Fault File
All models / All cars / Family & large SUVs / Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar I-Pace

All generations and engines together · 19,220 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 49k

Reliability verdict
BBy miles

Graded against its peers

Better than most SUVs per mile driven. Watch steering and suspension. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating steering advisories.

First-time failure at 50-60k miles
10.7%
Across 2,657 tests. The average for SUVs is 15.1%.
Typical mileage at age 7
49k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Regenerative braking software fault (brake failure risk)

Confirmed pattern

Early cars had a fault where the electronic regen braking system could fail to hand over to the friction brakes properly, stretching stopping distances. Jaguar recalled 2018 and early-2019 build cars in June 2019 and pushed a free brake-system software update. Owners have kept reporting brake-feel scares since, including a widely reported 2024 case, so check the recall was actually done on any early car and press the brakes hard on the test drive.

2018-early 2019 builds · free software fix at a dealer · sources: Autocar, The Car Expert, BBC/Telegraph coverage of 2024 complaints

Battery pack overheating and fire-risk recalls

Confirmed pattern

The I-Pace has been hit by a string of battery-related recalls since 2020-21, JLR has told some owners to park outside due to overheating risk, capped charging to protect the pack, and in the most serious cases has bought cars back rather than repair them. This is a manufacturer-acknowledged, repeat problem, not a one-off, and mainly affects earlier build cars. Ask for the full recall history on the V5 and check every recall shows as completed.

Multiple recalls 2020-2024, some cars bought back · sources: Reuters, InsideEVs, Road & Track, The Independent

Smart/off-peak charging scheduling doesn't behave

Emerging

Owners report the timed/off-peak charging function ignoring the schedule and topping the battery up whenever it's plugged in, pushing electricity costs well above what a cheap night tariff should give. Separately, in 2024 Jaguar pulled I-Pace compatibility from at least one smart tariff (Octopus Intelligent Go), which owners were angry about since it affected running costs after purchase. Not a safety issue, but worth checking on a car you're buying for cheap overnight charging.

Reported ongoing, not tied to one age band · sources: Honest John owner reports, Auto Express

Fiddly, slow-reacting touchscreen and infotainment

Disputed

The main touchscreen is widely described as laggy and unresponsive by both reviewers and owners, and some owners find the dual-screen setup fiddly to use on the move. It's rarely a hard failure, more an everyday annoyance owners either tolerate or actively dislike, so opinion online is split on how much it matters. No repair cost as such, but a full software update at a dealer sometimes helps.

Present across the range · sources: Honest John, DrivingElectric

Early build quality and delivery teething problems

DisputedEarly 2018 cars only

The very first UK deliveries in autumn 2018 suffered assembly-related technical issues and delays, with some buyers waiting months longer than promised. Later build cars are generally reported as more sorted mechanically. If you're looking at a 2018 first-registered car, check the service history for early warranty visits more closely than you would on a 2020-on car.

Autumn 2018 build only · sources: Honest John owner reports

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Steering playRuns high on this model With the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 5.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%
Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.9%
Rubber boots and gaiters On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 0.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 21.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 5.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 0.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Pull the full recall history on the V5/registration before viewing. Any battery fire-risk or brake software recall not marked as completed is a walk-away or renegotiate point.
Brake hard from speed on the test drive and note the pedal feel. Any grabbiness, dead spot, or delay handing from regen to friction brakes needs investigating against the 2019 recall history.
Ask the seller to demonstrate scheduled/off-peak charging on the car's app. If it charges outside the scheduled window, budget for higher home electricity costs than advertised.
Use the touchscreen and infotainment for five minutes solid, don't just glance at it. Persistent lag or freezing points to a car that hasn't had recent software updates, or a system with more of the fiddliness that owners complain about.
For a 2018 first-registration car, check the service history for repeated early warranty visits. Multiple early dealer visits in the first year suggest teething problems that may not be fully resolved.
Check whether the battery has habitually been left on charge at 100 percent. Sellers who plug in and leave it full rather than charging to 80 percent day-to-day may be selling a car with more battery degradation than the mileage suggests.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Jaguar I-PaceClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 2,311 tests in this band.

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Advisory
5.8%class 0.4%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
1.9%class 0.9%
Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
Advisory
1.6%class 1.1%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Fail
1.6%class 0.4%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
Minor
0.8%class 0.7%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
0.6%class 0.4%
Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing, loose or worn smooth
Fail
0.4%class 0.0%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
0.3%class 0.6%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
24.2%class 22.9%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
12.1%class 13.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
5.5%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
3.5%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Fail
3.3%class 1.8%
Nail in tyre
Advisory
2.4%class 1.6%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
2.4%class 2.2%
A tyre cords visible or damaged
Fail
1.6%class 1.2%

Others in its class

Same segment (Family & large SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

Lexus RX8.3%Porsche Macan9.4%Lexus NX10.2%Porsche Cayenne12.9%Honda CR-V13.4%BMW X513.9%See all Family & large SUVsreliability ranked