2,910 tests in 2025
Jaguar Xjs reliability and MOT pass rate
81.7% passed first time. The 18.3% fail rate is 4.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 34 years old with 79,090 miles.
Pass rate
81.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
79,090 mi
34 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,907 | 18.3% |
What the Xjs 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13 dangerous44.9%
- Brakes84 dangerous43.8%
- Suspension19 dangerous26.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous22%
- Visibility21.2%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous15.8%
- Steering7 dangerous11.5%
- Tyres48 dangerous7.1%
Is the Xjs getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.4 points to 18.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,564 | 32 | 20.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,285 | 32 | 19.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,678 | 33 | 18% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,909 | 34 | 18.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Xjs 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 Xjs in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements79 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding65 tests
- 3Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value52 tests
- 4Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength44 tests
- 5Headlamp aim: too high41 tests
- 6Washers: not working41 tests
- 7Rear fog lamp: not working37 tests
- 8Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side36 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Xjs collects 3.12 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine441 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play273 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened220 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn165 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure164 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm142 tests
- 7Transmission oil leaks: leaking excessively from transmission117 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded110 tests
Questions
What is the Jaguar Xjs MOT pass rate?
81.7% of the 2,910 Jaguar Xjs first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Jaguar Xjs usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 79 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 44.9% of failures, brakes appears in 43.8% of failures, suspension appears in 26.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 18.3%. The median Jaguar Xjs tested in 2025 was 34 years old with 79,090 miles.
Is the Jaguar Xjs getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.4 points to 18.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Xjs trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Jaguar models
Checking a particular Xjs?
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.