2025 MOT results
Jeep Cherokee common problems
The most common reason a Jeep Cherokee fails its MOT is worn suspension bushes, on 12.4% of its 2,969 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a headlamp out at 5.8% of failures against 1.0% expected; worn suspension bushes at 12.4% of failures against 4.6% expected; a split joint boot at 4.6% of failures against 2.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 9,390 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 31.6% 2,969 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.2% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 61.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Jeep Cherokee MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Jeep Cherokee tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (11 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 12.4% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.3% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 8.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 7.1% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.0% |
| Headlamp: not working on main beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.8% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.9% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Worn suspension bushes
12.4% of failures 4.6% expected 2.7 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Engine management light on
10.6% of failures 5.6% expected 1.9 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Headlamp out
10.3% of failures 4.7% expected 2.2 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Weak handbrake
8.6% of failures 4.8% expected 1.8 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Sidelight out
7.3% of failures 8.6% expected somewhat less often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Structural corrosion
7.1% of failures
Corrosion in a structural area near a suspension, steering or seat belt mounting, which is a serious failure.
Look at the inner sills, rear spring seats and subframe mounts on cars over about 12 years old.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Jeep Cherokee, on 40.2% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 32.9% against 24.7% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40.2% |
| Suspension | 37.0% |
| Brakes | 32.9% |
| Tyres | 16.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 16.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.2% |
| Visibility | 12.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
61.1% of Jeep Cherokee tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Jeep Cherokees, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 17.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 14.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 11.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 9.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.6% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.5% |
| Transmission oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.2% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slight corrosion to ferrule Brakes | 2.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Jeep Cherokee problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Jeep Cherokee?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” is the most common: it appears on 12.4% of failed Jeep Cherokee tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 40.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Jeep Cherokee fail its MOT?
31.6% of Jeep Cherokee tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 9,390 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 50 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Jeep Cherokee than on other cars?
Yes. “Headlamp: not working on main beam” appears on 5.8% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 12.4% of its failures against 4.6% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Jeep Cherokee aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 9,390 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.