426,003 MINIs had an MOT in 2025. 84.0% passed first time, against 79.9% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 4.1 points better than comparable cars. Those registered from 2020 onwards pass as often as other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often MINIs of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 56.5% | −1.5 | 770 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 60.3% | +2.6 | 789 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 58.2% | −0.2 | 1,389 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 56.4% | −1.8 | 1,336 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 60.2% | +0.6 | 1,571 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 65.6% | +5.0 | 2,285 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 67.3% | +5.1 | 4,151 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 71.3% | +6.1 | 13,090 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 72.1% | +4.4 | 22,235 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 79.5% | +9.1 | 31,032 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 81.5% | +8.0 | 45,910 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 83.6% | +6.9 | 46,220 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 84.9% | +4.7 | 45,827 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 86.9% | +4.1 | 44,881 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 87.9% | +2.7 | 50,163 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 88.1% | +0.6 | 37,327 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 88.7% | −0.1 | 38,167 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 90.4% | +0.4 | 38,860 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
3.8% of MINI MOTs failed on visibility, against 3.3% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 6.0% on tyres, against 5.5%.
Up to 30,000 miles, MINIs pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Ahead from there: 30–60,000 miles 4.9 points, 60–90,000 miles 7.4 points, 90–120,000 miles 5.5 points, 120,000+ miles 2.7 points.
Diesels passed 76.6% first time, 6.1 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 84.8%, 4.1 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 76,474 miles at the test, against 40,673 for petrols. Electrics are mostly newer cars (median 19,322 miles), so compare them with care.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 348,170 | 84.8% | 80.6% | +4.1 | 40,673 |
| Diesel | 51,971 | 76.6% | 70.6% | +6.1 | 76,474 |
| Electric | 16,995 | 88.3% | 89.5% | −1.2 | 19,322 |
| Hybrid | 8,866 | 87.2% | 86.3% | +0.9 | 33,984 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The MINI ranks 2 of 17.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Honda Jazz | 136,227 | 87.4% | 82.0% | +5.4 | |
| 2. MINI Cooper | 339,527 | 85.3% | 80.8% | +4.5 | |
| 3. Toyota Yaris | 215,964 | 82.4% | 80.7% | +1.6 | |
| 4. Hyundai i20 | 77,319 | 79.6% | 78.7% | +0.9 | |
| 5. Mazda 2 | 60,284 | 80.6% | 79.8% | +0.9 | |
| 6. Suzuki Swift | 77,438 | 80.6% | 80.1% | +0.5 | |
| 7. Audi A1 | 162,411 | 78.5% | 78.7% | −0.2 | |
| 8. Skoda Fabia | 118,924 | 77.9% | 79.3% | −1.3 | |
| 9. VW Polo | 329,621 | 76.0% | 79.1% | −3.1 | |
| 10. Ford Fiesta | 693,788 | 73.2% | 78.2% | −4.9 | |
| 11. Citroen C3 | 95,143 | 73.8% | 80.1% | −6.2 | |
| 12. Seat Ibiza | 113,185 | 71.2% | 77.6% | −6.4 | |
| 13. Peugeot 208 | 157,349 | 71.7% | 78.8% | −7.1 | |
| 14. Nissan Micra | 81,543 | 73.4% | 81.0% | −7.6 | |
| 15. Vauxhall Corsa | 477,348 | 70.1% | 78.7% | −8.6 | |
| 16. Dacia Sandero | 97,355 | 67.1% | 79.5% | −12.4 | |
| 17. Renault Clio | 148,256 | 63.9% | 78.1% | −14.2 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on MINIs in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 84.0% of 426,003 MINI MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 79.9% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005: behind (−1.5 points). 2006: ahead (+2.6 points). 2007: level (−0.2 points). 2008: behind (−1.8 points). 2009: level (+0.6 points). 2010 to 2019: ahead (+2.7 to +9.1 points). 2020 to 2022: level (−0.1 to +0.6 points).
Going by 2025 MOT results, 2005 and 2008. Those cars passed first time −1.5 and −1.8 points against comparable cars.
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively: 2.5% of MINI MOTs, against 1.7% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol MINIs passed 84.8% first time and diesels 76.6%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 4.1 points above and diesels 6.1 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Ford Fiesta passed 73.2% first time, −4.9 points against comparable cars. The MINI passed 85.3%, +4.5 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the MINI's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a MINI Cooper: 179 recorded model names, from "COOPER" to trims such as "COOPER S".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.