Is the Jaguar XJ reliable?

On MOT evidence the Jaguar XJ is well above average. It passes 79.9% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 83% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What do testers most often warn about on a Jaguar XJ?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Jaguar XJ tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Jaguar XJ usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,182 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Jaguar XJ get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Jaguar XJ tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 72.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Jaguar XJ models petrol or diesel?

Of the Jaguar XJ cars tested, 52% are diesel, 47% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Jaguar XJ MOT pass rate & common failures

From 22,192 recorded MOT tests of the Jaguar XJ, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Jaguar XJ passes 79.9% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average. Based on 22,192 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 15.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 93,182 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

79.9%national average72.3%unadjusted75.9%range covered83%

The XJ is 7.6 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 75.9%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Jaguar XJ tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc15.1%
700 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.3%
663 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc11.0%
508 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.8%
455 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.7%
404 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.5%
392 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened6.8%
314 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.8%
270 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded5.6%
261 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
10.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 repaired5.6%
260 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Jaguar XJ tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.8%
5,050 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.7%
3,049 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged10.9%
2,408 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.5%
2,328 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured9.8%
2,165 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded9.6%
2,134 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.1%
1,359 tests
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.0%
1,323 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs88%

9–11 yrs82%

12–14 yrs77%

15+ yrs73%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The XJ fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 93,182
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel52.4%
Petrol47.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (19)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

XJ 3.0 V6 EXECUTIVE
XJ 53 C AUTO
XJ COUPE
XJ EXECUTIVE V6 A
XJ EXECUTIVE V6 AUTO
XJ EXECUTIVE V6 LWB AUTO
XJ EXECUTIVE V6 TDVI A
XJ EXECUTIVE V6SWB TDVI A
XJ L SUPERCHARGED
XJ PORTFOLIO V8 AUTO
XJ PORTFOLIO V8 LWB AUTO
XJ PREMIUM LUXURY V6 D AUTO
XJ R
XJ SEL
XJ SPORT PREMIUM V6 AUTO
XJ SUPER SPORT
XJ SUPER V8
XJ SUPER V8 AUTO
XJ V8 EXECUTIVE

Check a specific Jaguar XJ

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Jaguar models

Jaguar XF — 77.9% adjusted
Jaguar F-Pace — 84.6% adjusted
Jaguar XE — 82.0% adjusted
Jaguar E-Pace — 87.3% unadjusted
Jaguar I-Pace — 91.5% unadjusted
Jaguar X-Type — 59.0% unadjusted
All Jaguar models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Smart (mcc) Forfour — 64.8% adjusted, ranked 223
Mini John Cooper Works — 83.8% adjusted, ranked 27
Mercedes-Benz CLS — 76.4% adjusted, ranked 93
BMW 6 Series — 81.4% adjusted, ranked 46

Common questions

Is the Jaguar XJ reliable?: On MOT evidence the Jaguar XJ is well above average. It passes 79.9% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 83% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Jaguar XJ?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 15.1% of failed Jaguar XJ tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Jaguar XJ?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Jaguar XJ tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Jaguar XJ usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,182 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Jaguar XJ get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Jaguar XJ tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 72.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Jaguar XJ models petrol or diesel?: Of the Jaguar XJ cars tested, 52% are diesel, 47% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.