MINI Roadster MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 16 model years and 15,345 tests, the MINI Roadster passes its MOT 87.5% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (17.9% fail rate), the Roadster comes out 5.4pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.4%) and tyres (4.6%) 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 stop lamp — wipers alone was recorded 442 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.1% versus 7.2%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.1pp more often than petrol ones (14.3% vs 12.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 11.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Roadster model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 31 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 313 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 2,057 | 86.0% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 6,790 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 6,017 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 109 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.4% | 988 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.6% | 710 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.4% | 680 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.4% | 365 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.3% | 353 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 108 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 0.5% | 71 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 70 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 442 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 384 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 337 |
| 4 | Washers | 329 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 276 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 261 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 213 |
| 8 | Brake discs | 175 |
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 | 22.1% | 3,391 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.6% | 2,702 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.8% | 1,194 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 1,042 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 4.2% | 648 |
| 6 | Other defects | 3.9% | 597 |
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 | 3,119 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 8,081 | 11.8% |
| 60-90k | 3,386 | 16.9% |
| 90-120k | 652 | 21.8% |
| 120-150k | 90 | 21.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 13,306 | 12.2% |
| Diesel | 2,039 | 14.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,059 | 11.3% |
| 2022 | 3,072 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | 3,084 | 13.0% |
| 2024 | 3,060 | 13.1% |
| 2025 | 3,070 | 13.6% |
What to check before buying a MINI Roadster
- Lighting & signalling (6.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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.
- Visibility (4.4% 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 Roadster?
87.5% of the 15,345 MINI Roadster MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.5% fail rate, across model years 2004–2019.
What does the MINI Roadster most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.4% of tests, then tyres (4.6%).
How much does mileage affect Roadster MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.1% for 120-150k, a 13.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Roadster more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 12.2% of the time against 14.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 15,345 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.