Jaguar S-Type: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Jaguar S-Type fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 10.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 11,424 individual Jaguar S-Type tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 65.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 34 in every 100 Jaguar S-Types presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Jaguar S-Type tested had covered 93,391 miles and was built around 2004.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Jaguar S-Type bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Jaguar S-Type rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Jaguar S-Types actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Jaguar S-Type

1. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 7.2% of tests (13x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 17.5% of tests (12.98x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2.3% of tests (9.95x the national rate for this defect)
4. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.3% of tests (6.2x the national rate for this defect)
5. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 4.6% of tests (5.55x the national rate for this defect)
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.8% of tests (2.72x the national rate for this defect)
7. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.2% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this defect)
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.9% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this defect)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.7% of tests (1.82x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this defect)

From 19,131 DVSA-tracked Jaguar S-Type tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.85% of these flagged Jaguar S-Type defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Jaguar S-Type pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Jaguar S-Type year:

• 1999 Jaguar S-Type - 62.7% first-time pass, 413 tests
• 2000 Jaguar S-Type - 63% first-time pass, 675 tests
• 2001 Jaguar S-Type - 63.7% first-time pass, 728 tests
• 2002 Jaguar S-Type - 65.3% first-time pass, 1,098 tests
• 2003 Jaguar S-Type - 68.4% first-time pass, 1,364 tests
• 2004 Jaguar S-Type - 68.5% first-time pass, 1,726 tests
• 2005 Jaguar S-Type - 65.9% first-time pass, 1,548 tests
• 2006 Jaguar S-Type - 68.4% first-time pass, 1,692 tests
• 2007 Jaguar S-Type - 67.7% first-time pass, 1,929 tests

Jaguar S-Type by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Jaguar S-Type - 67.2% first-time pass, 7,791 tests
• Diesel Jaguar S-Type - 66.3% first-time pass, 3,443 tests

Other Jaguar models

• Jaguar Xf - 77.9%
• Jaguar F-Pace - 86.9%
• Jaguar Xe - 84.3%
• Jaguar X-Type - 62.9%
• Jaguar E-Pace - 89%
• Jaguar Xj - 78.3%
• Jaguar I-Pace - 92.8%
• Jaguar F-Type - 91.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Smart (Mcc) City Cabriolet - 66.1%
• Citroen C4 - 66%
• SEAT Altea - 65.9%
• Renault Megane Scenic - 65.9%
• Hyundai Amica - 65.8%
• Daihatsu Fourtrak - 65.8%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate