,733 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.3% | 3,158 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 16,358 | 8.4% |
| 30-60k | 61,966 | 11.0% |
| 60-90k | 45,051 | 14.2% |
| 90-120k | 13,621 | 17.4% |
| 120-150k | 2,777 | 19.0% |
| 150k+ | 656 | 20.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 100,545 | 11.9% |
| Diesel | 39,892 | 14.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 28,067 | 11.8% |
| 2022 | 27,957 | 11.7% |
| 2023 | 28,171 | 12.6% |
| 2024 | 28,134 | 13.1% |
| 2025 | 28,116 | 13.6% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Cooper
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.1% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2014 MINI Coopers pass their MOT?
87.4% of the 140,445 2014 MINI Cooper MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 MINI Cooper?
Tyres, recorded in 5.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.7%).
Does the 2014 Cooper get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.4% in the 0-30k band to 20.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 140,445 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.