Rover Mini MOT pass rate & common failures
The Rover Mini appears in 67,144 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2021, and 77.0% of them passed. City cars of a similar age fail 24.9% of the time, so this is 1.9pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and suspension.
Best and worst Mini years
Ranked across Mini 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 — 79.4% of 1989 examples pass against 75.0% of 1996 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.6% of all tests — 3.1 points clear of emissions & environmental, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, headlamp aim and steering rack — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 6,054 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 19.3% in the 0-30k band and 42.4% in the 150k+ band, a 23.1-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 23.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.8% in 2021 to 21.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Mini model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 324 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 206 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 295 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 351 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 509 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 536 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 603 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 628 | 77.5% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 819 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 2,094 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 6,011 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 5,769 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 5,002 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 5,576 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 5,399 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 4,665 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 4,730 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 4,046 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 5,253 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 4,578 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 6,875 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,270 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 44 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2007 | 32 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Visibility |
| 2008 | 45 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 49 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 62 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2017 | 50 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 50 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 51 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.6% | 8,482 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 9.6% | 6,419 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.3% | 5,595 |
| 4 | Brakes | 7.5% | 5,030 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 4,026 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.8% | 3,864 |
| 7 | Steering | 4.6% | 3,066 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.5% | 1,033 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 6,054 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,797 |
| 3 | Steering rack | 3,237 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 3,194 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,944 |
| 6 | Non catalyst emissions | 2,712 |
| 7 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 2,270 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 2,233 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 23.5% | 15,772 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 13.4% | 8,963 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.6% | 7,124 |
| 4 | Brakes | 10.0% | 6,742 |
| 5 | Tyres | 9.3% | 6,258 |
| 6 | Other defects | 5.5% | 3,679 |
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 | 15,679 | 19.3% |
| 30-60k | 24,737 | 22.8% |
| 60-90k | 22,268 | 25.3% |
| 90-120k | 4,261 | 26.0% |
| 120-150k | 63 | 15.9% |
| 150k+ | 33 | 42.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,545 | 24.8% |
| 2022 | 14,282 | 23.8% |
| 2023 | 13,553 | 23.2% |
| 2024 | 12,394 | 21.7% |
| 2025 | 12,370 | 21.1% |
What to check before buying a Rover Mini
- Lighting & signalling (12.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (9.6% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Suspension (8.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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 Rover Mini?
77.0% of the 67,144 Rover Mini MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.0% fail rate, across model years 1980–2021.
What does the Rover Mini most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.6% of tests, then emissions & environmental (9.6%).
Which Mini years are best and worst for MOT results?
1989 has the best pass rate at 79.4% and 1996 the weakest at 75.0%, from 2,094 and 4,730 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Mini MOT results?
Fail rates run at 19.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 42.4% for 150k+, a 23.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 67,144 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.