20,843 tests in 2025
Jaguar Xj reliability and MOT pass rate
79% passed first time. The 21% fail rate is 1.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 90,771 miles.
Pass rate
79%
22.6% of all cars failed; 21% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
90,771 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 159 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2,726 | 11.8% |
| 10-13 years | 3,742 | 18.8% |
| 14+ years | 14,216 | 23.5% |
What the Xj 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.
- Suspension117 dangerous44.8%
- Brakes478 dangerous26.2%
- Tyres1,116 dangerous23%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17 dangerous23%
- Visibility2 dangerous14.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous14.1%
- Steering16 dangerous12.9%
- Body, chassis, structure37 dangerous9.7%
Is the Xj getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 21% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 26,379 | 16 | 20.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 25,158 | 16 | 20.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 20,797 | 17 | 21.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 20,788 | 17 | 21% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Xj 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 Xj 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 dirt591 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn444 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm306 tests
- 4Condition: has ply or cords exposed301 tests
- 5Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt291 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction270 tests
- 7Coil spring: fractured or broken262 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt238 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Xj collects 3 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 1.6mm2,980 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,083 tests
- 3Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,735 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,452 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,432 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,361 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,289 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,064 tests
Questions
What is the Jaguar Xj MOT pass rate?
79% of the 20,843 Jaguar Xj first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 21% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Jaguar Xj 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 591 failed tests, followed by "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 44.8% of failures, brakes appears in 26.2% of failures, tyres appears in 23% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 6.9%; at 14+ years it was 23.5%. The median Jaguar Xj tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 90,771 miles.
Is the Jaguar Xj getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 21% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.9 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 Xj 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 21 safety recalls naming the Jaguar Xj: Jaguar Xj recalls.
Other Jaguar models
Checking a particular Xj?
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.