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MOT data by first-use year

2003 Jeep Cherokee: MOT fail rate and common problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 1,195 MOT tests · Updated

43.2% of 2003 Jeep Cherokee cars failed their MOT at 19 years (1,195 MOT tests), an age when only survivors are still tested [1].

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  • Handbrake too weak: fails 1.6–2.1× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age at 19 years, 3,883 MOT tests of Jeep Cherokee cars first used 2003–2006
  • 120,000 to 150,000 miles: 44.2% of Jeep Cherokee cars first used 2003–2006 failed at 19 years, against 42.6% at 90,000 to 120,000 miles, 2,464 MOT tests
  • At 19 years (tested 2022): 43.2% failed, against 43.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 19 years in 2022, 1,195 MOT tests

Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.

Figures are for 2003 Jeep Cherokee cars as a group, not for one car.

Fail rate at 19 years (2022)
43.2%
vs 43.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 19 years in 2022
1,195 MOT tests
Gap to all class 4, same age and year
−0.7 pts
at 19 years
1,195 MOT tests
MOT tests of 2003 cars
1,195
tested 2022, 1 age with 1,000+ tests
1,195 MOT tests

Every MOT age we hold for 2003 Jeep Cherokee cars is over 18 years, when only survivors are still tested, so there is no verdict for this year.

Every Jeep Cherokee year against all class 4 vehicles the same age

Jeep Cherokee first-use years against all class 4 vehicles the same ageEach first-use year of the Jeep Cherokee as percentage points above or below all class 4 vehicles the same age, averaged over the ages it was tested at, with 95% intervals. 2003: −0.7 pts. 2003: −0.7 pts (−3.5 to +2.1) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 19, 1,195 MOT tests2003−0.72004: −0.3 pts (−2.2 to +1.7) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 18–19, 2,518 MOT tests20042005: +0.2 pts (−1.8 to +2.2) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 17–18, 2,355 MOT tests20052006: −1.3 pts (−3.3 to +0.7) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 16–17, 2,277 MOT tests20062014: −0.1 pts (−1.4 to +1.2) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 8–11, 4,831 MOT tests20142015: −0.1 pts (−1.0 to +0.9) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 7–10, 8,182 MOT tests20152016: −0.4 pts (−1.5 to +0.6) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 6–9, 5,851 MOT tests2016 −3.50+3.5 pts
Percentage points above (right) or below (left) all class 4 vehicles the same age, tested in the same year, 2022 to 2025, each year averaged over the ages it was tested at. Lines show the 95% range. Pale bars: years only seen above 18 years, when only survivors are still tested.

2003 Jeep Cherokee fail rate at each MOT

2003 Jeep Cherokee cars had one MOT age with at least 1,000 tests in the data: 19 years, in 2022.

Test yearAgeFail rate95% rangeMOT testsAll class 4, same age and yearGap
202219 years*43.2%40.4%–46.0%1,19543.8%−0.6 pts

* Above 18 years only survivors are still tested, so these rows say less about the vehicle when new and do not count towards the verdict.

All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.

What fails on a Jeep Cherokee at 19 years

All Jeep Cherokee MOTs at 19 years, cars first used 2003–2006 (3,883 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.5 per 100 MOT tests), side/position light not working (5.4 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and handbrake too weak (5.3 per 100 MOT tests).

Handbrake too weak: fails 1.6–2.1× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age, across at least 3 ages.

Mileage and the fail rate at 19 years

Jeep Cherokee cars first used 2003–2006 at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed 44.2% of MOTs at 19 years (1,050 MOT tests), against 42.6% at 90,000 to 120,000 miles (1,414 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 47.5% and 46.2%.

Car tax and ULEZ for a 2003 car

A car first registered in the UK in 2003 was issued a 52 (January–February), 03 (March–August) or 53 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 03 plates

A 2003 car is taxed by its CO2 emissions band (A to M), shown on the V5C logbook. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2003 car

For the London ULEZ, a 2003 petrol may or may not meet Euro 4, and a 2003 diesel usually does not meet Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [3] ULEZ checker

Buying a Jeep Cherokee? Check that exact car before the viewing.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

Other Jeep Cherokee years

  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016

Every Jeep Cherokee first-use year

Questions people ask

What is the MOT fail rate of a 2003 Jeep Cherokee?

43.2% at 19 years (tested 2022), from 1,195 MOT tests, against 43.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 19 years in 2022.

At what ages were 2003 Jeep Cherokee cars MOT tested in the data?

1 age with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 19 years, tested 2022, 1,195 MOT tests in all. Ages over 18 are shown but not used for the verdict.

What fails most on a Jeep Cherokee at 19 years?

5.5 in 100 MOT tests failed on component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, the most common fail item. From 3,883 MOT tests of Jeep Cherokee cars first used 2003–2006, not only 2003.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 1,195 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
  3. Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.

Cars tested at 19 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 19 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare