Jeep Cherokee MOT pass rate & common failures
42,147 MOT tests on the Jeep Cherokee (1980–2023) give it an 80.7% pass rate. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (17.8% fail rate), the Cherokee comes out 1.5pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Cherokee years
Ranked across Cherokee 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 2018 (88.1% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (71.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.8%) and suspension (6.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — headlamp alone was recorded 2,433 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.2% in the 0-30k band and 30.5% in the 150k+ band, a 20.3-point spread — more than double.
The diesel cars hold up better: 18.0% fail against 25.9% for petrol, a 7.9-point gap across 42,140 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 25.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cherokee model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 172 | 77.3% | 22.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 390 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 401 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 206 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 237 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 209 | 72.3% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 183 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 234 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 536 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 1,538 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,102 | 71.0% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 740 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 693 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 280 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 113 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 451 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 1,077 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 875 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 7,167 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 11,974 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 8,304 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 3,175 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 1,771 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 112 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 61 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 43 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 3,692 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.2% | 2,603 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.7% | 2,400 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.9% | 2,046 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 1,487 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,474 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 862 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.8% | 330 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 2,433 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 2,032 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 1,227 |
| 4 | Wipers | 1,084 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,017 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 943 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 933 |
| 8 | Brake discs | 665 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 25.2% | 10,610 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.0% | 9,709 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.7% | 7,469 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 9.5% | 4,008 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.6% | 3,213 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.6% | 1,954 |
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 | 2,717 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 12,874 | 14.7% |
| 60-90k | 14,261 | 19.6% |
| 90-120k | 8,080 | 24.5% |
| 120-150k | 3,062 | 27.8% |
| 150k+ | 1,138 | 30.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 35,294 | 18.0% |
| Petrol | 6,846 | 25.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,101 | 18.0% |
| 2022 | 8,841 | 18.8% |
| 2023 | 8,493 | 19.4% |
| 2024 | 8,071 | 20.2% |
| 2025 | 7,641 | 20.3% |
What to check before buying a Jeep Cherokee
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.2% 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.
- Brakes (5.7% 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 Jeep Cherokee?
80.7% of the 42,147 Jeep Cherokee MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.3% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the Jeep Cherokee most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.8% of tests, then suspension (6.2%).
Which Cherokee years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 88.1% and 2003 the weakest at 71.0%, from 1,771 and 1,102 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Cherokee MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.5% for 150k+, a 20.3-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Cherokee more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 18.0% of the time against 25.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 42,147 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.