7,273 tests in 2025
MINI Paceman reliability and MOT pass rate
86.1% passed first time. The 13.9% fail rate is 8.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 67,666 miles.
Pass rate
86.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
67,666 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1,370 | 11.4% |
| 10-13 years | 5,902 | 14.5% |
| 14+ years | 1 | — |
What the Paceman 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.
- Tyres425 dangerous42.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5 dangerous22.9%
- Brakes114 dangerous22.8%
- Suspension8 dangerous14.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous11%
- Body, chassis, structure7 dangerous6.6%
- Road Wheels5 dangerous3%
Is the Paceman getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 13.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8,015 | 8 | 10.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 7,971 | 9 | 11.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 6,837 | 10 | 13.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 7,259 | 11 | 13.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Paceman at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Paceman in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm145 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords90 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed89 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick78 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working75 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction60 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively46 tests
- 8Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative45 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Paceman collects 2.25 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,263 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure585 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick540 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened534 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine278 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded223 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn190 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened179 tests
Questions
What is the MINI Paceman MOT pass rate?
86.1% of the 7,273 MINI Paceman first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a MINI Paceman usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 145 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 42.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 22.9% of failures, brakes appears in 22.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 10-13 years it was 14.5%. The median MINI Paceman tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 67,666 miles.
Is the MINI Paceman getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 13.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Paceman trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other MINI models
- Hatch 12.8%
- Mini 30.1%
- Countryman 11.9%
- Clubman 16.9%
- John Cooper Works 11.4%
- Electric 9%
- Roadster 15.8%
- First 21.3%
- Unclassified 18.2%
Checking a particular Paceman?
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.