Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Yamaha XJ: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which XJ years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 83.1% average, from 6,670 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 2015 (89.7% of 349 tests). Lowest: 1994 (67.6% of 142). Years more than two points below the model average: 1981, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (83.1%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 69 | 78.3% | -4.8 pp |
| 1982 | 139 | 79.9% | -3.2 pp |
| 1985 | 65 | 80.0% | -3.1 pp |
| 1989 | 106 | 68.9% | -14.2 pp |
| 1990 | 177 | 67.8% | -15.3 pp |
| 1991 | 271 | 75.3% | -7.8 pp |
| 1992 | 228 | 72.4% | -10.7 pp |
| 1993 | 183 | 71.0% | -12.1 pp |
| 1994 | 142 | 67.6% | -15.5 pp |
| 1995 | 313 | 76.4% | -6.7 pp |
| 1996 | 355 | 77.5% | -5.6 pp |
| 1997 | 242 | 75.6% | -7.5 pp |
| 1998 | 54 | 75.9% | -7.2 pp |
| 2010 | 233 | 86.3% | +3.2 pp |
| 2011 | 94 | 81.9% | -1.2 pp |
| 2012 | 100 | 84.0% | +0.9 pp |
| 2013 | 890 | 87.1% | +4.0 pp |
| 2014 | 2,293 | 89.1% | +6.0 pp |
| 2015 | 349 | 89.7% | +6.6 pp |
| 2016 | 106 | 89.6% | +6.5 pp |
Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years. A first-time MOT pass is a roadworthiness check, not a full mechanical inspection.
Pass rate over time
Questions
- Which XJ years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1981, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 registered examples pass first time less often than the Yamaha XJ overall (83.1%); the 1994 cohort is lowest at 67.6% from 142 tests.
- Which XJ year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 2015, at 89.7% of 349 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
- How much does the XJ pass rate vary by year?
- 22.1 percentage points between the highest (2015, 89.7%) and lowest (1994, 67.6%) cohorts with at least 50 tests. Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.
Full report: Yamaha XJ reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #2941 of 5428 models· other Yamaha models: YZF-R1, YZF-R6, FZS600, YBR 125, XJR1300, FZ6