The MINI John Cooper Works passes its MOT first time on 85.6% of tests, 1.7 points higher than a typical car of the same age and mileage (83.9%). That puts it ahead of 66% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
Better than average on visibility, lights & electrics, brakes.
Watch these weak spots
Tyres1.6×as often as a typical car
Tyre damage & cracking2.2×as often as a typical car
Number plates2.0×as often as a typical car
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)1.6×as often as a typical car
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
MINI John Cooper WorksTypical car, same age & mileage
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
Engine
Years
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2015–2023
104,316
86.4%
Beats 63%
B
1.6 Petrol
2011–2015
16,300
80.3%
Beats 79%
B
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Tyres: 7.6% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Tyres
7.6% vs 4.9%
Visibility
2.5% vs 3.3%
Lights & electrics
2.4% vs 4.3%
Brakes
1.6% vs 2.8%
Suspension
1.1% vs 2.8%
Emissions & leaks
0.6% vs 1.0%
Wheels
0.4% vs 0.2%
Body & structure
0.2% vs 0.8%
Seat belts & airbags
0.1% vs 0.3%
Steering
0.1% vs 0.5%
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
Tyre damage & cracking2.2× typical Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)1.6× typical Check past MOT emissions readings in the car's history: rising readings can mean catalyst or sensor problems.
Windscreen wipers Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Headlight aim Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left.
Tyre tread depth Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.
Brake pads Ask when the pads were last replaced and look for a brake-wear warning on the dash.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
MINI John Cooper WorksTypical car
Most common MOT failures
Item
This car
Typical
vs typical
Tyre damage & cracking
6.6%
3.0%
2.2×
Windscreen wipers
1.8%
2.0%
0.9×
Headlight aim
1.2%
1.6%
0.8×
Tyre tread depth
0.9%
1.5%
0.6×
Brake pads
0.9%
1.4%
0.6×
Windscreen washers
0.6%
1.2%
0.5×
Sidelights
0.4%
0.6%
0.8×
Shock absorbers
0.4%
0.4%
1.1×
Number plates
0.4%
0.2%
2.0×
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)
0.4%
0.2%
1.6×
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
Defect
per 1,000
A tyre seriously damaged
48.9
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
18.1
A tyre cords visible or damaged
13.9
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
12.2
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
9.4
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
6.3
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
6.3
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6.2
Check another car
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2023 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine90.0% passC
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
1,170
90.0%
Beats 49%
C
2022 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine91.3% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
4,426
91.3%
Beats 71%
B
2021 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine89.5% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
7,516
89.5%
Beats 62%
B
2020 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine89.3% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
11,871
89.3%
Beats 63%
B
2019 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine88.9% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
12,899
88.9%
Beats 69%
B
2018 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine86.1% passC
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
17,437
86.1%
Beats 56%
C
2017 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine84.9% passC
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
21,075
84.9%
Beats 57%
C
2016 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine83.8% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
15,843
83.8%
Beats 63%
B
2015 MINI John Cooper Works2 engines83.2% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
12,079
83.4%
Beats 75%
B
1.6 Petrol
2,581
82.7%
Beats 58%
C
2014 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine81.5% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.6 Petrol
3,073
81.5%
Beats 72%
B
2013 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine79.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.6 Petrol
7,225
79.8%
Beats 81%
A
2012 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine78.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.6 Petrol
2,405
78.8%
Beats 88%
A
2011 MINI John Cooper Works1 engine77.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.6 Petrol
1,016
77.9%
Beats 89%
A
FAQ
What is the MINI John Cooper Works MOT pass rate?
85.6% of MOT tests on the MINI John Cooper Works were passed first time, based on 120,616 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2011–2023. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 83.9% of the time.
Is the MINI John Cooper Works reliable?
On MOT results it rates B (good): it passes first time more often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 66% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
What are the most common MOT failures on the MINI John Cooper Works?
The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, windscreen wipers, headlight aim. Compared with similar cars, tyre damage & cracking comes up 2.2× as often.
How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.