8,831 tests in 2025
Jaguar S-Type reliability and MOT pass rate
68.3% passed first time. The 31.7% fail rate is 9.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 21 years old with 90,789 miles.
Pass rate
68.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 31.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
90,789 mi
21 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2 | — |
| 14+ years | 8,829 | 31.7% |
What the S-Type fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension75 dangerous51.4%
- Brakes446 dangerous34.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment29 dangerous31.9%
- Steering14 dangerous22.5%
- Tyres581 dangerous16.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous14.6%
- Visibility2 dangerous13.8%
- Body, chassis, structure43 dangerous11.8%
Is the S-Type getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.8 points to 31.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 15,961 | 18 | 32.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 13,530 | 19 | 31.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,939 | 20 | 33.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,823 | 21 | 31.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical S-Type at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a S-Type in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt619 tests
- 2Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt367 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn278 tests
- 4Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt256 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction253 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength208 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: too low202 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick181 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical S-Type collects 3.5 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,196 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,117 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,085 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,075 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,033 tests
- 6Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened911 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure849 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick638 tests
Questions
What is the Jaguar S-Type MOT pass rate?
68.3% of the 8,831 Jaguar S-Type first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 31.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Jaguar S-Type usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 619 failed tests, followed by "Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 51.4% of failures, brakes appears in 34.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 31.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 31.7%. The median Jaguar S-Type tested in 2025 was 21 years old with 90,789 miles.
Is the Jaguar S-Type getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.8 points to 31.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every S-Type trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 7 safety recalls naming the Jaguar S-Type: Jaguar S-Type recalls.
Other Jaguar models
Checking a particular S-Type?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.