1,006 tests in 2025
MINI Unclassified reliability and MOT pass rate
81.8% passed first time. The 18.2% fail rate is 4.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 73,136 miles.
Pass rate
81.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
73,136 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 106 | — |
| 10-13 years | 809 | 17.2% |
| 14+ years | 89 | — |
What the Unclassified 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.
- Tyres60 dangerous33.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment29%
- Brakes22 dangerous25.1%
- Suspension2 dangerous22.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks14.2%
- Visibility13.7%
- Body, chassis, structure4 dangerous6.6%
- Road Wheels7 dangerous4.9%
Is the Unclassified getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4.3 points to 18.2% 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 | 1,271 | 8 | 13.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,251 | 9 | 15.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 926 | 10 | 15.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,006 | 11 | 18.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Unclassified 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 Unclassified in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm19 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working17 tests
- 3Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction16 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken15 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords15 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick15 tests
- 7Stop lamp: not working13 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements13 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Unclassified collects 2.29 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 1.6mm131 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure89 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened72 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn66 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick58 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened29 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn27 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm26 tests
Questions
What is the MINI Unclassified MOT pass rate?
81.8% of the 1,006 MINI Unclassified first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a MINI Unclassified usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 19 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction". By section, tyres appears in 33.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 29% of failures, brakes appears in 25.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 10-13 years it was 17.2%. The median MINI Unclassified tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 73,136 miles.
Is the MINI Unclassified getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4.3 points to 18.2% 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 Unclassified 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
Checking a particular Unclassified?
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.