MOT cost .
Rover Mini
MOT 2023
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Rover

Mini

14,177 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Minis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

73.1%

Pass-after-fix

3.0%

Fail

22.5%

Avg miles

50,620

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

The picture

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

Across 14,177 MOT tests, the Mini returns 73.1% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a missing steering gaiter. Brakes imbalance across an axle such and the strength or continuity of the load bearing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 50,620, 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

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    602 occurrences · 4.2% of tests

  2. 02

    Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.

    415 occurrences · 2.9% of tests

  3. 03

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    410 occurrences · 2.9% of tests

  4. 04

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    391 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  5. 05

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    374 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  6. 06

    Emissions levels exceed default limits

    367 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  7. 07

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    331 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  8. 08

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

    319 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  9. 09

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

    314 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    305 occurrences · 2.2% 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 2 failures

£160–£480

If every one of this Mini'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Buying or keeping a Mini?

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 Mini 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.