The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Jaguar I-Pace common problems

What fails on the Jaguar I-Pace at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 22,603 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Jaguar I-Pace's most common MOT problems are tyres, ball joints, wiper blades and washers, recorded in 84.6%, 14.7% and 6.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (92.9%) and 2019 cars least (90.1%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Jaguar I-Pace that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 22,603 cars.

By component

What wears out on a I-Pace

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Jaguar I-Pace tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    84.6% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained37.5%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained17.6%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained14.7%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained6.2%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Ball joints

    14.7% of failed tests

    Steering and suspension ball joints wear internally and their dust covers split; excessive play fails.

    • “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play” — explained14.3%
    • “A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment” — explained0.4%

    Across all cars, ball joints failures climb 28-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long ball joints last

  3. 3.Wiper blades and washers

    6.9% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained4.6%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained0.9%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained0.8%
    • “Wiper not operating or missing” — explained0.6%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  4. 4.Registration plates

    5.7% of failed tests

    Plates fade, crack and delaminate; non-standard fonts and spacing fail regardless of condition.

    • “Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements” — explained5.7%

  5. 5.Steering rack and column

    4.4% of failed tests

    Rack gaiters split and let dirt in; the rack itself and the column are rarely the failing part.

    • “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.4%
    • “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.0%

  6. 6.Headlamp aim

    4.2% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.9%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.3%

  7. 7.Bulbs and lamps

    2.8% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)” — explained1.5%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained0.4%
    • “A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.4%
    • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.4%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  8. 8.Airbags

    2.2% of failed tests

    The warning lamp lit is a failure; usually a seat sensor, a connector under the seat or a clock spring.

    • “An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction” — explained2.2%

By registration year

I-Pace problems by year

MOT pass rate for Jaguar I-Pace cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

201990%
202091%+1.2
202192%+0.9
202293%+0.6

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn I-Pace owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Jaguar I-Pace tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the I-Pace file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Jaguar I-Pace?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 84.6% of failed tests), ball joints (recorded in 14.7% of failed tests), and wiper blades and washers (recorded in 6.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 22,603 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Jaguar I-Pace year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Jaguar I-Pace cars registered in 2022 do best at 92.9% and 2019 cars do worst at 90.1%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Jaguar I-Pace reliable?
The Jaguar I-Pace passes 91.5% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Jaguar I-Pace?
Start with what fails most: tyres, ball joints, wiper blades and washers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of