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R440 SJF

1997 Rover Mini

Multi-colour Petrol 1275cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 May 2027
Tests14 (8 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

54,453 mi
Last recorded54,453 miles
Recorded on27 May 2026
Typical for 1997 Rover Mini51,557 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR440 SJF
MakeRover
ModelMini
Year1997
ColourMulti-colour
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,275cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

8 pass 6 fail
Pass 27 May 2026 54,453 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 15 May 2026 54,408 miles

Central Front Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Central Rear Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Apr 2025 52,714 miles
Fail 7 Apr 2025 52,712 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Sub-frame attachment bracket/mounting likely to become detached (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 8 Jun 2023 48,221 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2022 47,707 miles

All chassis and underbody heavily under sealed preventing full inspection of corrosion

Fail 30 Mar 2022 47,693 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting subframe mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

alternator not working

battery inop

coolant leak

Pass 25 Jul 2012 47,687 miles
Fail 1 Jun 2012 47,685 miles

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Exhaust engine idle speed too high (7.3.D.1)

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 28 Sep 2006 46,925 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2006 46,831 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 23 May 2006 44,158 miles

Nearside Inner Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Inner Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 16 Sep 2005 41,308 miles

Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

both front floors bent.

exhaust blowing slightly from manifold area.

Fail 3 Sep 2005 41,146 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Offside Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

both front floors bent

slight blow from exhaust manifold area / engine mountings weak

How Reliable is the Rover Mini?

Based on 519,169 MOT tests across 45,631 vehicles.

66.8%
Pass Rate
876
Miles/Year
47
Year Lifespan
45,631
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 32,036
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 24,016
Steering rack gaiter split 21,375
Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 18,460
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 18,348
Full Rover Mini reliability report

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R440 SJF is a 1997 Rover Mini in Multi-colour with a 1,275cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

Across all 1997 Rover Mini models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.4% with a typical mileage of 51,557 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Rover Mini fails its MOT is subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 32,036 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R440 SJF, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Rover Mini typically stays on UK roads for around 47 years. At 29 years old, this Rover Mini is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R440 SJF?

You can check the full history of R440 SJF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R440 SJF registered?

R440 SJF is a 1997 Rover Mini, first registered on 29 August 1997.

Is R440 SJF safe to buy?

The MOT history for R440 SJF shows 14 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R440 SJF have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on R440 SJF. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.