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R973 SOJ

1997 Rover Mini

Green Petrol 1275cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Oct 2026
Tests21 (14 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

93,061 mi
Last recorded93,061 miles
Recorded on27 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Rover Mini51,557 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR973 SOJ
MakeRover
ModelMini
Year1997
ColourGreen
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

14 pass 7 fail
Pass 27 Oct 2025 93,061 miles

Nearside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement radius arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) quite bad ()

Pass 16 Oct 2024 92,284 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 23 Oct 2023 92,195 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2022 92,098 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2021 91,990 miles
Pass 28 Oct 2020 91,413 miles
Fail 28 Oct 2020 91,413 miles

Front Registration plate inscription illegible (0.1 (b))

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

Front Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Fail 28 Jan 2013 90,683 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Nearside Outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter insecure to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Windscreen wipers just meet requirements

Pass 28 Jan 2013 90,683 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Windscreen wipers just meet requirements

Pass 12 Jan 2012 89,130 miles
Fail 10 Jan 2012 89,130 miles

Front Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Oil leak

Pass 12 Jan 2011 84,789 miles
Fail 11 Jan 2011 84,789 miles

Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 14 Jan 2010 79,767 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

slight play in steering rack (nearside)

Fail 12 Jan 2010 79,767 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

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

Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Rear fog lamp insecure (1.3.2a)

Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

slight play in steering rack (nearside)

Pass 5 May 2009 74,683 miles

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

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

Fail 1 May 2009 74,683 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 Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

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

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

Pass 27 May 2008 70,101 miles
Pass 30 May 2007 59,923 miles
Fail 29 May 2007 59,923 miles

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

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

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

Pass 30 May 2006 49,797 miles

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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R973 SOJ is a 1997 Rover Mini in Green with a 1,275cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 R973 SOJ, 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 R973 SOJ?

You can check the full history of R973 SOJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R973 SOJ registered?

R973 SOJ is a 1997 Rover Mini, first registered on 8 December 1997.

Is R973 SOJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R973 SOJ shows 21 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R973 SOJ 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 R973 SOJ. 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.