MOT cost .

Mini

First

1,887 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Firsts pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 1.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

77.2%

Pass-after-fix

7.5%

Fail

14.7%

Avg miles

68,448

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

First: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 1,887 MOT tests, the First returns 77.2% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 68,448, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    115 occurrences · 6.1% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    64 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  3. 03

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    53 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  4. 04

    Stop lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

    42 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    41 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  6. 06

    Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    31 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  7. 07

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    25 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  8. 08

    An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    22 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade defective

    21 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  10. 10

    Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

    21 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£36–£115

If every one of this First's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a First?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a First and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.