10,019 tests in 2025
Rover Mini reliability and MOT pass rate
75.6% passed first time. The 24.4% fail rate is 1.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 31 years old with 52,710 miles.
Pass rate
75.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
52,710 mi
31 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 10 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1 | — |
| 14+ years | 10,008 | 24.4% |
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 equipment85 dangerous43%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous40.7%
- Suspension112 dangerous32.6%
- Brakes217 dangerous28.8%
- Body, chassis, structure105 dangerous24%
- Visibility2 dangerous20.9%
- Steering14 dangerous17.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2 dangerous5.6%
Is the Mini getting worse?
The fail rate fell 3.8 points to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -0.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12,193 | 28 | 28.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 11,716 | 29 | 27% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,168 | 30 | 25.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 10,011 | 31 | 24.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Mini 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 Mini in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt299 tests
- 2Service brake imbalance: across an axle271 tests
- 3Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive265 tests
- 4Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits254 tests
- 5Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits200 tests
- 6Rear fog lamp: not working197 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements190 tests
- 8Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt184 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Mini collects 2.47 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 engine1,270 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn723 tests
- 3Wheel bearings: has excessive play590 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure415 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases401 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm393 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded362 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn341 tests
Questions
What is the Rover Mini MOT pass rate?
75.6% of the 10,019 Rover Mini first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Rover Mini usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 299 failed tests, followed by "Service brake imbalance: across an axle" and "Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 40.7% of failures, suspension appears in 32.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 24.4%. The median Rover Mini tested in 2025 was 31 years old with 52,710 miles.
Is the Rover Mini getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 3.8 points to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -0.3 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 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.
Other Rover models
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.