MINI Countryman Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the MINI Countryman fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 166,214 MOT tests across 13 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: family car | Fuel: Petrol, Hybrid, Diesel
91%
MINI Countryman pass rate
84%
MINI average
82%
All-model average
The MINI Countryman has an average MOT pass rate of 91%, which is 7 points above the MINI average and 9 points above the average across all models in our data. Newer MINI Countrymans pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 6 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the MINI Countryman Fails Its MOT On
Of the 14,328 MOT tests on the MINI Countryman that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Tyres
38%Cars and vans the same age: 28% (the Countryman fails on this more often) · Typical repair £50-£300
Lights and electrics
28%Cars and vans the same age: 30% · Typical repair £15-£200
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
19%Cars and vans the same age: 16% · Typical repair £10-£350
Brakes
13%Cars and vans the same age: 19% (the Countryman fails on this less often) · Typical repair £80-£450
Suspension
11%Cars and vans the same age: 24% (the Countryman fails on this less often) · Typical repair £150-£600
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Tyre has a cut deep enough to reach the ply or cords (14% of failed tests, tyres)
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively (11% of failed tests, windscreen, wipers and mirrors)
- Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit (8.4% of failed tests, tyres)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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MINI Countryman Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Countryman year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points less often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
MINI Countryman Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Petrol | 1.5L | 96% | 3% | - |
| 2021 | Hybrid | 1.5L | 93% | 6% | 93% (0) |
| 2020 | Diesel | 2.0L | 93% | 6% | 92% (+1) |
| 2019 | Hybrid | 1.5L | 93% | 7% | 91% (+2) |
| 2018 | Diesel | 2.0L | 92% | 8% | 89% (+3) |
| 2017 | Diesel | 2.0L | 92% | 8% | 87% (+5) |
| 2016 | Diesel | 2.0L | 91% | 9% | 86% (+5) |
| 2015 | Diesel | 2.0L | 89% | 10% | 84% (+5) |
| 2014 | Diesel | 2.0L | 89% | 11% | 82% (+7) |
| 2013 | Petrol | 1.6L | 87% | 13% | 80% (+7) |
| 2012 | Petrol | 1.6L | 86% | 13% | 79% (+7) |
| 2011 | Petrol | 1.6L | 80% | 19% | 77% (+3) |
| 2010 | Petrol | 1.6L | 89% | 11% | - |
MINI Countryman Running Costs
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MINI Countryman FAQ
What are the most common MINI Countryman problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the MINI Countryman that failed at the first attempt most often failed on tyres (38% of the 14,328 failed tests), lights and electrics (28%) and windscreen, wipers and mirrors (19%). The single most common fault was "Tyre has a cut deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (14%). Across 166,214 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 91% ended in a pass.
Is the MINI Countryman reliable?
The MINI Countryman has an average MOT pass rate of 91%, from 166,214 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed 4 points more often on average, a better than average result for its age.
Which MINI Countryman years should I avoid?
No MINI Countryman year with 1,000+ tests passed 3 or more points less often than all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). The years that passed most often for their age were the 2014 (89% of 24,209 tests passed, against 82% for all 2014 cars), the 2013 (87% of 5,175 tests passed, against 80% for all 2013 cars) and the 2012 (86% of 1,340 tests passed, against 79% for all 2012 cars). A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common MINI Countryman faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a MINI Countryman typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other MINI Models
Common problems pages for other MINI models