1998 Jaguar XJ 3.2L Petrol · R182 CBU

The 1998 Jaguar XJ presents a stable roadworthiness trend, with the most recent test on 1 September 2023 at 96,079 miles returning a pass and no defects recorded. Prior tests in September 2022 at 93,447 miles, October 2021 at 92,854 miles, and October 2020 at 92,394 miles all passed cleanly. The lone failure on 6 October 2020 at 92,394 miles listed no defects, indicating an administrative or procedural rejection rather than a mechanical fault. The maintenance record shows no recurring advisories on suspension bushes, brake discs, exhaust emissions, or structural corrosion across the available history. Mileage accumulation is exceptionally low for a 28-year-old vehicle, totalling just 96,079 miles or roughly 3,431 miles per year. The car covered only 685 miles between the October 2020 and October 2021 tests, then 593 miles to September 2022, and 2,632 miles to the September 2023 test. Such limited use over four years suggests prolonged standing periods. The DVSA data is sparse, with five entries across three years and no minor consumable wear flags such as tyres or wiper blades ever noted, which limits insight into owner upkeep habits beyond the clean pass pattern. A buyer should still commission an in-person inspection of structural integrity and underbody corrosion, as a Jaguar of this age with long idle spells is prone to hidden rust on sills and subframes not captured by a pass-with-no-defects test. The suspension components, including coil springs and front wishbone bushes, warrant physical checks for perishing from inactivity. Brake calipers may have seized through disuse; the tester recorded no binding calipers, but standing vehicles often develop this without visible MOT fault. Given the clean record and low annual mileage, previous owners appear to have stored the car rather than neglected basic servicing, though the absent advisories mean wear on consumables remains unverified. Prospective purchasers should prioritise a pre-purchase examination of drivetrain seals and fuel system condition, where ethanol degradation and dried gaskets pose greater risk than the MOT history implies.