Which year Yamaha Xj600 is most reliable?

Based on 7,662 vehicles (1989–2010) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Xj600 at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Xj600 at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2009–2010
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Xj600s
Below model average
1991
Lower pass rate than other Xj600s — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1991 →
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Dataset
7,662
vehicles · 1989–2010 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1995–2002
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 81.2–85.0% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2010
87.7%
219 Recommended
2009
88.0%
127 Best year
2003
84.4%
109
2002
85.0%
172
2001
84.0%
274
2000
82.9%
450
1999
82.4%
845
1998
81.2%
1,190
1997
81.2%
1,059
1996
81.2%
530
1995
81.6%
389
1994
78.3%
358
1993
77.5%
449
1992
78.8%
582
1991
76.2%
398 Worst year
1990
76.5%
331
1989
78.2%
180

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

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At high mileage (39k–+), the 2012 models maintain a 84% pass rate — 10 points higher than 1989 models at the same mileage.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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