MINI Cooper S — MOT pass rate & failures
The MINI Cooper S recorded a 89.8% MOT pass rate across 448,774 tests in this dataset (model years 1986–2025), with tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling its most common failure areas.
How it compares
By model year
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 328 | 68.9% | 31.1% |
| 2003 | 1,089 | 72.1% | 27.9% |
| 2004 | 1,041 | 73.8% | 26.2% |
| 2005 | 1,550 | 73.1% | 26.9% |
| 2006 | 1,515 | 73.7% | 26.3% |
| 2007 | 2,343 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| 2008 | 1,904 | 75.7% | 24.3% |
| 2009 | 1,658 | 79.0% | 21.0% |
| 2010 | 1,750 | 82.6% | 17.4% |
| 2011 | 2,509 | 82.7% | 17.3% |
| 2012 | 8,143 | 84.9% | 15.1% |
| 2013 | 16,412 | 85.3% | 14.7% |
| 2014 | 31,436 | 86.9% | 13.1% |
| 2015 | 43,941 | 88.1% | 11.9% |
| 2016 | 51,613 | 89.4% | 10.6% |
| 2017 | 53,182 | 90.5% | 9.5% |
| 2018 | 53,271 | 91.8% | 8.2% |
| 2019 | 72,681 | 92.0% | 8.0% |
| 2020 | 46,496 | 91.8% | 8.2% |
| 2021 | 37,204 | 91.5% | 8.5% |
| 2022 | 17,870 | 92.5% | 7.5% |
| 2023 | 807 | 95.3% | 4.7% |
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.6% | 25,226 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.1% | 14,045 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.9% | 12,930 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.7% | 7,523 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.0% | 4,347 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 3,014 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.4% | 1,562 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 1,275 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 12,862 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 8,517 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 6,756 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 4,561 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 3,772 |
| 6 | Washers | 3,627 |
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 | 21.5% | 96,479 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.3% | 46,265 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.7% | 20,981 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.4% | 19,932 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.4% | 15,133 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 2.4% | 10,875 |
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 | 197,424 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 171,585 | 10.7% |
| 60-90k | 60,354 | 14.9% |
| 90-120k | 15,666 | 19.3% |
| 120-150k | 3,096 | 23.3% |
| 150k+ | 614 | 25.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55,818 | 10.2% |
| 2022 | 73,751 | 9.8% |
| 2023 | 89,645 | 10.1% |
| 2024 | 106,234 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 123,326 | 10.2% |
What to check before buying a MINI Cooper S
Focus on the areas it most often fails on — and remember MOT data covers testable defects only, not engine or gearbox health.
- 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.
- Visibility (3.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 reliable is the MINI Cooper S at MOT time?
89.8% of the 448,774 MINI Cooper S MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.2% fail rate, in line with the 10.5% average across all Cooper versions.
What is the most common MOT failure on a MINI Cooper S?
Tyres, recorded in 5.6% of tests, followed by visibility (3.1%).
Does the Cooper S get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.2% in the 0-30k band to 25.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 448,774 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-06. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.