How reliable is the Austin Mini Mayfair compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Austin Mini Mayfair, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 71.2% across 834 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Austin Mini Mayfair?

The item recorded most often is "Emissions levels exceed default limits", which appears in 26.5% of failed Austin Mini Mayfair tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Austin Mini Mayfair?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 14.6% of all Austin Mini Mayfair tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Austin Mini Mayfair usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 49,680 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Austin Mini Mayfair MOT pass rate & common failures

From 834 recorded MOT tests of the Austin Mini Mayfair, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 834 MOT tests, 71.2% of Austin Mini Mayfair tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Austin Mini Mayfair fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is emissions levels exceed default limits, which appears in 26.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 49,680 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

71.2%unadjusted, not comparable834 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Mini Mayfair. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 834 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Austin Mini Mayfair tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Emissions levels exceed default limits26.5%
54 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning23.5%
48 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.7%
30 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle12.3%
25 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
5.Emissions levels exceed default limits9.8%
20 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
6.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED9.3%
19 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.3%
19 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.8%
18 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.A wheel bearing with excessive play8.8%
18 occurrencesWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
10.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.8%
18 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Austin Mini Mayfair tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users14.6%
122 tests
2.A wheel bearing with excessive play11.2%
93 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged5.5%
46 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements5.0%
42 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.9%
41 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Exhaust system leaking or insecure4.9%
41 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded4.4%
37 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded3.5%
29 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Austin Mini Mayfair

The 17 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Mini Mayfair fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 49,680
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.8%

Check a specific Austin Mini Mayfair

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Austin models

Austin Mini 1000 City — 70.4% unadjusted
All Austin models

Common questions

How reliable is the Austin Mini Mayfair compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Austin Mini Mayfair, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 71.2% across 834 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Austin Mini Mayfair?: The item recorded most often is "Emissions levels exceed default limits", which appears in 26.5% of failed Austin Mini Mayfair tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Austin Mini Mayfair?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 14.6% of all Austin Mini Mayfair tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Austin Mini Mayfair usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 49,680 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.