2025 MOT results
Jeep Grand Cherokee common problems
The most common reason a Jeep Grand Cherokee fails its MOT is a weak handbrake, on 11.2% of its 2,358 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a weak handbrake at 7.0% of failures against 1.0% expected; a split joint boot at 6.6% of failures against 2.0% expected; a rear fog lamp out at 4.7% of failures against 1.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 9,249 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 25.5% 2,358 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 49.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Jeep Grand Cherokee MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Jeep Grand 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 (12 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 |
|---|---|
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 11.2% |
| Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value Brakes | 7.0% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.6% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.3% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.0% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.9% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.7% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Weak handbrake
11.2% of failures 4.2% expected 2.7 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.
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Weak handbrake
7.0% of failures 1.0% expected 7 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.0% of failures 7.7% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Split joint boot
6.6% of failures 2.0% expected 3.3 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Engine management light on
6.5% of failures 5.5% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Worn brake pads
6.3% of failures 6.0% expected about as expected
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Jeep Grand Cherokee, on 36.9% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 34.7% against 23.1% 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 | 36.9% |
| Brakes | 34.7% |
| Suspension | 22.3% |
| Tyres | 16.5% |
| Visibility | 15.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.9% |
| Steering | 9.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
49.0% of Jeep Grand Cherokee tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Jeep Grand 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 | 15.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 12.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.1% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 3.6% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 2.9% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.8% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 2.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Jeep Grand Cherokee problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” is the most common: it appears on 11.2% of failed Jeep Grand Cherokee tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 36.9% of failed tests.
How often does a Jeep Grand Cherokee fail its MOT?
25.5% of Jeep Grand Cherokee tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 9,249 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 59 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Jeep Grand Cherokee than on other cars?
Yes. “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” appears on 7.0% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.6% of its failures against 2.0% 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 Grand 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 | 9,249 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.