MOT cost .
Mini John Cooper Works
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Mini

John Cooper Works

49,706 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where John Cooper Workss pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 12.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

89.8%

Pass-after-fix

2.1%

Fail

7.7%

Avg miles

38,463

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 49,706 tests

Pass rate climbs 5.4 points across the cohorts — newer John Cooper Works examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 24,227

Pass

87.5%

Fail

9.7%

PRS

2.4%

Avg mileage at test

50,113 mi

2018–2020 cohort 18,303

Pass

91.5%

Fail

6.3%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

29,914 mi

2021+ cohort 7,176

Pass

93.0%

Fail

4.9%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

20,956 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Mini John Cooper Works · UK market

Mini John Cooper Works 2001-2006

2001–2006

Mini John Cooper Works 2006-2014

2006–2014

Mini John Cooper Works 2014-2023

2014–2023

Mini John Cooper Works 2023-now

2023–now

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Mini John Cooper Works: solid MOT record across 19,197 tests

The Mini John Cooper Works 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 19,197 tests puts this car on an 86.4% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 35,206 miles. The most common fail item is damaged tyre sidewall or structure, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

The MINI John Cooper Works is officially the most powerful MINI hatch ever, which is a fact that might be enough to win it admirers all on its own.

For used buyers, the John Cooper Works'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 30–42

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →

30–42

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

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

    1,173 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  2. 02

    A tyre seriously damaged

    949 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  3. 03

    Wiper blade defective

    495 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre seriously damaged

    487 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    326 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  6. 06

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    299 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    287 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  8. 08

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    187 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  9. 09

    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

    184 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  10. 10

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

    135 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 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 →

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 5.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mini John Cooper Works has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.0%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 93.0% — a 5.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 20,956 miles — roughly 29K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — 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

87.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 87.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or…, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 50,113 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (87.5% pass). That's a 5.4-point spread across 24,227 older tests and 7,176 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Draper Air Mini Oiler

Draper

Draper Air Mini Oiler

£16.49

View at My Motor World →

My Mini Mike Air Freshener

My Motor World

My Mini Mike Air Freshener

£5.49

View at My Motor World →

Hycote MINI Chilli Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

Hycote

Hycote MINI Chilli Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote MINI Cosmic Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

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.

Get a quote →

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.

Where it falls short

Doesn't like uneven surfaces, money spent on expensive options not likely to be seen again.

Recent owner-reported faults

  1. 1 Jan 0001

    [![Image 24: Top 5 Mouse Repellents for 2026](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6Ij

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed

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.