Austin Mini 1000 City E MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 21,301 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 46.4%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Austin Mini 1000 City E MOT Reliability Overview
The Austin Mini 1000 City E is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 21,301 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 53.6% and a failure rate of 46.4%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Austin Mini 1000 City E earns a "Poor" reliability rating. The average Austin Mini 1000 City E presents for MOT with approximately 54,206 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1984 models achieve the highest pass rate at 56.7%, while 1991 models have the lowest at 51.4%. This 5.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Austin Mini 1000 City E is Suspension, affecting 57.2% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment at 39.9%. Brakes rounds out the top three at 36.1%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 7 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Austin Mini 1000 City E vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 40 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 85.0% | 18,100 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 74.0% | 15,769 |
| 3 | Brakes | 49.3% | 10,504 |
| 4 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 21.4% | 4,567 |
| 5 | Steering | 20.6% | 4,381 |
| 6 | Driver's View Of The Road | 13.5% | 2,871 |
| 7 | Body, Structure And General Items | 13.0% | 2,767 |
| 8 | Tyres | 12.9% | 2,750 |
| 9 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 6.8% | 1,453 |
| 10 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 6.3% | 1,352 |
| 11 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 5.6% | 1,186 |
| 12 | Registration Plates And Vin | 3.0% | 633 |
| 13 | Visibility | 2.9% | 608 |
| 14 | Non-component Advisories | 1.7% | 366 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 54,206 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 15.68 | 85.0% | 18,100 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 13.65 | 74.0% | 15,769 |
| Brakes | 9.10 | 49.3% | 10,504 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 3.96 | 21.4% | 4,567 |
| Steering | 3.79 | 20.6% | 4,381 |
| Body & Structure | 3.57 | 19.3% | 4,119 |
| Visibility | 3.02 | 16.4% | 3,479 |
| Tyres | 2.38 | 12.9% | 2,750 |
| Seat Belts | 1.26 | 6.8% | 1,453 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.03 | 5.6% | 1,186 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.55 | 3.0% | 633 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.32 | 1.7% | 366 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Austin Mini 1000 City E has 54,206 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Austin Mini 1000 City E has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 8.56% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Austin Mini 1000 City E MOT Data
The Austin Mini 1000 City E is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 21,301 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 53.6% and a failure rate of 46.4%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Austin Mini 1000 City E owners, these results suggest above-average failure risk — thorough pre-MOT checks are recommended. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Mini 1000 City E is likely to perform.
Suspension — 57.2% of failures
Suspension issues account for 57.2% of MOT failures on the Austin Mini 1000 City E. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.9% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 39.9% of MOT failures on the Austin Mini 1000 City E. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Brakes — 36.1% of failures
Brakes issues account for 36.1% of MOT failures on the Austin Mini 1000 City E. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Austin Mini 1000 City E?
Based on 21,301 MOT tests in our database, the Austin Mini 1000 City E has an overall pass rate of 53.6% (46.4% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Austin Mini 1000 City E?
The top 3 reasons a Austin Mini 1000 City E fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (57.2%), 2. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (39.9%), 3. Brakes (36.1%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Austin Mini 1000 City E reliable?
With a 46.4% MOT failure rate, the Mini 1000 City E is less reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Austin Mini 1000 City E?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (57.2%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (39.9%); Brakes (36.1%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.