Used car guide

2020 Jaguar XE: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2020 Jaguar XEs, from 1,654 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,654MOT tests in 2025
84%pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%)
7,000typical miles a year
2.7×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2020 Jaguar XEs than on all cars registered in 2020.

  • Shock absorbers2.7× usual
    Jaguar XE
    5.3% All 2020 cars
    2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.8%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Wheels4× usual
    Jaguar XE
    2.8% All 2020 cars
    0.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.4%, against 0.2% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

By area

The share of 2020 Jaguar XE MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    28% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    21% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    6% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    4% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Looking at a Jaguar XE?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2021964Tyres 24%
20194,553Tyres 28%
20185,640Tyres 30%
201710,285Tyres 29%
201611,685Tyres 30%
20158,090Tyres 28%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2020 Jaguar XEs registered in 2020. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score