Used car guide

2021 MINI Cooper: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2021 MINI Coopers, from 17,354 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

17,354MOT tests in 2025
89%pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%)
6,200typical miles a year
1.7×the usual rate for wipers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2021 MINI Coopers than on all cars registered in 2021.

  • Wipers1.7× usual
    MINI Cooper
    6.4% All 2021 cars
    3.8%
    Rough price £15–£60

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

Better than most

Brake discs: 1.9% here, against 7.1% of all 2021 cars.

By area

The share of 2021 MINI Cooper MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    26% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    9% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Brakes
    6% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    2% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    1% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

  • Suspension
    1% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

Looking at a MINI Cooper?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
202219,097Tyres 24%
202019,176Tyres 31%
201929,549Tyres 31%
201830,709Tyres 31%
201727,848Tyres 32%
201626,746Tyres 30%
201526,175Tyres 30%
201418,945Tyres 30%
20136,706Tyres 30%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2021 MINI Coopers registered in 2021. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score