Jeep Cherokee: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Jeep Cherokee passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 0.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 5,858 individual Jeep Cherokee tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 77.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 22 in every 100 Jeep Cherokees presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Jeep Cherokee tested had covered 74,929 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Jeep Cherokee sits 0.9 points above the national average, ranked 1,529 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Jeep Cherokee 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Jeep Cherokees at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Jeep Cherokee

1. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 1.4% of tests (5.25x the national rate for this defect)
2. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 5.9% of tests (4.85x the national rate for this defect)
3. Headlamp aim unable to be tested, 0.8% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 0.7% of tests (2.31x the national rate for this defect)
5. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.9% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9.4% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this defect)
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
8. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.1% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.7% of tests
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests

From 5,850 DVSA-tracked Jeep Cherokee tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.33% of these flagged Jeep Cherokee defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Jeep Cherokee

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Jeep Cherokee before it actually fails on it.

1. A transmission joint, belt or chain excessively worn, 0.8% of tests (10.22x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 23.5% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 23.5% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 8.2% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this advisory)
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 12.6% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 33.7% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.5% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.6% of tests, also fails
9. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.6% of tests
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.3% of tests

From 5,850 DVSA-tracked Jeep Cherokee tests, 2024.

Jeep Cherokee pass rate by model year

From its 2014 to its 2018 model year, the Jeep Cherokee's first-time pass rate has risen 11.8 points, from 74.7% to 86.5%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Jeep Cherokee year:

• 2014 Jeep Cherokee - 74.7% first-time pass, 1,192 tests
• 2015 Jeep Cherokee - 76% first-time pass, 2,009 tests
• 2016 Jeep Cherokee - 81.7% first-time pass, 1,452 tests
• 2017 Jeep Cherokee - 82% first-time pass, 551 tests
• 2018 Jeep Cherokee - 86.5% first-time pass, 311 tests

Jeep Cherokee by fuel type

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

• Diesel Jeep Cherokee - 78% first-time pass, 5,566 tests
• Petrol Jeep Cherokee - 76.4% first-time pass, 259 tests

Other Jeep models

• Jeep Renegade - 78.3%
• Jeep Compass - 82.1%
• Jeep Grand Cherokee - 82.8%
• Jeep Wrangler - 82.8%
• Jeep Renegade Night Eagle - 90.3%
• Jeep G-Cherokee Overland Crd A - 70.9%
• Jeep Grand Cherokee Crd Ltd A - 69.6%
• Jeep Cherokee Limited Crd A - 62%

Models with a similar pass rate

• SEAT Alhambra - 77.7%
• MINI MINI (R58) - 77.7%
• Maxus E Deliver 3 - 77.7%
• Volkswagen Transporter T30 Startline Tdi - 77.6%
• Ford B-Max - 77.5%
• Nissan Nv300 - 77.5%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate