Model Reports 5 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

MINI Hatch 2009: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 60 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2009 MINI Hatch were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Petrol emissions (with catalyst).

Summary

A 2009 MINI Hatch passed first time about 1 in every 100 less often than the average of the 2008 and 2010 model years.

At a glance

How 24,970 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
60 in every 100
Did not pass first time
40 in every 1009,896 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
16 yearsabout 87,231 miles
First tests counted
24,970

What failed most often

  1. Petrol emissions (with catalyst)30 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Individual sidelight or tail light (front)21 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Petrol engine warning light11 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2009 MINI Hatch vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Body and structure

One fault: fuel cap, 10 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 9,893 of 9,896 failed first attempts that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Fuel cap

Failed on 306 first tests10 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A missing or ineffective fuel filler cap is Major, as is a plain fuel system leak, while a fuel system leaking excessively or a risk of fire has its own, separate wording. A fuel tank with a hole, or a split filler neck, from which fuel can leak must be failed for leaking even if the hole or split is above the fuel line.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Noise, emissions and leaks

Three faults. The strongest is the petrol emissions (with catalyst): 7.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol emissions (with catalyst)

Failed on 3,000 first tests7.5 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Emissions levels over the manufacturer's specified limits are Major, as are levels over default limits, which apply when no exact match is found for the vehicle. Dense blue or clearly visible black smoke at idle, held for a set period, is Major, except for certain older vehicles and two stroke engines where smoke is unavoidable. An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels is Major too.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 191 first tests, 24 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol engine warning light

Failed on 1,043 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on a petrol engine is a Major failure when it is illuminated indicating a malfunction. The detail line DVSA gives for the same row also names an inoperative lamp. The test covers only certain petrol vehicles, depending on their age, size and fuel type.

Petrol emissions not tested

Failed on 362 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

On a petrol car, an emissions test recorded as not tested or unable to be completed is failed as Major. DVSA's wording gives no reason why.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Suspension

One fault: suspension sub-frame (front), 6.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension sub-frame (front)

Failed on 385 first tests6.5 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A suspension sub-frame insecurely attached to the chassis or axle is Major, and Dangerous when it is insecure and impairing directional stability. A sub-frame that is missing, likely to become detached, fractured or likely to fail is also Dangerous. Excessive damage or corrosion that seriously weakens it is Major.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 1,252 first tests, 3.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Brakes

One wear pattern: brake discs (rear), 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake discs (rear)

Failed on 256 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A brake disc or drum must be significantly worn before it is rejected, and being worn below the manufacturer's recommended limits is not a reason in itself. Significantly and obviously worn is Major, as is contamination with oil or grease. A disc or drum that is fractured, insecure, seriously weakened or missing is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 1,165 first tests, 2.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Petrol emissions (no catalyst)

Noted on 35 first tests15 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Macpherson strut (rear)

Noted on 30 first tests9.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar pins and bushes (rear)

Noted on 68 first tests3.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Structural sub-frame condition (front)

Noted on 75 first tests3.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Structural sub-frame condition (rear)

Noted on 84 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 1,485 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
60in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
7in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
33in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 60.4% of 24,970 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 67.3%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 7 fixed and the 33 not fixed make the 40 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Petrol20,68783,035 miles6160
Diesel4,283117,219 miles5964

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

4060801002005200920152020Older carsNewer cars
40608010020092020Older carsNewer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 61 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200150 in every 1001,394
200253 in every 1006,184
200355 in every 1009,883
200455 in every 10014,270
200555 in every 10017,836
200656 in every 10017,365
200756 in every 10020,625
200858 in every 10021,902
2009 This car60 in every 10024,970
201065 in every 10029,511
201166 in every 10028,014
201271 in every 10033,870
201373 in every 10040,211
201479 in every 10030,471
201581 in every 10044,312
201684 in every 10044,778
201785 in every 10044,384
201887 in every 10043,078
201988 in every 10048,093
202088 in every 10035,781
202188 in every 10036,233
202290 in every 10035,706

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2009 MINI Hatch.

Of 2009 MINI Hatch vehicles with under 63,000 miles, 74 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 113,000 miles or more, 53 in every 100 did.

Under 63,0005,032 tests
74
63,000–80,0004,938 tests
63
80,000–95,000 Typical car5,029 tests
57
95,000–113,0004,874 tests
54
113,000 and over5,092 tests
53

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested		Passed first time,
same mileage
Petrol83,035 miles6160
Diesel117,219 miles5964

Figures are in every 100 first tests. At the same mileage there is no clear difference between the two.

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 63,00080,000–95,000113,000 and over
Petrol emissions (with catalyst)4.914.712.4
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)5.08.610.8
Petrol engine warning light1.85.24.7
Headlight aim1.63.74.7
Tyre condition (front)2.12.02.8

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

26in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

51in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

8in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

A 2009 MINI Hatch passed first time about 1 in every 100 less often than the average of the 2008 and 2010 model years. In 2025, 60.4% of 24,970 first MOTs on the 2009 MINI Hatch passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 67.3%. Among 9,896 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Fuel cap appears more often than on similar cars (3.1% of those tests; 306 observed failures; about 10× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2009 MINI Hatch at the first attempt were Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (30.3%), Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (20.9%) and Petrol engine warning light (10.5%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Fuel cap (3.1% of those tests; 306 observed failures; about 10× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Fuel cap shows up more often than on similar cars (3.1% of those tests; 306 observed failures; about 10× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2009 MINI Hatch include Fuel cap, Petrol emissions (with catalyst), Suspension sub-frame (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2009 MINI Hatch (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Check any vehicle’s MOT history

Full MOT history, mileage records, and reliability insights for any UK vehicle.

Run a free check