Congrats! Sounds like a very nice car indeed. Once you have driven it on the highway at least a couple of times, could you post the MPG you are seeing at, say, 65 - 75 / 80 mph? Thanks, - Ray Wondering how the 6-speed trans helps in this situation compared to the Lincoln LS8 . . .
I have just had to replace front sway bar bushings at cost of over $300 even though my car has virually all highway miles and is only 2 years old. I understand Jaguar has had problems with bushings on S-Type and had to redesign several times. Has anyone had similar problems? Jaguar denied my appeal for warranty coverage and refuses to admit problem or cover cost.
On two trips, on relatively flat Interstate, traveling between 65-75 MPH, I recorded around 31 MPG. I am amazed at the fuel efficiency of the 4.2L engine and 6-speed transmission. Prior to my S-Type, I had an X-Type 3.0 manual transmission, and the S-Type gets better mileage.
My wife had a 2001 Jag S and just got a new 2003. What a difference. Both 6 cyl. The 2003 has much better ride and suspension. That stupid emergency brake next to passenger seat has been taken away thank goodness. The new dash is a smaller version of the XJ8 and looks more like a Jag. The trade in diff was too much but so is the new 2003. If you're gonna buy a used S buy a used '03 not the 01 or 02. Major changes for the better. '01 and '02 is identical.
IMHO you should go for the v8. It's not that the v6 is inadequate, that's a matter of personal taste and you would have to decide. But the v8 is just a sweet, smooth, powerful engine, and I wouldn't want to give that up.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Thanks for the advice. I was leaning towards the v8 anyway. One other question - Is the standard stereo system good enough? I really don't want to spend more money to get the premium sound. Also, does anyone know what the 2004 upgrades on the S-types will be?
It's interesting to read all the posts on the S-Type Jaguar. My family always had Jags and I am familiar with good mechanics. But I've read that since Ford took over, the Jag. has fewer problems. I've found several 2003s for sale and they all seem to be hovering at an asking price of about 48,000-51,000. Does this sound all right? This is with the Alpine sound system, the Nav. System, a Sports pack., and a moonroof. Any comments? I am on the brink of plunking down my money. Oh, has anyone used Jaguar financing? It's either that or my Credit Union....but I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks. D.
It's interesting to read all the posts on the S-Type Jaguar. My family always had Jags and I am familiar with good mechanics. But I've read that since Ford took over, the Jag. has fewer problems. I've found several 2003s for sale and they all seem to be hovering at an asking price of about 48,000-51,000. Does this sound all right? This is with the Alpine sound system, the Nav. System, a Sports pack., and a moon roof. Any comments? I am on the brink of plunking down my money. Oh, has anyone used Jaguar financing? It's either that or my Credit Union, but I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks. D.
Well, it looks like the magazines have finally decided to actually test the cars instead of just relying upon who advertizes the most in their publications! The "S" stands for "Superior." I've been saying this all along...
Here's the cover of one of the magazines that says how the S-type is the top car in its class:
Will she be happy with her purchase? The car drives like a dream. She has previously owned a RX 300 and wanted to switch to something with more sporty handling. Is the 2003 model improved in reliability and handling than previous year's models?
My wife purchased a 2003 4.2L S-type last week. When examining the back of the car in the garage, I noticed that rust is starting to form around the top of both tailpipes on what I think is the muffler.
Is this acceptable for a $50,000 car? Should I be able to get the dealer to fix this under warranty? The car only has 180 miles on it!
the car is selling for 20k I think it may have been wrecked, I was going to go check it out to see how it ran, what do u guys think of me buying a jag like this, are repairs expense? I don't plan to keep the car long...maybe 6 mons..let me know, thanks!
Two weeks ago I bought a Navigator, nice car but not for me. It is currently for sale.
So I've been looking at and test driving 2000 4.0 S types. Why do some of the cars have small strips of chrome below the head lights and some are color keyed to match the paint? I'm trying to figure out how to easily spot the sport package. I know about the seven spoke wheels but some non sport pack cars have the wheels. Is there an easy way to spot the sport pack other than the wheels? These cars drive very well and the V8 has nice power. Also, how do I determine the optional stereo (without listening to it)? I will be buying one but I'm learning about the car right now.
I may be looking at spending about $30K on a car next year. I figure I should be able to get a nice certified 2001 S-type 4.0 lease return with 30-40K miles and the 6 year 100K miles Jaguar used car warranty. I would plan on driving it for around 2 years and then selling it while it still had over a year of the remaining warranty available to a future buyer. Are 2001's recommended used cars? Should this be better than just buying or leasing a new 2004 X-type 3.0 for 3 years and having a brand new car instead with lower maintenance costs?
Dealer claims that this is a "quirk" in this and other Jaguar models. Slowly removing pressure from brake pedal produces a "rubbing Squeal", sorry very hard to describe sounds. Only when releasing pressure on pedal and if you tap the brake you can cause the sound to continue to occur. Sound is louder inside the vehicle than on the outside. Any thoughts or similar experiences. Thanks
The only thing similar to what you are experiencing is called "crunchy brakes," which occurs often enough to be mentioned on the "other" forum. It occasionally happens when stopping, but just immediately before a complete stop. Nobody thinks anything of it: after all the car is British, one expects eccentricity and quirks!
I really like the body style. I really don't care about trunk space, rear leg room, handling, etc. I just want dependability because I have heard horror stories of past Jags that kept breaking down. I hope there is a lot of improvement in the past few years. Any S Jag owners comments? Thanks.
My 2003 Jaguar S type, V8 was fine the inital 10,000 miles of driving. Then, I had to replace the fuel pump, water pump, window motors and I am having a recurrent problem with the transmission. The problem starts with a "thump" sound when I accelerate & a squealing sound when I make a turn at around 25 miles per hour. First the dealer thought it was a problem with the rear differential, but said other S-Types were experiencing the same problem and found it was a problem with the transmission. They told me that due to a problem at the factory, all transmissions for my type of car were mislabeled and they could not acquire a new transmission. They then said they isolated the part that was creating the problem as the valve body in the transmission. They replaced the valve body and the car ran fine for another 9,000 miles. At 19,000 miles I am experiencing the same noises again. When I called the dealer back, they said several clients were experiencing the same problem and they would contact Jaguar for advice on the official recommended repair. The service advisor from the dealer called to tell me that the official recommended repair for the valve body problem in the transmission is to flush the transmission with a "special fluid". This seems inadequate to me. Has anyone else experienced the same problem?
I have had significant problems with my s-type r and was wondering whether anyone else has had them. When I got the car, the next day it went into "limp home" mode due to faulty wiring and was out for two days. Intermittently, I have had problems with the key sticking, culminating on 9/26 with the key not coming out. It was in the shop until 10/28 as a result of this! It is now beginning to have the same problems again. I have requested from Jaguar that they replace my vehicle and got a form letter stating that they will respond in 30 days. I had a 2000 S-type 4.0 with no problems. I am astonished by this treatment, especially the fact that no one seemed to care that it was taking so long to get a new key cylinder for the vehicle. The car is one of the best vehicles on the road when it is running. Now, however, I'm scared every time I try to take out the key. Has anyone else had problems like this? I'm not used to automobile problems (I had two Infinities with zero problems and a 2000 S-type with only mild problems that were repaired immediately). I'd appreciate any help or guidance I can get.
at solving owners' problems, at least in my experience. We have had two Jags, both of which we loved, but if you have a problem the dealer tends to diddle around a few times with it (often keeping a a few days, the better to diddle) and then try to get you to live with it. They also don't want to hear about the concept of giving you another car that works better, but that is probably typical of all dealers.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Wife purchased brand new 2003 S (3.0) last June. Only has 1575 miles on it as of today 12/4/03. Dealer has advised that both front AND rear bake pads will be replaced next week. Car sounds like you are running over 100 cats when braking.And I mean forward OR reverse.
Just leased the 2004 S type. Had it for 2 weeks & it's been in the dealer service for past 1 week. This is not a good trend given a 3 year lease deal.
The "DSC Not Available" light comes on the dash after driving it for a few moments. Service dept has been replacing parts for a week w/ no fix in sight yet.
I have seen several posts on this issue on Jagtalk.com
Here is my post on Jagtalk (long):
"This is a message that I had hoped I would not have to write to all of you, but JNA's lack of response to me and my company leaves me no choice.
HOW IT STARTED On Oct. 15, 2003, I encountered a computer fault on my 2003 Jaguar S-type 4.2 -approx. 13,000 miles. The fault was just a light on the console re: DSC and a message advising “DSC Not Available”. After stopping and restarting the car, the message disappeared and the computer apparently reset itself. I called my Service Manager the next day to ask what to do and he made an appointment for the next Monday, October 20. Later that Monday, he called me to advise that the computer did register a fault in the “yaw control” module and that they would replace this module even though it was working OK at that time. The module had to be ordered, so I did not get my car back until Thursday, October 23. An X-type loaner was provided in the meantime.
THE FIRE I picked the car up from the Service Department at approximately 1:45 PM on Thursday, October 23, and began to drive back to my office some 7 miles away. About 8 – 9 bocks from the Service Dept., while stopped at a light, I noticed a very slight smell of electrical wiring overheating/burning or perhaps hot brakes. It did not appear to be my car (no dash lights and no smoke), so I continued driving as the light changed to green. One block further, the brakes on my car TOTALLY LOCKED DOWN and I found myself skidding down the road from 30-35 MPH - foot still on the gas pedal - NO ABS at all. I managed to steer/slide the car into the center turn lane of the street and looked at the console. The DSC light and the Parking Brake light were then on. I noticed a little smoke coming from the front wheel wells and thought that I had been unknowingly driving the car with the Parking Brake on -a failure of the Electronic Parking Brake. I then noticed that the brakes had disengaged so I slowly drove the car into a vacant parking lot at the side of the road. A little smoke was still coming from the wheel wells and I thought perhaps I could return to the Service Department and that some “air cooling” of the brakes would be good. As I drove onto the street, the brakes suddenly locked again and I was able to just steer/slide the car into the center turn lane once again, but no further. A large quantity of smoke was then coming from the wheel wells and flames were shooting 12-15" high from under the hood on the right front side. The interior of the car began to fill with smoke, so I turned off the ignition and made a quick exit with my cell phone.
I positioned myself on the sidewalk at the side of the road and called 911 to summon a fire truck. Then I called my Service Manager to report the incident and to seek help. Even in his disbelief, the Service Manager did dispatch a tow truck and it arrived in about 40 minutes, some 10 minutes after the fire truck had departed. I just rode back to the service department with the tow truck. After explaining what had happened, the Service Manager provided me once again with a loaner car and I returned to my office, sure that the dealer and JNA would take care of the problem.
THE TRAUMA Soon after the fire, I noticed a strong burning of my eyes. I flushed them that night with eye-wash and got some relief. The next morning, a very slight peeling of skin from the inside of my lips occurred. I am a Registered Professional Engineer and have had previous experience with burning PVC – it emits hydrochloric acid or chlorine gas that forms hydrochloric acid when mixed with water – as in eyes and mouth. I apparently have no lasting trauma from this, luckily.
I will not drive this car again under any circumstances and I do not believe any of you would either. How could one trust a repair so extensive. What if this incident had happened while I was driving on the freeway at 70 MPH? I was extremely lucky that I did not get rear-ended as it was. What if this happened while I just entered my garage – brakes lock up and car catches on fire? What if the door and window locks fail and I cannot exit the car? The possibilities go on. How many people could have been killed by this car?
THE DAMAGE The damage to my S-type is extensive, including a very pungent odor that has seeped into the entire interior. The entire engine compartment, hood, and fenders seem to be destroyed and the heat from the fire has likely damaged most of the structural parts of the front end, annealing some of the structural metal. In five weeks, I have had no contact from JNA, only deep condolences from my dealer who seems to have gone to bat for me with JNA but to no avail. My leasing company and my company have asked JNA to correct the situation but they will not even write a letter on the subject. Through the service department, they just insisted that this is an "insurance" matter and we were forced to send our own adjuster to the dealer to examine the car. The adjuster is recommending it be declared a total loss and could only say that one of 3 or 4 components could have caused such a sudden and intense fire - these being: 1) alternator ran away, 2) fuse block shorted out, 3)RF ABS solenoid failed/shorted, or 4) wiring harness shorted. All were so completely destroyed that it is perhaps impossible to determine exactly what caused it. In any event, the adjuster confirmed that the fire was caused by some part failure in a car that is under full warranty. This was clear to all that viewed the damaged car, including the JNA regional manager and a tech who did examine the car about 5-7 days after the incident. Their full report is unknown except they apparently relieved the service department of wrong doing in the repair of the yaw control module.
JNA RESPONSE (OR LACK THEREOF) Now the BAD news:
This car is a company Executive Lease vehicle. The leasing company is Wheels, Inc., and I solicited their help to solve the problem. On Monday, October 27, I began a long international business trip and only returned on Thursday, November 13. I returned the loaner car to the dealer so that it would not sit at the airport for 17 days. Wheels and my company fleet manager advised that the situation would be solved by the time I returned from my trip, however, upon my return I found that JNA has denied any claim and will not provide us with a replacement car OR EVEN A LOANER CAR - they say that the insurance co. should provide a rental car. JNA claims this is an “insurance’ issue for me and Wheels, Inc. and my company. How ridiculous can JNA be? The President of JNA apparently asked his secretary to call my Service Manager to get details a few days after the incident, yet no one from JNA has ca
Had been looking at a 2000 3.0 with 50,000 miles. not anymore though. Thanks to the postings here and a few other boards that have guided me in past purchases I will not be buying the car. I love the look but with a number of people having tranny problems that is one thing I cannot over look.
My wife is wanting a Jaguar we will more then likely get a used one if we do.She likes the s-type best but likes the x-type too.My billfold like the x-type our nearest dealer is 70 miles away so we've not try any out but read alot about them.I was hoping to get some REAL feedback from some people who owns them and what I need to look for.
I just took my 2003 Mercedes E320 and traded it in for a Jaguar S type 3.0. Now wife and myself have same car. I had a 2001 E430 and 2003 E320 and after 37 automobiles I can promise you the Mercedes is way over-rated. As for exterior styling and interior creature comforts the Jag S is miles ahead of the Benz. OK- it costs more, it may be more impressive to associates and clients but that is not what I need.
Don't even think about an X Jaguar. A woman would always want the very best cloth coat instead of the very worst fur coat and the X Jag is the worst fur coat and looks it. Cheap and cheezy. The X accomplishes only one thing: It gives the owner a Jaguar name on a registration. Reminds me of the old Mercedes 190. Junk box with prestigious name. Phooey!! Look for a used 2003 instead of 2000,2001,2002 Jag S. Interior refinements and mechanics much improved on '03 models....and the front passenger does not have emergency hand brake positioned up against their butts. Also the dash of the 03 S looks like the desirable XJ. All the editors of auto magazines talk about the 'dreaded J gate shifter' really don't know what they're talking about.
Have you seen the 2005 S Type - The tail was redone and it seems to look even better! (I always like the S type styling but the tail always reminds me of a Ford/ Hundayi)
S-type will set you back 15-20K more than X and all you get is a little more of styling.
X and S both are lemons. So why not grieve a little less by choosing X to satisfy the madness. Also, XJ is a road boat and only good for Geezers, who incidently are its buyers.
Overall, Jag is good for insecure people who link numbers on road with exclusivity.
Jaguar was great 30 years ago but now they need top reliability and some excitement which they are finding impossible to achieve.
Last week I GAVE my 2003 E320 Mercedes to a dealer for a 2003 Jaguar S and got almost $5k check during the swap. What I did not get for $52k last year from MBZ was special paint, 6 cd player, subwoofer, leather-wood wheel,electronic lumbar adjustmenbts (MBZ are hand cranks!!) 3x the interior wood.fold down rear seats and so much more I cannot put it all in this memo. Now wife and myself both own 2003 S (6 cyl) cars and love them. After two MBZ, they are way over-rated and way overpriced and AIN'T worth the money for sure. Prestige? Yes, reliability? Questionable.
Very nice cars, and with the improvements for 2003, they are even better. I just traded a 2001 4.0 S-type that was trouble free for 40,000 miles. I am sure you'll have the same experience.
that the new S-Type is now on the top of my list for its class. Who knew that a little cosmetic surgery could make the car absolutely stunning? I had no idea the saggy derriere affected its style so much. While it is much less XKish, it still is all Jaguar.
Is that cindy person for real? The new XJ is phenomenal, probably the best Jaguar EVER.
If most people with open minds would test drive a Jaguar XJ8 or S type BEFORE buying a Benz I think they could be easily swayed. It is a lot more car for a lot less money. Good luck 2U2.
I'm considering various S-types. I have looked around and desided it's the car for me. Any opinion on my options.
1) Certified 2002 with 18000 miles (3.0 and loaded). I would probable outright buy this car. 2) Lease a 2004 3.0 now or wait a few months. 3) Wait for the 2005 and lease. I've only seen pictures but hope to see one soon at an auto show.
I read most of the boards over the last 2 months and see all the problems with 2000s. The 2002 appears to be about the same car but I'm assuming a lot of fixes. Is this correct? I'm not an aggressive drive and I'm not sure a more ridged body and some upgrades in suspension is worth 10,000 but I do like the interior style of the 2004 and the 6 speed automatic was very nice.
- Wouldn't want 2002 as the interior has not been upgraded yet (Only from 2003 on)
- 2004 lease - This is an OK option but I personally want to see what the kind of upgrades they are offering for 2005.
I guess I will lease and I will wait for a 2005. Firstly, the 2005 will have a new exterior (rear) and potentially more interior options as well. If at that time you decided that you still like the 2004 better, you can get a great deal for the 2004 as it would have been a 1-year old model by then.
I saw detailed photos, NOT drawings of the 2005 S Jaguar. The taillights are changed ever so slightly it is hard to notice. As for the interior you will be able to get two color leather seats. If you don't like the wood dash you can have brushed aluminum dash appointments. The most noticable exterior feature is that the tops of all 4 headlights (12 o'clock position) are on the same plane as the top of the radiator grille. If these minor tweaks are not that important to you, go for the 2004 (or 03) and start enjoying the vehicle now. Unquestionably will cost you less, too! Good luck!!
I've seen lots of photos of the 05. Only minor differences to me. Just got back from the Grand Rapids auto show ( they truck the cars here after the Detroit show and before the Chicago show) But no 05. One dealer told me today I would be October but the web site and another dealer said May. I have made up my mind on not waiting (no two tone interior for me).
Now it's time to work on price. I'm beginning to wonder if all jag salesmen are deaf or just don't think a consumer need to know the facts. I have to ask repeated for cap cost, money factor and residual and they look at me like I'm dumb but can't provide this with out being asked 2 or 3 times. I swear I will walk out on the next one that does it to me. It’s insulting.
Thanks all for the help. Just lease a 3.0 and had them throw in a set of 4 Bridgestone Blizzaks. They will delay delivery for a few days but they will install and store for free and free change out. Seem to be a very good idea for west Michigan
Congrats and the new lease. Do you mind sharing the details of the lease - like pmt, cap cost, miles, etc.? Just wondering what is in the market nowadays.
MSRP 46995 Cap cost including extra tires(about $650) 45000. money factor .00128, residule 49% 39 months 12000/year $703/month with tax. no cap reduction etc. These numbers are off the top of my head but are only off a few dollars if any. The money factor is the equilivent of about 3% and saved several thousand dollars on that.
As an owner of a 2000 fully loaded 4.0 S-Type for the last 4 years and two months, have conversed with many S-Type owners in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, I can truly say, the car is gorgeous, but reliability sucks to the highest. Customer service from Jaguar when you have problems sucks! Jag Corporate is famous for their song and dance routines, i.e., "I understand your problem sir, but there is nothing we can do to help you at this time. Dr. Collins, is there anything else I can help you with today?" My vehicle has spent 148 days in service,you have to fight and threaten to sue them for a rental (because Jag has allowed the dealers to either discontinue the loaner program or initiate it at their discretion - if you didn't buy from that dealer you may not get a loaner, if you did not buy from that dealer your car is taken last for service, sometimes my car sat on the lot for 30 days, is currently leaking anti-freeze, changing a license plate bulb, caused all rear lighting to go hay wire, yes I did use Jag bulb from dealer. Have had new engine, new trans, new gear shift, new a/c, new heat assemblies. I am not sure of the reliability of the '01-'04, but I can say if they have fixed some of the problems, it hasn't hit a service bulletin yet. (i.e, can't park on steep hills, or the gearshift with lock - CAUTION, excess pulling on lever will cause it to break, consult Jag, they will tell you that you have to rock the vehicle in your tux if this happens, Jag removed the low coolant sensors due to defect, has not come up with a fix. Car ran hot last month in snow and ice due to the missing sensor). Met gentleman at service station who shared his experience: came off exit ramp, all four brakes locked up, car did flip on guard rail, no airbag deployment. In pulling the computer information in the passenger door, indicated he wasn't speeding or doing anything wrong, car just malfunction. Jaguar rush to replace car with R Type in hopes of avoiding suit. This is just the tip of the ice-berg for this vehicle. Have you ever wondered why you can buy them cheap used, because they don't hold their value. Most dealers don't want them, they wholesale them. They will only give you Kelly Blue Book on trade (which is the lowest trade-in value vs. Edmunds or N.A.D.A.) Why would you want to waste your money. With zero down, most cars hit equity at about 2.5-3 years, Jag about 4.5 years. In short, ifbeauty is more important, buy Jag, if reliability and resale is more important go Lexus, or Acura. By the way, my buddy purchased a 3.0 about a year after my purchase, ironically, he is having the same problems I experienced, I hope he doesn't have to replaced the engine because a thermostate going bad.
Interestingly my wife has a 2003 V8 S-type and is having intermittent problems with the warning display showing low coolant levels. We have taken the vehicle back to the dealer three times for the same problem (only 4500 miles on the vehicle now). The first two times they just topped out the fluids. The third time they said that they had to readjust a clamp but we had the same warning message after driving home 10 minutes from the dealership! After returning they said there was an air bubble in the system and took the car up 10 minutes and then when they returned everything worked fine. We have been driving the car for a week and haven't seen the warning message again but would be very surprised if it never reappears.
Is this a case of an oversensitive sensor or could it malfunction and actually not warn us when the coolant is actually low?
Comments
Sounds like a very nice car indeed.
Once you have driven it on the highway at least a couple of times, could you post the MPG you are seeing at, say, 65 - 75 / 80 mph?
Thanks,
- Ray
Wondering how the 6-speed trans helps in this situation compared to the Lincoln LS8 . . .
The deep O/D 6th must really help!
Thanks,
- Ray
Who cannot currently match those numbers . . .
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Well, it looks like the magazines have finally decided to actually test the cars instead of just relying upon who advertizes the most in their publications! The "S" stands for "Superior." I've been saying this all along...
Here's the cover of one of the magazines that says how the S-type is the top car in its class:
http://a298.g.akamai.net/7/298/5382/082903015613/www.eletra.com/a- utospies/word_images/9964712_image001.jpg
Is this acceptable for a $50,000 car? Should I be able to get the dealer to fix this under warranty? The car only has 180 miles on it!
Thanks for your help.
Jean-Pierre Greengrass
Paris - France
greengrass@wanadoo.fr
So I've been looking at and test driving 2000 4.0 S types. Why do some of the cars have small strips of chrome below the head lights and some are color keyed to match the paint? I'm trying to figure out how to easily spot the sport package. I know about the seven spoke wheels but some non sport pack cars have the wheels. Is there an easy way to spot the sport pack other than the wheels? These cars drive very well and the V8 has nice power. Also, how do I determine the optional stereo (without listening to it)? I will be buying one but I'm learning about the car right now.
Thanks
2003 S-Type 4.2L
with xenon head lights
39 month lease
10k miles per year
$650 a month with no money down
This sounds like a decent deal but do you think I can get something better?
Are 2001's recommended used cars?
Should this be better than just buying or leasing a new 2004 X-type 3.0 for 3 years and having a brand new car instead with lower maintenance costs?
Happy motoring...
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Just leased the 2004 S type. Had it for 2 weeks & it's been in the dealer service for past 1 week. This is not a good trend given a 3 year lease deal.
The "DSC Not Available" light comes on the dash after driving it for a few moments. Service dept has been replacing parts for a week w/ no fix in sight yet.
Anyone come across this before? Suggestions? Thx
Here is my post on Jagtalk (long):
"This is a message that I had hoped I would not have to write to all of you, but
JNA's lack of response to me and my company leaves me no choice.
HOW IT STARTED
On Oct. 15, 2003, I encountered a computer fault on my 2003 Jaguar S-type 4.2
-approx. 13,000 miles. The fault was just a light on the console re: DSC and a
message advising “DSC Not Available”. After stopping and restarting the car,
the message disappeared and the computer apparently reset itself. I called my
Service Manager the next day to ask what to do and he made an appointment for
the next Monday, October 20. Later that Monday, he called me to advise that the
computer did register a fault in the “yaw control” module and that they would
replace this module even though it was working OK at that time. The module had
to be ordered, so I did not get my car back until Thursday, October 23. An
X-type loaner was provided in the meantime.
THE FIRE
I picked the car up from the Service Department at approximately 1:45 PM on
Thursday, October 23, and began to drive back to my office some 7 miles away.
About 8 – 9 bocks from the Service Dept., while stopped at a light, I noticed a
very slight smell of electrical wiring overheating/burning or perhaps hot
brakes. It did not appear to be my car (no dash lights and no smoke), so I
continued driving as the light changed to green. One block further, the brakes
on my car TOTALLY LOCKED DOWN and I found myself skidding down the road from
30-35 MPH - foot still on the gas pedal - NO ABS at all. I managed to
steer/slide the car into the center turn lane of the street and looked at the
console. The DSC light and the Parking Brake light were then on. I noticed a
little smoke coming from the front wheel wells and thought that I had been
unknowingly driving the car with the Parking Brake on -a failure of the
Electronic Parking Brake. I then noticed that the brakes had disengaged so I
slowly drove the car into a vacant parking lot at the side of the road. A
little smoke was still coming from the wheel wells and I thought perhaps I
could return to the Service Department and that some “air cooling” of the brakes
would be good. As I drove onto the street, the brakes suddenly locked again and
I was able to just steer/slide the car into the center turn lane once again, but
no further. A large quantity of smoke was then coming from the wheel wells and
flames were shooting 12-15" high from under the hood on the right front side.
The interior of the car began to fill with smoke, so I turned off the ignition
and made a quick exit with my cell phone.
I positioned myself on the sidewalk at the side of the road and called 911 to
summon a fire truck. Then I called my Service Manager to report the incident
and to seek help. Even in his disbelief, the Service Manager did dispatch a tow
truck and it arrived in about 40 minutes, some 10 minutes after the fire truck
had departed. I just rode back to the service department with the tow truck.
After explaining what had happened, the Service Manager provided me once again
with a loaner car and I returned to my office, sure that the dealer and JNA
would take care of the problem.
THE TRAUMA
Soon after the fire, I noticed a strong burning of my eyes. I flushed them that
night with eye-wash and got some relief. The next morning, a very slight
peeling of skin from the inside of my lips occurred. I am a Registered
Professional Engineer and have had previous experience with burning PVC – it
emits hydrochloric acid or chlorine gas that forms hydrochloric acid when mixed
with water – as in eyes and mouth. I apparently have no lasting trauma from
this, luckily.
I will not drive this car again under any circumstances and I do not believe any
of you would either. How could one trust a repair so extensive. What if this
incident had happened while I was driving on the freeway at 70 MPH? I was
extremely lucky that I did not get rear-ended as it was. What if this happened
while I just entered my garage – brakes lock up and car catches on fire? What if
the door and window locks fail and I cannot exit the car? The possibilities go
on. How many people could have been killed by this car?
THE DAMAGE
The damage to my S-type is extensive, including a very pungent odor that has
seeped into the entire interior. The entire engine compartment, hood, and
fenders seem to be destroyed and the heat from the fire has likely damaged most
of the structural parts of the front end, annealing some of the structural
metal. In five weeks, I have had no contact from JNA, only deep condolences
from my dealer who seems to have gone to bat for me with JNA but to no avail.
My leasing company and my company have asked JNA to correct the situation but
they will not even write a letter on the subject. Through the service
department, they just insisted that this is an "insurance" matter and we were
forced to send our own adjuster to the dealer to examine the car. The adjuster
is recommending it be declared a total loss and could only say that one of 3 or
4 components could have caused such a sudden and intense fire - these being: 1)
alternator ran away, 2) fuse block shorted out, 3)RF ABS solenoid
failed/shorted, or 4) wiring harness shorted. All were so completely destroyed
that it is perhaps impossible to determine exactly what caused it. In any
event, the adjuster confirmed that the fire was caused by some part failure in a
car that is under full warranty. This was clear to all that viewed the damaged
car, including the JNA regional manager and a tech who did examine the car about
5-7 days after the incident. Their full report is unknown except they
apparently relieved the service department of wrong doing in the repair of the
yaw control module.
JNA RESPONSE (OR LACK THEREOF)
Now the BAD news:
This car is a company Executive Lease vehicle. The leasing company is Wheels,
Inc., and I solicited their help to solve the problem. On Monday, October 27, I
began a long international business trip and only returned on Thursday, November
13. I returned the loaner car to the dealer so that it would not sit at the
airport for 17 days. Wheels and my company fleet manager advised that the
situation would be solved by the time I returned from my trip, however, upon my
return I found that JNA has denied any claim and will not provide us with a
replacement car OR EVEN A LOANER CAR - they say that the insurance co. should
provide a rental car. JNA claims this is an “insurance’ issue for me and
Wheels, Inc. and my company. How ridiculous can JNA be? The President of JNA
apparently asked his secretary to call my Service Manager to get details a few
days after the incident, yet no one from JNA has ca
not anymore though. Thanks to the postings here and a few other boards that have guided me in past purchases I will not be buying the car. I love the look but with a number of people having tranny problems that is one thing I cannot over look.
from some people who owns them and what I need to look for.
X and S both are lemons. So why not grieve a little less by choosing X to satisfy the madness. Also, XJ is a road boat and only good for Geezers, who incidently are its buyers.
Overall, Jag is good for insecure people who link numbers on road with exclusivity.
Jaguar was great 30 years ago but now they need top reliability and some excitement which they are finding impossible to achieve.
Is that cindy person for real? The new XJ is phenomenal, probably the best Jaguar EVER.
1) Certified 2002 with 18000 miles (3.0 and loaded). I would probable outright buy this car.
2) Lease a 2004 3.0 now or wait a few months.
3) Wait for the 2005 and lease. I've only seen pictures but hope to see one soon at an auto show.
I read most of the boards over the last 2 months and see all the problems with 2000s. The 2002 appears to be about the same car but I'm assuming a lot of fixes. Is this correct? I'm not an aggressive drive and I'm not sure a more ridged body and some upgrades in suspension is worth 10,000 but I do like the interior style of the 2004 and the 6 speed automatic was very nice.
- Wouldn't want 2002 as the interior has not been upgraded yet (Only from 2003 on)
- 2004 lease - This is an OK option but I personally want to see what the kind of upgrades they are offering for 2005.
I guess I will lease and I will wait for a 2005. Firstly, the 2005 will have a new exterior (rear) and potentially more interior options as well. If at that time you decided that you still like the 2004 better, you can get a great deal for the 2004 as it would have been a 1-year old model by then.
Thanks
Dan
Now it's time to work on price. I'm beginning to wonder if all jag salesmen are deaf or just don't think a consumer need to know the facts. I have to ask repeated for cap cost, money factor and residual and they look at me like I'm dumb but can't provide this with out being asked 2 or 3 times. I swear I will walk out on the next one that does it to me. It’s insulting.
These numbers are off the top of my head but are only off a few dollars if any. The money factor is the equilivent of about 3% and saved several thousand dollars on that.
Is this a case of an oversensitive sensor or could it malfunction and actually not warn us when the coolant is actually low?