The picture
Cherokee: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 7,042 MOT tests, the Cherokee returns 78.9% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is worn suspension bushes. Headlamp or light source missing and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 69,111, 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 pin, bush or joint excessively worn
286 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 02
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
222 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 03
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
159 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 04
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
152 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 05
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
145 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 06
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
137 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 07
A tyre cords visible or damaged
97 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 08
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
96 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 09
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
93 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 10
A tyre seriously damaged
87 occurrences · 1.2% 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 4 failures
£230–£575
If every one of this Cherokee'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Cherokee?
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 Cherokee 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.