In 2025, 232,499 MINI Cooper cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 85% passed first time, compared with 79% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Cooper better than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 37 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 91% of Coopers passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 52% (all cars: 58%). It starts out ahead of the average car but falls behind from around 20 years, which is worth knowing if you are buying an older one.
MINI Cooper All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Cooper passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 19,139 | 91% | 88% | 20,336 |
| 4 years | 17,372 | 89% | 87% | 26,170 |
| 5 years | 19,149 | 88% | 86% | 30,770 |
| 6 years | 29,529 | 88% | 84% | 36,520 |
| 7 years | 30,730 | 87% | 81% | 42,735 |
| 8 years | 27,841 | 85% | 78% | 50,673 |
| 9 years | 26,702 | 84% | 75% | 57,635 |
| 10 years | 26,160 | 81% | 72% | 65,140 |
| 11 years | 18,920 | 80% | 69% | 70,327 |
| 12 years | 6,715 | 73% | 66% | 69,120 |
| 13 years | 3,563 | 73% | 63% | 75,172 |
| 14 years | 1,099 | 70% | 61% | 85,296 |
| 15 years | 909 | 67% | 59% | 85,885 |
| 16 years | 832 | 63% | 58% | 87,864 |
| 17 years | 669 | 57% | 57% | 91,303 |
| 18 years | 689 | 57% | 57% | 92,730 |
| 19 years | 385 | 59% | 57% | 91,698 |
| 20 years | 376 | 52% | 58% | 95,343 |
What fails most on a MINI Cooper
The area that lets the Cooper down most, relative to other cars, is road wheels: 0.3% of tests failed on it, 2.4 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on body and structure and suspension.
Share of Cooper tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.8% |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 3.3% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 2.0% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 1.6% |
| A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | Brakes | 1.3% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 1.2% |
What to check when buying a used Cooper
Based on where the Cooper fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Road wheels: Look for damaged rims and missing wheel nuts. More
- Visibility: Check the windscreen for chips in the driver’s view, the wipers for smearing and the washers for working jets. Repair guide
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Cooper
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a CooperFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a MINI Cooper?
In 2025, 85% of MINI Cooper cars passed their MOT first time, across 232,499 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 79%.
What do MINI Cooper cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a tyre seriously damaged (3.8% of tests); wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen (3.3% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (2.0% of tests).
Other MINI models
MINI MINI (62%), MINI Countryman (85%), MINI Cooper S (86%), MINI One (79%), MINI Clubman (79%), MINI John Cooper Works (87%). All MINI models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.