Jaguar XK8 2002: reliability & common MOT faults

At a glance

How 533 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time: 73 in every 100
Did not pass first time: 27 in every 100143 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car: 23 yearsabout 80,016 miles
First tests counted: 533

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 2002 Jaguar XK8 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.

Brakes

One fault: anti-lock braking system (ABS), 7.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 143 failed first attempts in 2025 that had a mileage recorded, which allows a like-for-like comparison.

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.

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Failed on 24 first tests7.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

ABS is failed as removed only where it has obviously been removed, because not every vehicle in the age range where removal is not permitted has ABS. A warning lamp that does not light or shows an ABS fault is Major, as is a missing or excessively damaged wheel speed sensor. Every failure row for this component is Major.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. 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: 73in every 100; Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station: 4in every 100; Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed: 23in every 100; Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 73.2% of 533 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 77.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 4 fixed and the 23 not fixed make the 27 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

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

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 69 in every 100 passed first time.

Year	Passed first time	First tests
1997	75 in every 100	983
1998	72 in every 100	799
1999	69 in every 100	428
2000	71 in every 100	443
2001	70 in every 100	582
2002 This car	73 in every 100	533
2003	74 in every 100	520
2004	77 in every 100	500
2005	81 in every 100	554

FAQs

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

Is the 2002 Jaguar XK8 reliable?

With 533 first tests, there are too few to say whether the 2002 Jaguar XK8 differs from the model years either side. Treat the faults below as a checklist. In 2025, 73.2% of 533 first MOTs on the 2002 Jaguar XK8 passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 77.1%. Among 143 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Anti-lock braking system (ABS) appears more often than on similar cars (16.8% of those tests; 24 observed failures; about 7.1× 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.

What common MOT faults stand out on the Jaguar XK8 2002?

Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Anti-lock braking system (ABS) (16.8% of those tests; 24 observed failures; about 7.1× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.

Why does Anti-lock braking system (ABS) stand out?

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) shows up more often than on similar cars (16.8% of those tests; 24 observed failures; about 7.1× 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.

What are common problems with the 2002 Jaguar XK8?

Common MOT problem areas for the 2002 Jaguar XK8 include Anti-lock braking system (ABS). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.

What does this Jaguar XK8 2002 MOT report cover?

This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2002 Jaguar XK8 (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.

Does this include engine and gearbox problems?

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.