2016 Jeep Cherokee 2.2L Diesel · AX16 SWJ

The Jeep Cherokee presents a mixed maintenance picture. Its most recent MOT, conducted on 12 May 2026 at 89,295 miles, passed but carried four separate advisories, indicating a gradual deterioration in front-end and suspension components. The tester flagged slight free play in the offside front steering rack, worn suspension arm bushes on all four corners, and a minor engine oil leak. These are not immediate failures, but they point to a vehicle that has seen a decade of use without comprehensive front-end renewal. The trend is not catastrophic, yet it is not stable either. Comparing the clean bill of health in June 2024 at 54,190 miles to the cluster of advisories eighteen months later suggests wear has accelerated in the most recent period, likely driven by the 17,651 miles covered between the 2025 and 2026 tests. Mileage accumulation tells a clear story of changing use. Between August 2022 and August 2023, the vehicle covered roughly 7,555 miles. It then added 5,176 miles in the ten months to June 2024. The real shift came after that point: 17,651 miles were added in the eleven months between the June 2024 test and the May 2025 test, followed by another 17,651 miles in the subsequent twelve months to May 2026. That near-doubling of annual mileage in the last two years explains the sudden appearance of multiple suspension and steering advisories. Components that were serviceable at 54,190 miles have been worked considerably harder since. A buyer should focus their physical inspection on the front suspension and steering rack. The offside front steering rack free play noted in May 2026 warrants a close check for inner tie rod wear and rack bush degradation. All four suspension arm bushes were flagged as worn, so a pry-bar test on the front and rear trailing arms and lateral links is advisable to determine whether play has progressed beyond the advisory threshold. The minor engine oil leak, while not excessive, should be traced to its source, common culprits on this model being the valve cover gasket or oil pan seal. Given the recent mileage surge, the condition of the brake discs, pads, and tyres should also be verified, as higher annual use accelerates consumable wear that the MOT only partially captures.