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Jaguar S-Type 2003: MOT failure rate for its age

38.8% of 9,913 MOT tests of the Jaguar S-Type first registered in 2003 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 100.9 (95% CI 97.7–104.1; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2003 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age.

Jaguar S-Type built in 2003 at a glance
MeasureValueUnitCompared withYearsTests
Failed first time38.8%all ages tested2019–20249913
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 97.7–104.1)100.9index100 = normal for this model at that age2019–20249913
Rank among this model's 9 build years4of 91 = fails least for its age2019–20249913
Tested in 20241354testsmedian 90,971 miles20241354
line · Jaguar S-Type built 2003 · first-time MOT failure share by age · built 2003 26.7% vs model normal 40.6% at age 16 · 2019–2024
Built 2003 against Jaguar S-Type normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 16: 26.7% vs 40.6%; age 17: 40.1% vs 38%; age 18: 40.2% vs 39.1%; age 19: 38.9% vs 38.2%; age 20: 36.3% vs 38.3%; age 21: 36.9% vs 39%. Axis from 0% to 50%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2003 Jaguar S-Type fail at each age?

Cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Jaguar S-Type built 2003: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
AgeTestsFailed, %95% intervalNormal for this model at that age, %Index (100 = normal)
1645 (rough estimate)26.716–4140.665.7
172,64640.138.2–4238105.5
182,34740.238.3–42.239.1103
191,92038.936.7–41.138.2101.8
201,64636.334–38.738.394.8
211,35436.934.4–39.53994.8

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,958 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2003 Jaguar S-Type?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2003 is suspension: 61.2 items per 100 first tests, against 56.2 across all build years of the Jaguar S-Type. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Jaguar S-Type built 2003 against the Jaguar S-Type in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure groupBuilt 2003, per 100All build years, per 100Items
Suspension61.256.26,096
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2623.22,585
Brakes23.8232,369
Steering11.913.31,186
Noise, emissions and leaks106.41,000

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,958 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2003 compare with the years around it?

Among the 9 published build years of the Jaguar S-Type, 2003 ranks 4 (1 = fails least for its age). 2002: index 105.3. 2004: index 98.9.

Jaguar S-Type build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build yearIndex (100 = normal)95% intervalVerdictTests
1999102.595.1–110.0no different (rough estimate)1,764
2000101.696.5–106.7no different (rough estimate)3,783
2001107.0102.3–111.7worse4,777
2002105.3101.7–108.9worse7,956
2003100.997.7–104.1no different9,913
200498.996.1–101.8no different12,270
2005104.1101.0–107.1worse11,343
200698.495.4–101.4no different11,481
200799.196.1–102.1no different12,566

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 75,853 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Jaguar S-Type 2003 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/jaguar-s-type/2003/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Other pages for this model

Jaguar S-Type 1999 · Jaguar S-Type 2000 · Jaguar S-Type 2001 · Jaguar S-Type 2002 · Jaguar S-Type 2004 · Jaguar S-Type 2005 · Jaguar S-Type 2006 · Jaguar S-Type 2007 · Jaguar S-Type by postcode area · Jaguar S-Type body, chassis and structure failures · Jaguar S-Type brakes failures · Jaguar S-Type vehicle identification failures · Jaguar S-Type lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Jaguar S-Type noise, emissions and leaks failures · Jaguar S-Type road wheels failures · Jaguar S-Type seat belts and airbags failures · Jaguar S-Type steering failures · Jaguar S-Type suspension failures · Jaguar S-Type tyres failures · Jaguar S-Type visibility failures