2016 MINI One — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2016 MINI One passed 90.0% of its 46,140 recorded MOT tests. Against superminis of a similar age (15.5% fail rate), the 2016 One comes out 5.5pp better. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (5.0%) and tyres (4.9%) 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 2,163 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.4% in the 0-30k band and 21.7% in the 150k+ band, a 14.3-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.5% fail against 12.1% for diesel, a 2.6-point gap across 46,140 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 5.0% | 2,282 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.9% | 2,254 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 1,573 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 949 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 392 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.4% | 204 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,163 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 940 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 932 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 801 |
| 5 | Washers | 585 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 452 |
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 | 27.6% | 12,716 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.1% | 5,117 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.9% | 2,247 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.8% | 2,211 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 771 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.8% | 353 |
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 | 12,244 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 23,364 | 9.7% |
| 60-90k | 8,759 | 13.1% |
| 90-120k | 1,490 | 16.5% |
| 120-150k | 213 | 17.8% |
| 150k+ | 69 | 21.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 37,754 | 9.5% |
| Diesel | 8,386 | 12.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,161 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 9,252 | 10.0% |
| 2023 | 9,274 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 9,227 | 10.7% |
| 2025 | 9,226 | 10.9% |
What to check before buying a 2016 One
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 5.0% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (5.0% 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.
- Tyres (4.9% 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 (3.4% 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 many 2016 MINI Ones pass their MOT?
90.0% of the 46,140 2016 MINI One MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 MINI One?
Visibility, recorded in 5.0% of tests, followed by tyres (4.9%).
Does the 2016 One get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.4% in the 0-30k band to 21.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 46,140 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.