Used car guide

2015 MINI Roadster: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the MINI Roadster first registered in 2015: we looked at the 1,055 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,055MOTs of 2015 cars, done in 2025
80%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
5,000typical miles a year
3.9×the usual rate for brake lights

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2015 MINI Roadster?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2015 MINI Roadster than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Brake lights3.9× usual
    MINI Roadster
    8.6% All 2015 cars
    2.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.9%, against 1.7% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Wheels4.3× usual
    MINI Roadster
    5.1% All 2015 cars
    1.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.4% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

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

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 2.4% here, against 7.1% of all 2015 cars. Coil springs: 1.9% here, against 5.4% of all 2015 cars.

Common 2015 MINI Roadster MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2015 MINI Roadster 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.

  • Brakes
    23% 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
    19% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Suspension
    14% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    4% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2015 MINI Roadster

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the brake lights? (Flagged at MOT 3.9× as often on the 2015 MINI Roadster as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the wheels? (Flagged at MOT 4.3× as often on the 2015 MINI Roadster as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a MINI Roadster?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the MINI Roadster compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20141,189Tyres 28%
2013357Tyres 27%
2012–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of MINI Roadster cars first registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score