MINI Paceman MOT pass rate & common failures
The MINI Paceman appears in 44,330 MOT tests spanning model years 2011–2018, and 89.3% of them passed. That is 6.7 percentage points better than small SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 17.3%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Paceman years
Ranked across Paceman 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
Not every year is equal — 91.6% of 2016 examples pass against 86.7% of 2013 ones.
No single area dominates — tyres (5.6%) and lighting & signalling (4.8%) 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 1,377 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 16.8% versus 5.3%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.8% fail against 11.7% for diesel, a 1.9-point gap across 44,330 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Paceman model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3,797 | 86.7% | 13.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 20,911 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 11,537 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 7,334 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 736 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.6% | 2,484 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.8% | 2,116 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.5% | 1,119 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.8% | 775 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 498 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 443 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.6% | 250 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 152 |
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 | 1,377 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,086 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 705 |
| 4 | Washers | 541 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 413 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 347 |
| 7 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 290 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 276 |
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 | 24.8% | 10,977 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.8% | 6,541 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.3% | 2,340 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.9% | 2,152 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.7% | 1,627 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.3% | 1,462 |
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 | 4,708 | 5.3% |
| 30-60k | 20,307 | 8.9% |
| 60-90k | 14,673 | 13.1% |
| 90-120k | 3,911 | 16.0% |
| 120-150k | 636 | 20.3% |
| 150k+ | 95 | 16.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 23,280 | 9.8% |
| Diesel | 21,050 | 11.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,870 | 9.0% |
| 2022 | 8,849 | 9.6% |
| 2023 | 8,891 | 10.8% |
| 2024 | 8,907 | 11.8% |
| 2025 | 8,813 | 12.4% |
What to check before buying a MINI Paceman
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (4.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.5% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the MINI Paceman?
89.3% of the 44,330 MINI Paceman MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.7% fail rate, across model years 2011–2018.
What does the MINI Paceman most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (4.8%).
Which Paceman years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 91.6% and 2013 the weakest at 86.7%, from 7,334 and 3,797 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Paceman MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 16.8% for 150k+, a 11.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Paceman more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 9.8% of the time against 11.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 44,330 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.