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1971 Austin Mini — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years
Current Age
73.8%
Latest Pass Rate
1,127
Total Tests (All Years)
48,810 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1971 Austin Mini as it ages.

38 yrs56.5%
39 yrs65.8%
40 yrs66.2%
41 yrs58.8%
42 yrs66.7%
43 yrs66.7%
44 yrs68.8%
45 yrs68.1%
46 yrs73.1%
47 yrs73.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 38 to 47 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
38 yrs56.5%131
39 yrs65.8%111
40 yrs66.2%130
41 yrs58.8%119
42 yrs66.7%117
43 yrs66.7%132
44 yrs68.8%128
45 yrs68.1%113
46 yrs73.1%104
47 yrs73.8%42

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Austin Mini pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 10 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2018 (47 yrs)73.8%42
2017 (46 yrs)73.1%104
2016 (45 yrs)68.1%113
2015 (44 yrs)68.8%128
2014 (43 yrs)66.7%132
2013 (42 yrs)66.7%117
2012 (41 yrs)58.8%119
2011 (40 yrs)66.2%130
2010 (39 yrs)65.8%111
2009 (38 yrs)56.5%131

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
56.5%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 131Avg Mileage 61,004Top Failure Brakes — 29.8%
2010
65.8%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 111Avg Mileage 53,283Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.7%
2011
66.2%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 130Avg Mileage 51,590Top Failure Brakes — 23.1%
2012High Fail Rate
58.8%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 119Avg Mileage 55,492Top Failure Suspension — 29.4%
2013
66.7%
Age (yrs) 42Tests 117Avg Mileage 49,613Top Failure Suspension — 52.1%
2014
66.7%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 132Avg Mileage 61,082Top Failure Brakes — 63.6%
2015
68.8%
Age (yrs) 44Tests 128Avg Mileage 54,654Top Failure Suspension — 57.8%
2016
68.1%
Age (yrs) 45Tests 113Avg Mileage 49,346Top Failure Suspension — 48.7%
2017
73.1%
Age (yrs) 46Tests 104Avg Mileage 48,637Top Failure Brakes — 46.2%
2018
73.8%
Age (yrs) 47Tests 42Avg Mileage 48,810Top Failure Brakes — 59.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Austin Mini, with age trends.

Brakes
40.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
37.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
26.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
14.5%
— Consistent
Steering
14.0%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes29.8% (38 yrs)59.5% (47 yrs)
+29.7%
🔴 ↑
Suspension26.7% (38 yrs)35.7% (47 yrs)
+9.0%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment22.1% (38 yrs)14.3% (47 yrs)
-7.8%
🟢 ↓
Steering14.5% (38 yrs)7.1% (47 yrs)
-7.4%
🟢 ↓
Driver's View of the Road11.5% (38 yrs)9.5% (47 yrs)
-2.0%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Austin Mini page →

About This Data

This page shows how Austin Mini cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2018, covering 1,127 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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