Know Your MOT
20.6%fail rate

Rover Mini Cooper common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Rover Mini Cooper fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 873 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 20.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Rover Mini Cooper in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 13.3% of the Rover Mini Cooper's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, exhaust & emissions, steering. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical13.3% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes6.7% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Exhaust & emissions6.1% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Steering5.0% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Visibility/wipers4.4% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Body & structure3.9% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Rover Mini Cooper headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Rover Mini Cooper headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Rover Mini Cooper headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Rover Mini Cooper brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Rover Mini Cooper brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Rover Mini Cooper brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Rover Mini Cooper exhaustSearch Amazon for Rover Mini Cooper exhaustaffiliate searchFind Rover Mini Cooper exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Rover Mini Cooper steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Rover Mini Cooper steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Rover Mini Cooper steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Rover Mini Cooper wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Rover Mini Cooper wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Rover Mini Cooper wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Rover 25 MOT failures27.9% failure rateRover 75 MOT failures29.3% failure rateRover 214 MOT failures32.4% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain