72.2%
Rover Mini pass rate
Used Rover Mini buying guide
In 2025, Rover Mini cars passed 72.2% of 10,921 initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Mini? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Rover Mini MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
−0.1
percentage points below average
Ranked on pass rate the Mini sits 312th of 575 models in the data. Rover as a brand averaged 67.1%, so this model runs 5.1 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Rover Mini MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Mini compares with similar cars.
Mini fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Rover Mini cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the Mini fails its MOT
Where Rover Mini cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (4.4%), non catalyst emissions emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (3.1%) and service brake imbalance across an axle (3%). See every common Mini MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Rover Mini that failed, not a claim that every Mini has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Mini?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 25.4% of Mini failure items.
2
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 17.1% of Mini failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 15.4% of Mini failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 13.7% of Mini failure items.
5
Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels. 9.3% of Mini failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Rover Mini failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Mini you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Rover history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Rover models
The most-tested Rover models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Mini.
Used Rover Mini FAQs
Is the Rover Mini reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 72.2% first-time pass rate for the Rover Mini across 10,921 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Rover Mini?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, noise, emissions and leaks and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Rover Mini's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.