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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2004 Jaguar XK MOT fail rate and common faults

How Jaguar XK cars first used in 2004 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,049 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 19 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 19 (n=1,010)25.2%
All cars at 19 years (n=2,479,858)43.2%
Difference−17.9 pts
MOT tests of 2004 cars, 2022 to 20232,049

What stands out

  • In 2023, at 19 years old, Jaguar XK cars first used in 2004 failed 25.2% of MOTs (1,010 tests), 17.9 points below the 43.2% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 18 to 19 years old, the fail rate moved from 25.2% to 25.2%.
  • Jaguar XK cars first used a year earlier, in 2003, failed 25.5% at the same age of 19 years (1,107 tests, in 2022).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Jaguar XK at 19 years, is engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault, at 2.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

Jaguar XK cars first used in 2004: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202218 years25.2%1,03943.3%−18.0 pts
202319 years25.2%1,01043.2%−17.9 pts

Most common faults at 19 years

These figures cover all Jaguar XK MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,379). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault2.42.6
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.41.1
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault2.01.1
Suspension arm bush worn1.82.2
Wipers not clearing screen Wear1.63.3
Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.50.5
Headlamp aim: too low Wear1.41.7
Handbrake too weak1.32.9
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength1.32.6
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.21.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,379). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear11.516.6
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear7.09.9
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement5.98.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened5.710.8
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened5.65.0
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material4.714.1
Brake pads wearing thin Wear4.16.0
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated3.92.1
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive3.113.2
Track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt3.01.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,379). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 19 years

These figures cover all Jaguar XK MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,379). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol100.0%24.9%5,37143.0%77,333 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 19 years

These figures cover all Jaguar XK MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,379). At 19 years, Jaguar XK cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (32.0%, n=1,239) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (19.3%, n=1,271). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles19.3%1,27133.3%
60,000 to 90,000 miles23.0%1,90541.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles32.0%1,23946.2%

Car tax rules for a 2004 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2004 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Jaguar XK

Other Jaguar models first used in 2004

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Jaguar X-Type (2004)21 years in 202544.4%2,00042.1%
Jaguar S-Type (2004)21 years in 202535.0%1,44542.1%
Jaguar XJ (2004)21 years in 202530.3%1,62842.1%

More on the Jaguar XK

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2004 Jaguar XK cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.