Jeep Wrangler MOT pass rate & common failures
The Jeep Wrangler appears in 27,320 MOT tests spanning model years 1981–2025, and 83.1% of them passed. Large SUVs of a similar age fail at 15.9%, so the Wrangler sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Wrangler years
Ranked across Wrangler 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 2020 (93.1% pass rate); the weakest is 1997 (74.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.2% of tests against 6.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and rear fog lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 1,671 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.8% once past 150k — 3.5× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 16.5% of the time against 17.1% for petrol.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 17.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 18.9% in 2021 to 16.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Wrangler model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 45 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 47 | 80.8% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 459 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 563 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 281 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 201 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 1,355 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 1,270 | 75.1% | 24.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 655 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 613 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 447 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 367 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 400 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 396 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 345 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 395 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 263 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 256 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 208 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 161 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 105 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 221 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,104 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 2,117 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 3,166 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 1,751 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 1,604 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 2,182 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 2,831 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 1,819 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 1,160 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 418 | 91.1% | 8.8% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.2% | 3,343 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.3% | 1,722 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.9% | 1,053 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.7% | 1,014 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 720 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.5% | 691 |
| 7 | Tyres | 1.4% | 376 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.3% | 353 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 1,671 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 851 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 748 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 674 |
| 5 | Wipers | 667 |
| 6 | Side repeaters | 603 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 598 |
| 8 | Washers | 542 |
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 | 17.1% | 4,674 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.9% | 4,067 |
| 3 | Tyres | 8.7% | 2,368 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 1,730 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.2% | 1,680 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.5% | 1,499 |
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 | 6,975 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 8,843 | 14.7% |
| 60-90k | 6,439 | 21.6% |
| 90-120k | 3,385 | 25.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,200 | 27.0% |
| 150k+ | 455 | 28.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 16,944 | 17.1% |
| Diesel | 10,371 | 16.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,376 | 18.9% |
| 2022 | 4,948 | 16.4% |
| 2023 | 5,482 | 16.4% |
| 2024 | 6,040 | 16.7% |
| 2025 | 6,474 | 16.3% |
What to check before buying a Jeep Wrangler
- Lighting & signalling (12.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.3% 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.
- Suspension (3.9% 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.
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 Wrangler?
83.1% of the 27,320 Jeep Wrangler MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.9% fail rate, across model years 1981–2025.
What does the Jeep Wrangler most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.2% of tests, then brakes (6.3%).
Which Wrangler years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 93.1% and 1997 the weakest at 74.5%, from 1,819 and 1,355 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Wrangler MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.8% for 150k+, a 20.5-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Wrangler more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 16.5% of the time against 17.1% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 27,320 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.