The picture
Xk: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 9,630 MOT tests, the Xk returns 83.0% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. A torn suspension dust cover and a missing suspension dust cover round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 62,944, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
503 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
- 02
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
336 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 03
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
334 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 04
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
240 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 05
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
222 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 06
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
213 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 07
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
204 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 08
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
161 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
157 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 10
Wiper blade defective
137 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 5 failures
£400–£1200
If every one of this XK's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Buying or keeping a XK?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a XK and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.