Jaguar X-Type MOT pass rate & common failures
197,873 MOT tests on the Jaguar X-Type (1993–2021) give it a 71.2% pass rate. Executive cars of a similar age fail 23.3% of the time, so this is 5.5pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst X-Type years
Ranked across X-Type years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2010 (77.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2004 (68.3%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 15.6% of all tests — 4.0 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 16,244 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 12.3% in the 0-30k band and 35.2% in the 150k+ band, a 22.9-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 27.9% of the time against 29.2% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 38.3% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every X-Type model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4,636 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 11,388 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 17,097 | 70.8% | 29.3% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 23,055 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 24,106 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 27,520 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 27,616 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 33,033 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 28,127 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 1,162 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.6% | 30,796 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 11.5% | 22,807 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.2% | 20,148 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.8% | 13,494 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.8% | 13,391 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.6% | 11,073 |
| 7 | Visibility | 4.6% | 9,069 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.3% | 6,517 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 16,244 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 10,239 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 9,182 |
| 4 | Prescribed areas | 8,472 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 6,790 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 6,501 |
| 7 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 6,080 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 6,064 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 38.3% | 75,852 |
| 2 | Brakes | 33.0% | 65,361 |
| 3 | Tyres | 26.5% | 52,428 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 16.0% | 31,722 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.7% | 21,243 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.0% | 19,854 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2,603 | 12.3% |
| 30-60k | 19,853 | 19.5% |
| 60-90k | 48,094 | 25.2% |
| 90-120k | 59,152 | 29.8% |
| 120-150k | 40,901 | 32.6% |
| 150k+ | 27,157 | 35.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 130,811 | 29.2% |
| Petrol | 67,050 | 27.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56,575 | 29.0% |
| 2022 | 47,132 | 28.6% |
| 2023 | 38,870 | 28.9% |
| 2024 | 31,033 | 28.7% |
| 2025 | 24,263 | 28.3% |
What to check before buying a Jaguar X-Type
- Suspension (15.6% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (11.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Jaguar X-Type?
71.2% of the 197,873 Jaguar X-Type MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.8% fail rate, across model years 1993–2021.
What does the Jaguar X-Type most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 15.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (11.5%).
Which X-Type years are best and worst for MOT results?
2010 has the best pass rate at 77.6% and 2004 the weakest at 68.3%, from 1,162 and 23,055 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect X-Type MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.2% for 150k+, a 22.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel X-Type more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.9% of the time against 29.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 197,873 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.