In 2025, 21,995 MINI John Cooper Works cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 87% passed first time, compared with 81% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the John Cooper Works better than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 41 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, 92% of John Cooper Workss passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 13 years, that figure is 75% (all cars: 63%). It beats the average car at every age with enough data, from 3 to 13 years.
MINI John Cooper Works All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | John Cooper Works passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 2,493 | 92% | 88% | 20,290 |
| 4 years | 2,649 | 91% | 87% | 26,896 |
| 5 years | 2,785 | 88% | 86% | 31,695 |
| 6 years | 2,717 | 88% | 84% | 35,443 |
| 7 years | 2,876 | 85% | 81% | 42,845 |
| 8 years | 3,029 | 86% | 78% | 48,434 |
| 9 years | 2,041 | 83% | 75% | 54,004 |
| 10 years | 1,651 | 83% | 72% | 61,330 |
| 11 years | 346 | 78% | 69% | 59,556 |
| 12 years | 741 | 78% | 66% | 69,088 |
| 13 years | 260 | 75% | 63% | 74,024 |
What fails most on a MINI John Cooper Works
The area that lets the John Cooper Works down most, relative to other cars, is plates and VIN: 0.5% of tests failed on it, 13.6 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on suspension and lights and electrics.
Share of John Cooper Works tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 5.8% |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 1.8% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 1.4% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 1.3% |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | Tyres | 1.1% |
| A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | Brakes | 0.7% |
What to check when buying a used John Cooper Works
Based on where the John Cooper Works fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Plates and VIN: Check the number plates are legal and the VIN matches the V5C logbook. More
- Road wheels: Look for damaged rims and missing wheel nuts. More
- 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 John Cooper Works
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a John Cooper WorksFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a MINI John Cooper Works?
In 2025, 87% of MINI John Cooper Works cars passed their MOT first time, across 21,995 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 81%.
What do MINI John Cooper Works cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a tyre seriously damaged (5.8% of tests); wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen (1.8% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (1.4% of tests).
Other MINI models
MINI Cooper (85%), MINI MINI (62%), MINI Countryman (85%), MINI Cooper S (86%), MINI One (79%), MINI Clubman (79%). 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.