2014 MINI Countryman — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 MINI Countryman passed 88.3% of its 72,402 recorded MOT tests. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 18.6% of the time, so this is 6.9pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.0%) and tyres (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 2,733 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.3% versus 6.7%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 11.1% of the time against 12.2% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 4,320 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.4% | 3,909 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.7% | 1,973 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.0% | 1,453 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 1,159 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 938 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 2,733 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,462 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,178 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 1,060 |
| 5 | Washers | 973 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 705 |
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 | 25.6% | 18,566 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.2% | 11,721 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.6% | 5,519 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.8% | 4,166 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 3,622 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 2,705 |
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 | 5,635 | 6.7% |
| 30-60k | 30,324 | 9.6% |
| 60-90k | 26,737 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 8,154 | 16.3% |
| 120-150k | 1,327 | 19.0% |
| 150k+ | 224 | 18.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 38,046 | 12.2% |
| Petrol | 34,356 | 11.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,502 | 9.8% |
| 2022 | 14,479 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 14,559 | 11.6% |
| 2024 | 14,382 | 12.2% |
| 2025 | 14,480 | 13.9% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Countryman
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.4% 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.
- Brakes (2.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 Countrymans pass their MOT?
88.3% of the 72,402 2014 MINI Countryman MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 MINI Countryman?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.0% of tests, followed by tyres (5.4%).
Does the 2014 Countryman get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.7% in the 0-30k band to 18.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 72,402 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.