Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 176,715 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.8 points across the cohorts — newer Cooper S examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 84,123

Pass

86.0%

Fail

10.5%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

56,528 mi

2018–2020 cohort 69,279

Pass

90.2%

Fail

7.2%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

31,061 mi

2021+ cohort 23,313

Pass

90.8%

Fail

6.5%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

21,473 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Cooper S Leads MINI Range at 86.6% — Low-Mileage Advantage

At just 38,520 average test miles, the MINI Cooper S carries the lowest mileage of any car in this batch — and it shows. An 86.6% first-time pass rate from 84,874 tests is strong. Cracked windscreens, damaged tyres, and defective wiper blades are the main failure causes, none indicative of mechanical trouble. Owners of the 2014-generation car have flagged a pedestrian protection system fault that triggered a dashboard warning and grounded one car at a dealer for over a month while repairs were sourced.

Gear-selection problems on the 2014 Cooper D — jumping out of first from new, worsening over time — are documented. Multiple fault codes returning after EML illumination is another thread worth following. The Cooper S passes well, but early mechanical diligence pays off.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 22–34

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

22–34

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

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

4,126 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

2,471 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
03

Wiper blade defective

2,079 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

1,818 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
05

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,636 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
06

A tyre seriously damaged

1,584 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

A tyre cords visible or damaged

1,178 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

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

786 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

784 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

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

782 occurrences · 0.4% 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

£100–£185

If every one of this Cooper S'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.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mini Cooper S has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

90.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 90.8% — a 4.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 21,473 miles — roughly 35K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

86.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 56,528 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme. Honest John records: "Report of faulty central display in 2014 MINI Cooper bought independently. "The computer boots up and then fails so tries to restart again and again and again. MINI dealer quoted…"

Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.0% pass). That's a 4.8-point spread across 84,123 older tests and 23,313 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

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

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Draper

Draper Air Mini Oiler

£16.49

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My Mini Mike Air Freshener

£5.49

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Hycote

Hycote MINI Chilli Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

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Hycote

Hycote MINI Cosmic Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

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Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

More refined and better steering feel, much more fun to drive than previous MINI, excellent engines.

Recent owner-reported faults

5 Feb 2020
Report of warning message "Pedestrian protection system fault. Do not open bonnet & drive to nearest mini service centre" appearing in 35,000 mile 2014/64 MINI Cooper on 20th December 2019. Car has been with dealer ever since. Dealer reported that the message is due to a total failure of the wiring loom due to water from the windscreen washers. Dealer said that they are dealing with about one car each month due to this issue. MINI customer services agreed to meet the labour costs of the replacement but not the cost of the new wiring loom.
8 Dec 2019
Report of 2014 MINI Cooper D jumping out of 1st gear ever since new. Warranty check showed nothing wrong, but over the years it has got worse.
4 Dec 2019
Report of multiple fault codes after engine warning light appeared on 32k mile December 2015 MINI Cooper D. Local garage diagnostics uncovered 14 faults, 12 of which have disappeared. Two remain: 26CF00 (Fuel pre supply pressure control too low) and 24CF00 (measured air mass too low compared with calculated air mass). Diesel has leaked into the wiring looms and the ECU. Owner is looking at repair costs of over £3k (£2k on parts plus £1k plus on labour).
26 Nov 2019
Report of brakes failing when parking in a new (5 week old) MINI automatic with the new 7-speed Getrag electronically operated DCT transmission. Minor damage to the front of the car.
8 Nov 2019
'Clunking' from underneath recently purchased 2016 MINI Cooper found to be a lower engine stabiliser that had worked loose and was subsequently replaced by the dealer.
16 Oct 2019
Report of 2017 MINI Cooper needing new front and rear brake pads at 12,000 miles at a cost of £350.
3 Oct 2019
Report of clutch and dual mass flywheel failure in 2014/64 MINI Cooper D at 19,000 miles. MINI dealer quoted £1,400 to replace, but could not do the job for 3 weeks so owner forced to have them fitted independently.
21 Jul 2019
Report of trip computer of 2017 MINI failing for the 2nd time.
28 Jun 2019
Report of clutch failure on leased September 2017 MINI One (1,499cc) at 15,000 miles. Lessee asked to pay £1777.67 to replace the clutch.
26 May 2019
Report of clutch warning light illuminating in 2016 MINI Cooper convertible at 19,000 miles. Diagnostic tests showed clutch was ok and fault code was deleted. Then brake pad warning light illuminated. Car taken to official MINI centre who said clutch was slipping and investigation would cost £600; replacement of clutch £2,000. Owner's driving blamed.
9 May 2019
Report of water ingress leading to failure of BCM and ECU of 2015 MINI at 11,000 miles. First noticed when wipers would not switch off. MINI dealer estimated replacement parts at £3,000.
22 Feb 2019
Report of "numerous faults" with 2017 MINI Cooper S from around 9 months old including clunking noise on cold start, creaking noises going over bumps, and now a fully non functioning idrive system. MINI dealer seems unable to fix them.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 25 reports indexed, top 12 shown

Buying or keeping a Cooper S?

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 Cooper S 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.