Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Jaguar X-Type 2004: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 54 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2004 Jaguar X-Type were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension mounting area (rear).

Summary

The 2004 Jaguar X-Type follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 1,847 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
54 in every 100
Did not pass first time
46 in every 100857 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
21 yearsabout 94,760 miles
First tests counted
1,847

What failed most often

  1. Suspension mounting area (rear)14 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Petrol engine warning light14 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)11 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2004 Jaguar X-Type vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Three faults. The strongest is the suspension arm (rear): 13 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 855 of 857 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Suspension arm (rear)

Failed on 49 first tests13 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a suspension arm. A component that is fractured, missing or likely to fail is graded Dangerous, and one excessively damaged or corroded is Major. On some vehicles, some highly stressed parts are thin pressed steel, and many of those have hollow box sections or up-facing areas that can collect road dirt and salt, so they get special attention.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 87 first tests, 3.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)

Failed on 55 first tests9.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 43 first tests, 2.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension mounting area (rear)

Failed on 119 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

The load bearing structure within a set distance of a sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting is a prescribed area. Major applies when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Dangerous applies when it is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

Two faults. The strongest is the chassis condition: 5.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Chassis condition

Failed on 20 first tests5.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A main load-bearing structural member that is fractured, deformed, modified or inadequately repaired is Major when structural rigidity is significantly reduced, and Dangerous where steering or braking is likely to be adversely affected. Corrosion of the body, cab or chassis at a mounting point is Dangerous where overall security or stability is impaired.

Vehicle structure condition

Failed on 21 first tests4.8 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Structure that is fractured, deformed, corroded, modified or inadequately repaired is failed on rigidity only if the overall structural rigidity of the vehicle is significantly reduced. Structure that is likely to affect steering or braking adversely is graded Dangerous. Prescribed areas are not covered here, as they are checked under other sections, including brakes and steering.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 28 first tests, 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: seat belt mounting area (front), 5.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Seat belt mounting area (front)

Failed on 33 first tests5.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A seat belt anchorage likely to become detached in the event of a collision is graded Dangerous. The load bearing structure near an anchorage, called a prescribed area, is Major when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Anchorage points are inspected for all seat belts fitted, except a belt with no corresponding seat.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: diesel emissions test (pre-reg turbo rules before 01/07/2008), 4.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Diesel emissions test (pre-reg turbo rules before 01/07/2008)

Failed on 50 first tests4.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

One fault: handbrake performance (roller test, rear), 3.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Handbrake performance (roller test, rear)

Failed on 34 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A parking brake that is inoperative on one side is Major. When tested on the road, the failure is the vehicle deviating excessively from a straight line. Vehicles whose parking brake was already tested as the secondary brake are not tested again for this.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Anti-roll bar pins and bushes (rear)

Noted on 30 first tests7.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 125 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Coil spring (rear)

Noted on 158 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Individual direction indicators (rear)

Noted on 22 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
54in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
5in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
41in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 53.6% of 1,847 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 59.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 5 fixed and the 41 not fixed make the 46 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsPassed first time, as tested
Petrol1,18255
Diesel66250

Figures are in every 100 first tests.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

406080100200120022003200420052006200720082009Older carsNewer cars
4060801002004Older carsNewer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200157 in every 100423
200259 in every 100961
200357 in every 1001,524
2004 This car54 in every 1001,847
200557 in every 1001,902
200658 in every 1002,300
200757 in every 1002,464
200860 in every 1003,304
200960 in every 1003,201

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2004 Jaguar X-Type follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Suspension mounting area (rear), about 14 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 53.6% of 1,847 first MOTs on the 2004 Jaguar X-Type passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 59.2%. Among 857 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Suspension arm (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (5.7% of those tests; 49 observed failures; about 13× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2004 Jaguar X-Type at the first attempt were Suspension mounting area (rear) (13.9%), Petrol engine warning light (13.7%) and Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (10.6%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Suspension arm (rear) (5.7% of those tests; 49 observed failures; about 13× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Suspension arm (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (5.7% of those tests; 49 observed failures; about 13× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2004 Jaguar X-Type include Suspension arm (rear), Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear), Chassis condition. These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2004 Jaguar X-Type (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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