2025 MOT results
Jeep Wrangler common problems
The most common reason a Jeep Wrangler fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 11.2% of its 1,828 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a rear fog lamp out at 11.1% of failures against 1.9% expected; an indicator repeater out at 8.2% of failures against 1.5% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 4.9% of failures against 2.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 7,375 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 24.8% 1,828 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 41.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Jeep Wrangler MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Jeep Wrangler 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 |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.2% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 8.4% |
| Side repeaters: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.2% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.1% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.2% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.0% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.8% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.3% |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle Brakes | 4.9% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
11.2% of failures 7.8% expected somewhat more 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.
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Rear fog lamp out
11.1% of failures 1.9% expected 5.8 times as often
The rear fog lamp not working. It is tested even though it is rarely used.
Switch it on at the dashboard and check the lamp lights at the back.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
8.4% of failures 7.5% expected about as expected
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Indicator repeater out
8.2% of failures 1.5% expected 5.5 times as often
The small indicator lamp in the wing or mirror not working.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
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Brake light out
7.1% of failures 6.1% expected somewhat more often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Weak handbrake
7.0% of failures 4.4% expected 1.6 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Jeep Wrangler, on 53.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 37.0%.
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 | 53.3% |
| Brakes | 33.7% |
| Suspension | 19.3% |
| Visibility | 17.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.3% |
| Tyres | 7.3% |
| Steering | 6.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
41.0% of Jeep Wrangler tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Jeep Wranglers, 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 |
|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.4% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 5.2% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 4.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 3.3% |
| Transmission oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.9% |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.7% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 2.5% |
| Wheel bearings: slight play Suspension | 2.5% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 2.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Jeep Wrangler problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Jeep Wrangler?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 11.2% of failed Jeep Wrangler tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 53.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Jeep Wrangler fail its MOT?
24.8% of Jeep Wrangler tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 7,375 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 54 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Jeep Wrangler than on other cars?
Yes. “Rear fog lamp: not working” appears on 11.1% of its failures against 1.9% for cars of the same age, and “Side repeaters: not working” appears on 8.2% of its failures against 1.5% 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 Wrangler 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 | 7,375 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.