The picture
John Cooper Works: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 19,197 MOT tests, the John Cooper Works returns 86.4% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 35,206, 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.
- 01
A tyre seriously damaged
694 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
590 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 03
A tyre seriously damaged
385 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 04
Wiper blade defective
254 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 05
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
243 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 06
A tyre cords visible or damaged
213 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 07
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
204 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 08
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
181 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 09
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
110 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 10
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
105 occurrences · 0.5% 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
£40–£90
If every one of this John Cooper Works'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 →
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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.
Buying or keeping a John Cooper Works?
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 John Cooper Works 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.