MINI John Cooper Works Gp MOT pass rate & common failures

1,016 MOT tests on the MINI John Cooper Works Gp (2006–2021) give it a 93.4% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 9.5% of the time, so this is 2.9pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, emissions & environmental and visibility.

Pass rate

1,016

MOT tests analysed

6.6%

Fail rate

better than

vs all cars of similar age

2006–2021

Model years covered

What the MOT record shows

One area stands out: tyres, recorded in 4.6% of tests against 1.1% for the next-worst category.

At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, registration plates and wipers — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 11 times.

Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 11.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.

How it compares

Fail rate for the MINI John Cooper Works Gp against all cars of a similar age.

By model year

Every John Cooper Works Gp model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.

MINI John Cooper Works Gp MOT results by model year
Year	Tests	Pass rate	Fail rate	Most common failure
2020	982	93.3%	6.7%	Tyres

Most common failures (all years)

Most common MOT failure areas — MINI John Cooper Works Gp
#	Category	% of tests affected	Tests
1	Tyres	4.6%	47
2	Emissions & environmental	1.1%	11
3	Visibility	0.9%	9
4	Other defects	0.6%	6
5	Brakes	0.3%	3
6	Lighting & signalling	0.2%	2
7	Suspension	0.1%	1

Percentage of tests with at least one failure recorded in each category, across all model years.

Most common specific failures

The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.

Most frequently recorded failure items — MINI John Cooper Works Gp
#	Failure item	Times recorded
1	Catalyst emissions	11
2	Registration plates	11
3	Wipers	9
4	Headlamp aim	3
5	Washers	2
6	Brake pads	2
7	Tyre pressure monitoring system	2
8	Shock absorbers	1

Top advisory categories

Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.

Most common MOT advisories — MINI John Cooper Works Gp
#	Category	% of tests with advisory	Tests
1	Tyres	11.8%	120
2	Brakes	4.4%	45
3	Other defects	3.1%	32
4	Visibility	2.4%	24
5	Road wheels	0.6%	6
6	Suspension	0.4%	4

Failure rate by mileage

Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.

MOT fail rate by recorded mileage band.

Fail rate by recorded mileage — MINI John Cooper Works Gp
Mileage band	Tests	Fail rate
0-30k	904	6.3%
30-60k	101	9.9%

Failure rate by age

How the John Cooper Works Gp's MOT fail rate climbs as the cars get older.

Trend over time

Fail rate by dataset year — MINI John Cooper Works Gp
Dataset year	Tests	Fail rate
2023	340	6.5%
2024	328	6.1%
2025	326	7.7%

What to check before buying a MINI John Cooper Works Gp

Tyres (4.6% 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.
Emissions & environmental (1.1% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
Visibility (0.9% 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

What is the MOT pass rate for the MINI John Cooper Works Gp?

93.4% of the 1,016 MINI John Cooper Works Gp MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 6.6% fail rate, across model years 2006–2021.

What does the MINI John Cooper Works Gp most often fail its MOT on?

Tyres, recorded in 4.6% of tests, then emissions & environmental (1.1%).

Methodology & source. Based on 1,016 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.