79.7%
Jaguar XJS pass rate
Used Jaguar XJS buying guide
In 2025, Jaguar XJS cars passed 79.7% of 3,112 initial MOT tests, 7.4 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific XJS? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Jaguar XJS MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+7.4
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the XJS sits 203rd of 575 models in the data. Jaguar as a brand averaged 79.4%, so this model runs level with its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Jaguar XJS MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the XJS compares with similar cars.
XJS fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Jaguar XJS cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 0% of tests.
Where the XJS fails its MOT
Where Jaguar XJS cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were service brake performance excessively binding (4.8%), rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (4%) and component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (3.6%). See every common XJS MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Jaguar XJS that failed, not a claim that every XJS has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used XJS?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 27.8% of XJS failure items.
2
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 22.7% of XJS failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 12.8% of XJS failure items.
4
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 8.5% of XJS failure items.
5
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 8.5% of XJS failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Jaguar XJS failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact XJS you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Jaguar history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Jaguar models
The most-tested Jaguar models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the XJS.
Used Jaguar XJS FAQs
Is the Jaguar XJS reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 79.7% first-time pass rate for the Jaguar XJS across 3,112 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Jaguar XJS?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Jaguar XJS's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.