2,572 tests in 2025
Austin Mini reliability and MOT pass rate
76% passed first time. The 24% fail rate is 1.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 38 years old with 52,444 miles.
Pass rate
76%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
52,444 mi
38 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,567 | 24% |
What the Mini fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30 dangerous55.1%
- Brakes64 dangerous37.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks36.1%
- Suspension29 dangerous32.1%
- Body, chassis, structure30 dangerous25.3%
- Visibility2 dangerous19.3%
- Steering10 dangerous16%
- Tyres30 dangerous5%
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Mini in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive151 tests
- 2Service brake imbalance: across an axle89 tests
- 3Rear fog lamp: not working76 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working63 tests
- 5Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt56 tests
- 6Non catalyst emissions: emissions hydrocarbon content excessive53 tests
- 7Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements51 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements51 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Mini collects 2.61 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine388 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play182 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn152 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn108 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases104 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure99 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)99 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm98 tests
Questions
What is the Austin Mini MOT pass rate?
76% of the 2,572 Austin Mini first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Austin Mini usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive", recorded on 151 failed tests, followed by "Service brake imbalance: across an axle" and "Rear fog lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 55.1% of failures, brakes appears in 37.1% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 36.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 24%. The median Austin Mini tested in 2025 was 38 years old with 52,444 miles.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Mini trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Checking a particular Mini?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.