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What to check: Jaguar XJ

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Ranked across all years of the Jaguar XJ, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

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

Bushes and ball jointsDrive 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 7.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

Coil springsLook through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this modelGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

WheelsRuns high on this modelLook at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Lights and horn walkroundWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 1.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%

LeaksLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck 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 29.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook 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 8.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan 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 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

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

Leave the car overnight and check its ride height first thing in the morning.Sitting low on one corner or noticeably lower than normal points to a leaking air spring or a tired compressor.

Listen for rattle on a stone-cold start, especially on V8 petrol cars.A metallic rattle that clears after a few seconds can mean a worn timing chain tensioner; don't buy without an inspection.

Check the service history for a DPF-related recall or software update on 2005-2008 2.7 diesel cars.No record of it means the fix may never have been applied.

On a diesel, watch for a 'Restricted Performance' message during a longer test drive under load.It usually means a dirty throttle body or an early DPF problem, not something to shrug off.

Turn on the infotainment screen and leave the engine idling for a few minutes.Any freezing, rebooting or the screen going blank suggests the electrical/battery gremlins reported on X351 cars.

Get a battery and alternator health check done, even if the car starts fine.A weak battery on these cars can trigger warning lights and infotainment faults that look far worse than they are.

Run a hand along the bootlid seam, lower door edges and wheelarches for bubbling paint.Early corrosion here is a sign of stone chip damage or poor drainage that will get worse and isn't cheap to put right.

Full Jaguar XJ reliability report