2015 MINI Paceman — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 11,537 MOT tests, the 2015 MINI Paceman recorded a 90.1% pass rate. That is 6.4 percentage points better than small SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 16.4%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.4%) and lighting & signalling (3.9%) 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 324 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.3% in the 0-30k band and 20.8% in the 120-150k band, a 15.5-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 8.8% fail against 11.5% for diesel, a 2.7-point gap across 11,537 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.4% | 626 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 453 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.4% | 273 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.6% | 187 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 113 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.9% | 102 |
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 | 324 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 267 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 163 |
| 4 | Washers | 128 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 87 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 77 |
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 | 23.9% | 2,759 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.0% | 1,617 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.9% | 568 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.0% | 467 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 346 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 330 |
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 | 1,371 | 5.3% |
| 30-60k | 5,923 | 8.8% |
| 60-90k | 3,402 | 12.1% |
| 90-120k | 722 | 16.5% |
| 120-150k | 101 | 20.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,698 | 8.8% |
| Diesel | 4,839 | 11.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,303 | 8.1% |
| 2022 | 2,328 | 9.4% |
| 2023 | 2,330 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 2,292 | 10.8% |
| 2025 | 2,284 | 11.2% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Paceman
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.4% 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 2015 MINI Pacemans pass their MOT?
90.1% of the 11,537 2015 MINI Paceman MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 MINI Paceman?
Tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.9%).
Does the 2015 Paceman get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.3% in the 0-30k band to 20.8% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 11,537 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.