All generations and engines together · 15,981 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 48k
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 3,476 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
1.4 MultiAir petrol engines can weep oil from around the cam cover, and it tracks down onto a spark plug, causing a rough-running misfire that takes a while to trace. Honest John's owner reports put this appearing from around three years old, often just as the warranty runs out, and in the worst cases the whole engine has needed replacing. No recall or TSB turned up for it, so how bad it gets seems to depend on servicing history.
The TCT robotised twin-clutch box fitted to automatic MiTos gets consistently poor write-ups: hesitant take-up from a standstill, jerkiness at low speed, and a reputation for costly clutch-pack or mechatronic repairs once out of warranty. Honest John's own advice on the model is to avoid the TCT gearbox, and Auto Express separately flagged it as hindering the car rather than helping it. Manual MiTos use a conventional clutch and aren't affected.
A recurring complaint is odd electrical faults, including a specific report of a 5A fuse (F51) that kept blowing and took out the main beam, air con and Bluetooth together, plus general niggles with warning lights and driver aids. Auto Express's review separately flags the electrics as more likely to cause trouble than on rivals like the Mini or Audi A1. It rarely strands you, but it's the sort of fault that comes back after a dealer clears it.
The electric power steering motor can fail outright or cut in and out, leaving the steering suddenly heavy. Honest John records more than one case, including a 2011 MiTo Sprint quoted around £700 for a replacement motor and a separate intermittent failure on a 2010-plate car. It doesn't look tied to one engine or trim, and there's no manufacturer campaign covering it.
Diesel MiTos have their own list: a reported timing chain snapping on a 2011 1.3 MultiJet 95PS, turbo bearing oil seals that make it smoke on a cold start, and at least one owner chasing clouds of white smoke on DPF regeneration that turned out to be a leaking injector or head gasket rather than the filter itself. Costs range from a few hundred pounds for injectors to well over a thousand for a chain or head gasket. Petrol MiTos aren't affected.
Interior plastics and trim fit come in for regular criticism, with Auto Express noting sharp edges and panels that had been fettled to fit properly at the factory. Separately, Honest John logged one report of both front wheelarches separating from the body on a 2014 car. Owners disagree on how widespread this is versus normal wear, and it's more a value and annoyance issue than something that strands you.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Superminis), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.