2012 Jaguar XF — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Jaguar XF passed 80.8% of its 60,833 recorded MOT tests. Executive cars of a similar age fail at 18.4%, so the 2012 XF sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.8%) and tyres (6.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, tread depth and brake pads — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 2,687 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.4% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.6pp more often than petrol ones (19.3% vs 15.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 16.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.8% | 4,729 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.6% | 4,038 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 3,626 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.1% | 3,075 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 1,864 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 708 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 2,687 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 2,443 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,528 |
| 4 | Washers | 1,447 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 1,406 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 1,376 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.5% | 16,722 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.6% | 15,546 |
| 3 | Suspension | 24.9% | 15,122 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.6% | 4,014 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.5% | 3,348 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.5% | 2,129 |
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 | 972 | 13.0% |
| 30-60k | 9,314 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 19,668 | 17.9% |
| 90-120k | 17,202 | 21.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,887 | 22.6% |
| 150k+ | 4,773 | 23.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 59,948 | 19.3% |
| Petrol | 885 | 15.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,481 | 16.6% |
| 2022 | 12,431 | 17.8% |
| 2023 | 12,320 | 19.5% |
| 2024 | 12,078 | 21.0% |
| 2025 | 11,523 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a 2012 XF
On a 2012 XF, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 7.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (7.8% 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.
- Tyres (6.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (6.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2012 Jaguar XFs pass their MOT?
80.8% of the 60,833 2012 Jaguar XF MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Jaguar XF?
Suspension, recorded in 7.8% of tests, followed by tyres (6.6%).
Does the 2012 XF get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.0% in the 0-30k band to 23.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 60,833 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.