2008 Jaguar Xjr — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 464 MOT tests, the 2008 Jaguar Xjr recorded an 84.3% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (26.3% fail rate), the 2008 Xjr comes out 10.6pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (6.7%) and lighting & signalling (5.8%) 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, pins and bushes and malfunction indicator lamp — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 26 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.9% once past 120-150k — 3.1× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6.7% | 31 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 27 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.1% | 19 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.5% | 16 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.8% | 13 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.6% | 12 |
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 | 26 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 12 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 12 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 11 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 11 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 8 |
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 | 22.4% | 104 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.5% | 95 |
| 3 | Suspension | 20.0% | 93 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.9% | 32 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.9% | 32 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.5% | 30 |
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 | 41 | 7.3% |
| 30-60k | 83 | 12.0% |
| 60-90k | 147 | 13.6% |
| 90-120k | 112 | 19.6% |
| 120-150k | 61 | 22.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 93 | 10.8% |
| 2022 | 98 | 17.3% |
| 2023 | 93 | 18.3% |
| 2024 | 92 | 15.2% |
| 2025 | 88 | 17.1% |
What to check before buying a 2008 Xjr
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 6.7% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (6.7% 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 (5.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (4.1% 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
How many 2008 Jaguar Xjrs pass their MOT?
84.3% of the 464 2008 Jaguar Xjr MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2008 Jaguar Xjr?
Suspension, recorded in 6.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.8%).
Does the 2008 Xjr get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.3% in the 0-30k band to 22.9% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 464 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.