MINI John Cooper Works MOT pass rate & common failures
The MINI John Cooper Works appears in 94,771 MOT tests spanning model years 2002–2024, and 89.5% of them passed. Against superminis of a similar age (13.0% fail rate), the John Cooper Works comes out 2.5pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst John Cooper Works years
Ranked across John Cooper Works years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (93.1% pass rate); the weakest is 2013 (85.7%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: tyres, recorded in 6.7% of tests against 2.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 1,971 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.3% versus 8.2%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 16.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every John Cooper Works model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 37 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 35 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 47 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2008 | 132 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 190 | 79.0% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 327 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 673 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,576 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 4,693 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 1,997 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 9,467 | 87.3% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 11,643 | 87.9% | 12.0% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 17,383 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 16,517 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 11,811 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 9,345 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 5,810 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 2,859 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 170 | 97.1% | 2.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.7% | 6,391 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.3% | 2,171 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 2,043 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.5% | 1,387 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.9% | 893 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 604 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 0.4% | 355 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.4% | 340 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,971 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,540 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,042 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 837 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 585 |
| 6 | Washers | 555 |
| 7 | Registration plates | 550 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 460 |
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 | 16.9% | 15,985 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.1% | 9,584 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.2% | 3,973 |
| 4 | Other defects | 3.5% | 3,329 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.0% | 2,810 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 1,100 |
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 | 43,356 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 38,355 | 11.7% |
| 60-90k | 10,868 | 14.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,893 | 17.2% |
| 120-150k | 235 | 20.4% |
| 150k+ | 61 | 21.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 94,676 | 10.5% |
| Diesel | 95 | 16.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,403 | 10.9% |
| 2022 | 16,069 | 10.3% |
| 2023 | 19,235 | 10.7% |
| 2024 | 21,780 | 10.7% |
| 2025 | 24,284 | 10.2% |
What to check before buying a MINI John Cooper Works
- Tyres (6.7% 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 (2.3% 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 (2.2% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the MINI John Cooper Works?
89.5% of the 94,771 MINI John Cooper Works MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.5% fail rate, across model years 2002–2024.
What does the MINI John Cooper Works most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.7% of tests, then visibility (2.3%).
Which John Cooper Works years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.1% and 2013 the weakest at 85.7%, from 2,859 and 4,693 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect John Cooper Works MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.3% for 150k+, a 13.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 94,771 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.