Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 166,247 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.7 points across the cohorts — newer Countryman examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 93,710

Pass

86.0%

Fail

9.9%

PRS

3.7%

Avg mileage at test

59,678 mi

2018–2020 cohort 57,725

Pass

90.7%

Fail

6.8%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

34,712 mi

2021+ cohort 14,812

Pass

90.8%

Fail

6.2%

PRS

2.6%

Avg mileage at test

22,108 mi

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

The picture

Mini Countryman: solid MOT record across 91,469 tests

The Mini Countryman is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 91,469 tests puts this car on an 87.3% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 43,167 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

For used buyers, the Countryman's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 20–36

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 →

20–36

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

3,670 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

2,527 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
03

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

2,040 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,717 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

1,242 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
06

Wiper blade defective

1,180 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
07

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

1,132 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

981 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
09

A tyre seriously damaged

593 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

A tyre seriously damaged

576 occurrences · 0.3% 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

£128–£225

If every one of this Countryman'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 4.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mini Countryman 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 4.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 22,108 miles — roughly 38K 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, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 59,678 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.0% pass). That's a 4.7-point spread across 93,710 older tests and 14,812 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

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

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

View at My Motor World →

My Motor World

My Mini Mike Air Freshener

£5.49

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote MINI Chilli Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote MINI Cosmic Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

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

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Recall history

2 UK recalls on record.

The Countryman has 2 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Countryman?

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 Countryman 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.