MINI One common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 51,407 initial MOT tests on the MINI One in Great Britain, and 78.9% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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MINI One at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 51,407
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 78.9%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.4% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 21.1%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 5.5%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 13,454 off the road (SORN): 95,748

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the One fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
7.8%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Tyres
5.8%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
3Visibility
4.8%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
4Brakes
3.6%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
2.5%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Suspension
2.5%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
7Body, chassis and structure
0.8%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Road wheels
0.4%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.3%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Steering
0.3%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

ConditionTyres3.5%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.0%
WipersVisibility2.9%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.6%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks2.5%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.4%
WashersVisibility1.8%
Tread depthTyres1.8%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2022	1,208	90.0%	3.5%
2021	1,318	87.5%	2.4%
2020	1,136	86.4%	4.1%
2019	1,552	87.3%	4.5%
2018	1,568	86.5%	4.3%
2017	5,373	84.2%	5.5%
2016	8,286	83.6%	5.3%
2015	10,351	81.7%	5.7%
2014	6,150	78.7%	5.9%
2013	6,996	71.4%	5.6%
2012	4,255	70.0%	5.8%
2011	1,054	63.9%	8.1%
2010	590	65.4%	6.6%
2009	334	51.5%	7.5%
2008	287	49.5%	8.4%
2007	250	52.4%	9.2%

Mileage

One mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	18,200 miles	864
3 years	22,900 miles	1,279
4 years	27,400 miles	1,195
5 years	32,900 miles	1,367
6 years	36,500 miles	1,539
7 years	44,400 miles	3,421
8 years	50,800 miles	7,162
9 years	58,100 miles	9,421
10 years	65,000 miles	8,705
11 years	68,600 miles	5,935
12 years	72,500 miles	6,087
13 years	80,900 miles	1,841
14 years	88,800 miles	794
15 years	86,000 miles	428
16 years	87,400 miles	286
17 years	89,500 miles	290

Checking a particular One?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

MINI One: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the MINI One?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the MINI One was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 7.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came tyres (5.8%) and visibility (4.8%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the MINI One?

78.9% of 51,407 initial MOT tests on the MINI One in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.4% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the MINI One is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 5.5% of initial tests on the MINI One found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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