Jaguar Xj
From 52,214 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Xjs fare better: 2020 models pass at 91.1% vs 74.5% for 1995.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 1,883 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,883 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 1,483 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 721 |
| a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 721 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 717 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 681 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 675 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 559 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 547 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 530 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 40.2% of failures are serious: 31.8% are safety issues (brakes, steering, tyre damage) and 8.4% could actually leave you stranded. That's close to the 44.4% average across all models. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £101.
Fuel type matters
Diesel versions pass at 85.6% while Petrol versions pass at 77.5%, a 8 percentage point gap.
Jaguar Xj on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 1,422 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 38 newly registered, a net loss of 1,384. At this rate, roughly 30.4 years until none remain. Now at 60.2% of its peak (69,957 in 1998 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 23,606 | 18,503 | +14 | -239 | -225 |
| 2025 Q2 | 23,925 | 18,409 | +4 | -272 | -268 |
| 2025 Q1 | 23,296 | 19,306 | +10 | -297 | -287 |
| 2024 Q4 | 23,521 | 19,368 | +10 | -614 | -604 |
| 2024 Q3 | 24,864 | 18,629 | +10 | -387 | -377 |
| 2024 Q2 | 25,383 | 18,487 | +12 | -0 | +104 |
| 2024 Q1 | 24,894 | 18,872 | +6 | -618 | -612 |
| 2023 Q4 | 25,121 | 19,257 | +6 | -183 | -177 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xj Portfolio V6 D Auto | Diesel | 3,763 | 24% |
| Xj8 Auto | Diesel | 987 | 6% |
| Xj6 V6 Se Auto | Gas | 929 | 6% |
| Xj8 V8 Se Auto | Gas | 901 | 6% |
| Xj6 V6 Auto | Petrol | 811 | 5% |
| Xj Premium Luxury V6 D A | Diesel | 775 | 5% |
| Xj Premium Luxury V6 D Auto | Diesel | 740 | 5% |
| Xj Luxury V6 D Auto | Diesel | 683 | 4% |
| Xjl Portfolio V6 D Auto | Diesel | 664 | 4% |
| Xj-S Convertible Auto | Petrol | 638 | 4% |
| Xjr V8 Auto | Petrol | 594 | 4% |
| Xj-S 4.0 Auto | Petrol | 539 | 3% |
| Xj R-Sport V6 D Auto | Diesel | 509 | 3% |
| Xj Sovereign Tdvi Auto | Diesel | 458 | 3% |
| Xjr V8 S/C Auto | Petrol | 457 | 3% |
| Xjs He Auto | Petrol | 456 | 3% |
| Xj Sovereign V6 Tdvi A | Diesel | 444 | 3% |
| Xjl Autobiography V6 D Auto | Diesel | 405 | 3% |
| Xj6 V6 Sovereign Auto | Diesel | 376 | 2% |
| Xj Executive | Petrol | 368 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 91.1% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator |
| 2019 | 93.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 92.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2017 | 91.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
30 earlier years
| 2016 | 89.7% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2015 | 90.1% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 87.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 86.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2012 | 86.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2011 | 83.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2010 | 81.9% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2009 | 83.4% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2008 | 78.1% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2007 | 79.5% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2006 | 78.7% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 77.2% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 74.3% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2003 | 75.5% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2002 | 76.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2001 | 74.4% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 2000 | 75.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1999 | 72.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1998 | 75% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1997 | 77.4% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1996 | 81% | lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1995 | 74.5% | emissions levels exceed default limits, lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer |
| 1994 | 83.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 1993 | 77.6% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1992 | 73.5% | a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1991 | 80.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 1990 | 83.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1989 | 76.6% | a shock absorber bush excessively worn, parking brake inoperative on one side |
| 1988 | 81.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 1985 | 89.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
Typical mileage
Half of all Xjs tested had between 62,307 and 133,683 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 88,814 median miles, the Xj has 0.02 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Jaguar models
| Jaguar Xf | 81.7% |
| Jaguar F-Pace | 88.9% |
| Jaguar Xe | 85.6% |
| Jaguar E-Pace | 89.9% |
| Jaguar X-Type | 67.9% |
Common questions
What is the Jaguar Xj MOT pass rate?
The Jaguar Xj has a 81.9% MOT pass rate based on 52,214 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Jaguar Xj?
The most common MOT failure on the Jaguar Xj is a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 1,883 failures. Other common issues include a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn.
How many Jaguar Xjs are on UK roads?
There are 23,606 Jaguar Xjs currently licensed on UK roads, with 18,503 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Jaguar Xj at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Jaguar Xj is 88,814 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 62,307 and 133,683 miles.
Buying a used Xj?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 81.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £101 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.