Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

Jaguar XJ steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 6,518 MOT tests · Updated

At 19 years, 5.1 in 100 MOT tests of the Jaguar XJ failed on steering, against 4.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 6,518 MOT tests) [1].

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

  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 331 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 20 ages from 6 to 25 years, 88,425 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, 3.3 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

5.1 fails per 100 MOT tests at 19 years, against 4.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 19 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Jaguar XJ steering fails by age

Jaguar XJ steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Jaguar XJ. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0246 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 3,280 MOT tests67 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 3,804 MOT tests8 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 4,080 MOT tests89 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 4,319 MOT tests10 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 4,274 MOT tests1011 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 4,831 MOT tests12 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 5,154 MOT tests1213 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 4,561 MOT tests14 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 4,438 MOT tests1415 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 4,380 MOT tests16 years: 3.8 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 4,563 MOT tests1617 years: 3.8 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 5,136 MOT tests18 years: 4.8 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 5,998 MOT tests1819 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 6,518 MOT tests20 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 5,706 MOT tests2021 years: 4.1 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 5,051 MOT tests22 years: 3.8 per 100 (all cars 4.0), 3,861 MOT tests2223 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 2,576 MOT tests24 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 2,897 MOT tests2425 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 2,998 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Jaguar XJ All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
63,2800.00.5
73,8040.10.8
84,0800.21.2
94,3190.21.8
104,2740.42.1
114,8310.42.5
125,1540.42.8
134,5611.22.9
144,4381.33.2
154,3802.13.3
164,5633.83.4
175,1363.83.6
185,9984.83.9
19*6,5185.14.1
20*5,7065.14.2
21*5,0514.14.2
22*3,8613.84.0
23*2,5761.83.9
24*2,8971.73.7
25*2,9981.33.7

All first-use years of the Jaguar XJ pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 19 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Replace track rod end cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

Buying a Jaguar XJ? 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

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt.

Check one Jaguar XJ, not the average

The figures here describe Jaguar XJ cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Jaguar XJ problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Jaguar XJ have more steering problems than other cars?

5.1 in 100 MOT tests at 19 years, against 4.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 6,518 MOT tests).

How common are Jaguar XJ steering problems?

5.1 in 100 MOT tests at 19 years failed on steering, against 4.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 6,518 MOT tests).

What is the most common Jaguar XJ steering fail?

3.3 in 100 MOT tests at 19 years: Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (216 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 92,084 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare