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Jaguar S-Type

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Comments

  • cfgrosscfgross Member Posts: 54
    Your car has the same basic suspension as the non-sport, but it is tuned differently to give it more firm handling characteristics. In addition, and perhaps more important, it has the CATS system which is a computerized system that continuously adjusts the suspension's characteristics as driving conditions change.

    I'm glad to here that the car is behaving well for you as I was one of the people who encouraged you to get it. My '03 4.2 has been virtually flawless, although as I type this, it is in the shop having the instrument cluster replaced. I am very anxious to get it back, as I wouldn't trade it for any other car.

    Craig
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    In the state of Maryland the Lemon Law indicates a vehicle qualifies if the same problems occurs 5 or more times within the 1st year or 15,000 miles which every occurs first, or 1 time if it is a safety related issue. My vehicle didn't start developing chronic problems until after this has happened. Engine replaced at 39,000, transmissionS around 39,500, gearbox around 40,000. Right now, my car is constantly telecommunicating to Jaguar Emergency Response my airbag is deploying. It happened 4 times over the weekend. The dealer kept my car a month trying to solve this. A terminated service advisor who wrote up my repairs told they left it on the back lot for two weeks before attempting repairs, that the dealer took a shortcut on my repairs, and I probably will have the problem again. They should have replaced the total wiring harness as suggested rather than half. Since I have had an ongoing battle with this dealership they do what they can to pursuade me to take my business elsewhere, because I didn't buy my car from them. They denied me the use of a service loaner when the car is in for repairs, while at the same time they gave other customers vehicles. Not even when they screw up the repairs. Does Jaguar care, NOPE. Sorry your car is out of warranty. You have to deal with the dealer is what I was told on Friday. They refuse to believe the problem was caused when the dealer erroneously pulled a bunch of wires out of the dash by mistake (and they admitted they pulled the wires), causing massive electrical problems with the lights (front and rear), heating system went. Now my reversepark is making a long high pitch sound everytime I take the car out of gear. Called Jag. headquarters, and got the song and dance routine of "I'm sorry". Oh did I mention a banging front suspension. I will never buy a Jag again or visit Laurel Jaguar.
  • cekscceksc Member Posts: 20
    That is outrageous service. As I have had no problems-- I have been unable to evaluate service. You should send Jaguar and the Dealer an attorney letter.
  • cfgrosscfgross Member Posts: 54
    DT hasn't been able to make any magic for you? The more I think about it, the more I think that your dealership is FAR more liable than is JNA. It seems that the lions share, if not all, of your major problems are a result of their admitted screw-up. Maybe pursuing legal action against them is worthwhile, but given the particulars I don't think lemon law applies. It seems like more of a negligence and/or incompitance issue on the part of the dealer.

    Craig
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
    covers resultant damage of faulty workmanship, but not the workmanship itself. For instance, if the crankcase plug was not tight, all the oil drained out, and the engine seized. The insurance company is on all, but the drain plug.
    The dealer, by law, has to divuldge his insurance company and agent enabling you to make a claim under his policy for damage as a result of faulty workmanship. You have the burden of proof. Go get em.
  • slcormierslcormier Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 4.2. Just had rear brakes and rotors done. Dealer paid for rotors since it was just in for service and it was not noticed then. Car has 15k on it. Front brakes are still in good shape. It seems odd to me at only 15k and for rears only. Anyone else have this happen?
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Man I am sorry to hear about that!

    That flies in the face of what we've had experience-wise with a couple of company S-Types and the dozens and dozens that I have sold as used cars.

    It sure sounds like a lemon.. sounds like MD Lemon law is a joke :(
  • cartesiocartesio Member Posts: 36
    I have to agree with you! My 2003 S-type is just about ideal, although I now have only about 2000 miles on it. Not only can I find no malfunctions, but also there seem to be little delights to discover all the time. I'm especially fond of the parking brake system and the climatization scheme. The latter immediately produces warm air on cold days and cool air when it is warm and sunny outside (rare in Cincinnati). My basis for comparison is a stream of Cadillacs since 1986...

    Happy driving, as the Jaguar magazine says.
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    Car&Driver just completed a four-car comparison test between the Jaguar S-type R, BMW M5, Audi RS6, and Mercedes E55 AMG - like in all the magazines and with every Jaguar, the Jag was not the car of their personal preference, but they didn't say one bad thing about it either. The Audi won, but it and all the others had prices at least $10,000 above that of the S-type R. Of note, the Jaguar had the best lane-changing/handling despite having the least measured skidpad grip, and it was also the only car that had any actual interior color scheme v. the other cars, the editors noted. They loved the refined sound of the supercharger, and the only thing that kept the car from being faster was its refined computer system that does not allow the car to lose any of its Jaguar-ness. I'm fine with that, and 0-60 in less than 5.3 seconds is nothing to look at badly, especially when compared to other cars of the same price - for best bang for the buck, the S-type R can't be beat. And it looked great in the pictures, leading the pack around a mountain road and standing out in bright red with a chrome mesh grill and a tan and black two-tone interior - the other cars looked just plain bland by comparison. Truly a supercar.

    (Funny that the last C&D test of the S-type said the interior was junky with rattles or something - all the magazines seem to change their minds every time they test the cars, so nothing they actually say can be taken too seriously. The pictures looked mighty fine, though, but that can only be attributed to the beauty of the S-type in the photos.)
  • lvicklvick Member Posts: 1
    I would appreciate any advice about what to look for in a used 2000 S type Jaguar. I hope to purchase one in the next month or two, and don't know what problems are associated with this year and model. Did it come with a manual transmission option, or are all the 2000s automatic? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, lvick
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    All 2000's that were sent on the normal load over to the U.S. were automatics (the X-type was the first manual Jag here in quite a while), but then again, a friend of mine ordered his 2000 S-type (when it was new) from the factory with a manual - however that is done - so while very rare, some are here (or at the very least, one).

    There have been NO major problems with our 2000 S-type, and the only issues we've ever had were a coolant tank needing to be replaced and some interior rattles being sorted out. Other than that, with the car approaching 60,000 miles, it has been nothing but perfection.

    Also, while this has probably been done on all of them, Jaguar reprograms all of its cars with the latest software every time it comes out and is available at the times of service, and the S-type received new transmission and engine management software to make the car smoother and the transmission much more athletic early when it came out. We have a sticker between the B-pillar and the door that confirms the car has this change, as cars (that had the original codes when they came off the assembly line)without it have transmissions that are quite lethargic and take a while to downshift when you put the petal to the metal; the new codes really fix the car up, so you may want to make sure that this has been done to the car you look at - it most probably has (I'm 99.9% sure it's been done to every S-type that needed the update, so you probably don't need to worry about it at all really).

    Finally, some people have had front-end shimmies and have had to have the wheels aligned again to fix it. In our experience, we have never experienced any kind of shimmy to this date, but I guess some people have. I don't think its a difficult issue to iron out either.

    That's all I can think of, and all of that is easily correctible if found. It's a fantastic car, and it has a superb chassis. My enthusiast friend has the S-type on his top ten list of best modern cars, and believe me, to be on that list, a car has to be really something special - the S-type is.

    P.S. - Ours has the Sport Package (yes, from before they dechromed the ones with it), and while the CATS Sport suspension allows the car to corner with almost no body lean at all, it can become slightly harsh with the harder Sport suspension over roads that are not "freshly paved". For a more luxurious ride, the standard suspension is recommended if Sport will not do for you on rougher roads. The same is true of the Sport and standard suspensions on XJ, X-type, and XK, so for the acclaimed ride Jaguars are known for, get the standard suspension; for a road-clawing performance machine, get the Sport. Happy shopping!
  • saifusaifu Member Posts: 23
    You have brought up something extremely interesting..I am an owner of a 2000 4.0 S-type with sports package.I agree 100% the car can be very rough on bad roads(of which we have plenty here in boston)....however what has caught my attention is what you said about some kind of update being made to the car.What is that all about? I bought the car last october from a Jaguar dealer and i have no idea that this change has been performed on my car.....i have doubts about it specially since the shifting in my car is most definately VERY lethargic for such a high end luxury car...how can i be sure and if it has not been performed can i have the dealer do it for me since my car is under full warranty
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    If you have the history of the car, check to see if an update of all of its transmission codes has been completed. You may have the sticker I wrote about in my last post around the indicated location if the update was performed.

    If not, you can definitly have your dealer perform the update, especially since it is under warranty. Allow me to copy down what the sticker says, and then post it here for you really soon. While not the most athletic transmission, the upgrade does do away with the delay between the time you mash the pedal and when the car actually performs. Lots of early reviews noted this, but the update fixed it. I'll be back!
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    The transmission code enhancement is code:

    S139 ENHANCEMENT

    Our car recieved the update March 2001.

    Here's the label (Note that this photo is turned to be legible. The black latch on the right is really the door latch above the sticker on the B-pillar of the car.)

    (1)Go to:

    http://community.webshots.com/user/jagboyxtype

    (2) Then click on "Jaguar X-type 5" (yes, this is a page for my X-type, but I put the S-type's enhancement label here). It is the last picture in that set, labeled "dcp_1003". You may have to click the "Next" link at the bottom of the page when viewing gallery 5 to get to the picture. Hope this helps you. Feel free to ask anything else if I can help you.

    Sorry I couln't link it directly here, webshots resizes the pictures wierdly and changes the addresses so they won't work on other pages.
  • mplepmplep Member Posts: 1
    Hi

    I was interested if anybody knows whether the S139 enhancement was applicable for UK S-Types? I have just got a 99 S-Type 3.0 Auto (17'000 miles) which has a full service history. The records do not mention this and I have not seen that sticker (will look in detail tomorrow). Only today when flooring it, I though it seemed MUCH slower kicking down than an 3.0 X-Type I tried the other day.

    It has just been serviced (out of warranty) and I did wonder if they apply all latest updates as part of the procedure and how I could find out without just the dealers word to go by.

    Thanks
    Mark.
  • saifusaifu Member Posts: 23
    Jagboyxtype...many thanks for the assitance.I checked my car the same day after i saw the pictures of the S139 sticker and infact it has been given those upgrades.It had a sticker saying S139 enhancements i think.But what bothers me is despite of these upgrades the shifting in my car seems hopelessly slow for such a nice car.If it so slow now i cant imagine it was like before the upgrades..?Or do you think they just put the sticker on my car and didnt actually do the enhancements? My question would be to all the 2000 4.0 owners that what do you think about the transmission in your car or is it just my car....for instance say if i back up my car and then i switch from reverse gear into Drive...it takes a good 2-3 seconds for the car to get into motion after i have already physically put the gear into Drive...it is really frustrating specially when im in the city and i have to do everything fast since they are a bunch of people coming in from all direction and i dont want to be stranded on the road for 3-4 seconds waiting for my car to get into gear..
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    From what you describe, it sounds as if you're describing out S-type before the enhancements - even though yours has had them, and if you have the sticker, I'm betting Jaguar did do the enhancement (unless you had a terrible dealer). 3-4 seconds is a lot of time for something like this, and while the trannny in this version of the S-type is slow, it shouldn't be that slow, especially with the upgrade. I'll check to see if any other enhancements were made, since Jaguar makes them all the time and puts them on the cars many times without the owners knowing - for instance, my X-type just had an upgrade for engine and transmission codes when I took it in for a turn-indicator recall, and I had to completely re-learn how to drive the car since it behaved so differently (in a good way - it was smoother and faster!). The S-type is ultra smooth and while not racecar quick with its shifts, is not exactly Lexus-slow either. Best of luck if you find anything too. Maybe you could ask your dealer to re-reprogram the car, incase the codes had a hiccup or something.
  • lateralglateralg Member Posts: 929
    Try "training" your transmission:

    * Transmission fully warmed up.
    * Measure the shift time
    * Perform the troublesome shift several times, with a ~5 second wait between shifts.
    * Measure the shift time.

    I predict a significant improvement.
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
  • mkovalskmkovalsk Member Posts: 114
    Not at all. Just keep it running while you do what gschwartz wrote.

    Mark
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,191
    Those with experience in driving the 4.2 6-speed S-Type(s) - what real world highway (say 65 - 75 mph) fuel mileage do you typically experience?

    Thanks,
    - Ray
    Surprised to see the new 2004 XJ 4.2 rated at 28 MPG highway while the '03 S-Type is rated at 26 . . .
    2022 X3 M40i
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,466
    Don't be surprised that the 2004 XJ has higher milage ratings than the '03 S-Type; the new XJ is considerably lighter.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,191
    From what I have seen, less than 100 pounds difference - '03 S-Type 4.2 vs. '04 XJ8 - and 2 mpg difference (EPA highway) is quite significant.

    And at a steady highway pace, I'd expect aerodynamic and driveline drag to be a larger factor.

    Cheers,
    - Ray
    Wondering what the '04 S-Type EPA ratings will be . . .
    2022 X3 M40i
  • verdevillaverdevilla Member Posts: 1
    I returned my S-type 2003 4.2 2 weeks after I bought/leased it in 2002 Nov. reason was the lessor(Jaguar Leasing) told me that the CRUNCHING sound of the brakes will be repaired and "SERVICE will take care of it as I refused delivery of this unit at the time we had our delivery walkthru. I have returned it 3 times since and always with the answer "It is Normal for it to crunch when you release the brakes". Customer service was contacted and as I noted in others notes they give you a song and dance. Field reps were called in to evaluate and still with no relief of this anoying crunch which gets prolonged as long as you ride your breaks in stop asnd go traffic. lemon law does not cover this acdg to dealer as it is not a safety issue.
    ANY Suggestions. I am embarrased when I am with my friends in stop and go traffic where you have to ride the brakes and they comment that I deserve this annoyance for buying a FORD product.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,466
    I'll be darned, you're right. I had thought that there was more difference in weight. Oh well, that will teach me to check my facts before engaging my mouth (or fingers in this case).

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    Decided to put my 2000 4.0 S-Type in for scheduled service. 60,000 mile checkup, front brakes and rotors, rear pads, right front struts again (3rd or 4th time), and to quiet exhaust note, car sounding more and more like a truck. Cost: $2,600. Worst yet, to silence the exhaust, it requires an "Intermittent Exhaust Silencer" Part #XR815376. Guess what???? This part is on a six week back order. Vehicle has already been in service for 2 weeks, expected delivery of part according to Jaguar July 5th. Can you believe that!! Is this anyway to run a business. Is "DT" on line?? If you are, you ought to be ashame of your car company. This car is not a 10 year old car where parts may be scarce. What's the deal!
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,466
    You know, I've had some of that 'back order' problem with my XK8 too. Luckily nothing critical in my case, but still annoying when you have to drive around with something not working properly for several weeks. I live in the Los Angeles area too. We're not exactly low on Jaguars around here.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    How can Jaguar expect owner loyalty? They claim they want to increase their market share. Do they expect owners to speak highly of their vehicles to others who may inquire (and I have had many), do they fear the internet bashing? I guess not. I have been pleading with Jaguar since my early months of ownership for a replacement car, Jaguar simply believes they don't produce faulty vehicles. They believe as long as they supply you with bubble gum style maintenance, you should be happy. Since my ownership, my vehicle has spent in the neighborhood of 142 days in service in total. If I included the expected July 5th when the part is expected in that would make 172 days. Jaguar should have enough parts in the U.S. to completely rebuild any vehicle they currently sell. There should never be a "National Backorder" on anything. Yes, there's a Lexus in my future, for sure. Oh yeah, my $58,750 S-Type is only worth around $19,000 in trade. I understand not many dealers want them in trade, they would rather wholesale them out to auction places.
  • lateralglateralg Member Posts: 929
    Be prepared for boring perfection.

    I encourage you to take a drive in a Lincoln LS.
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    The Lincoln and the S-Type are virtually the same auto under the skin. My girlfriend has a 2000 LS V-6, however, she doesn't drive her car as much as she drives the Ford F150. She is experiencing the same howling noise at 28,000 that I have with my S-Type that Jaguar has yet to silence. They just moved the noise away from the interior vents so the noise won't be heard so profoundly inside the car. The noise is now evident to those I pass on the street. I am not sure going to an LS will be any different. I think once mileage starts adding up, you will probably hear more and more S-Types and LS began to self-destruct. Has any one had problems in holding onto your Center Caps on your wheels. I've replace at least 7 since ownership. It appears that the legs (brace) in back of the cap breaks off and leaves no support for the caps to stay on. Dealer indicates they sell lots of them. At $20 a pop they are making some nice monies on the cheap pieces of plastic.
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    If a vehicle part is on National Backorder, wouldn't that indicate that a lot of vehicles are replacing this faulty part that they can't keep them in stock? If correct, why isn't there a recall......and why are we being forced to pay $650 to replace this part? In this case, to silence a noisy exhaust which is clearly a manufacturing flaw. I wonder if this affect emissions. If so, maybe I can get some help from the Department of Transportation in forcing Jaguar to do a recall.
  • lateralglateralg Member Posts: 929
    The howling noise was corrected in the 2002 model year.

    Self destruct? What do you base this on?

    The V6 has been proven to be near bullet-proof. The V8 is earning the same reputation. I know of one that has been driven HARD for over 100,000 miles with no sign of distress. Many others in the 50,000+ hard miles with similar results.
  • travelbilltravelbill Member Posts: 12
    I've got 85,000 miles on my '00 V6 LS and the engine has been trouble free even after hard driving and frequent red line shifts with my manual transmission. This is a proven engine that Ford has been refining for several years. as far as the rest of the car goes I've had the driver's seat heating element go after a year and that was replaced the same day I called the dealer with the problem. Everything else has been trouble free and the car is still as solid and sound as can be. I've had more trouble with the two Mercedes and one BMW that I have had now & in the past.
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    This is what I consider self-destructing:
    000010 - Coolant sensor went south on the way home for the dealership after purchasing.
    39,000 - New Engine due to faulty thermostate.
    40,000 - 50,000 2 new transmissions & shifter
    51,000 - 55,000 new a/c unit
    56,000 - 63,000 new heating unit
    64,000 - 66,000 Telephone System fails to communicate expensive part ordered.
    67,000 - 68,000 Airbag deployment messages sent to Jaguar. No answer to problem which still persist. Emergency contact shut off until problem can be solved. No answer to date. Dealers indicates they don't know what's the problem.
    4 sets of struts on right front.
    69,000 - 70,000 - Intermittent ping coming from steering wheel area, maybe airbag, nobody knows.

    That's my definition of self destructing. Do you think this qualifies? And not to mention resale value.

    I am quite sure I left out some things. But this is what I came up with from the top of head.

    As someone once put it, Jaguar has a consistency problem. Getting a good Jag is a crap shoot.

    As far as fast service and one day service. That's a joke on this end. My vehicle has spent 142 days to date in service. I can only remember getting the car back the same day only once. I picked my car up this morning after it has been in service for 2 weeks. It took them a week to tell me the part was on National Back Order, and wouldn't be in for 5-6 weeks approx July 5th. Now I can pull along side those teens with the large exagerated mufflers and compete for noise. Driving away from dealership heard this scraping sound coming from the rear wheels (had brakes installed). Had to turnaround and have them fix the problem.
  • neb5neb5 Member Posts: 5
    I know of no other forum to get such informative feedback than this one. I have been window shopping for quite some time and have several vehicles that I would love. My dilemma is I am a conscientious person who looks at the most minute details. I am riding the fence on the following. I have always loved the look/style of the Jaguar S-type, have adored and said I would get one. However, even though I currently drive an American made vehicle, I still replay the old saying in my mind about foreign vehicles being "most exceptional" when it comes to detail and quality. So, I once considered the 03' 4Runner and sort of let it go, no need to have two gas guzzlers in our driveway, and opted to go with the 03' Avalon XLS. I would consider the 00' lexus GS/ES 300 as well, but overall it is the look of the Jaguar the I love. Since you all speak highly of the Avalon are there any horror story you know of on any of these vehicles that you can share to get me off the fence?
  • lateralglateralg Member Posts: 929
    A test drive of a Lincoln LS is likely to be a very pleasant surprise for you.

    Also, if you're into audio, the LS's THX system is amazing ... gotta hear it to believe it.
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    I just received a computer 474 reprogramming upgrade on my 2000 S-Type. Is this an upgrade to the 319?
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    You could be like me.

    Be in senior management at a Lexus dealership and drive a Jaguar to work :D
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    You must use the Jaguar to demonstrate the difference between a quality built car and a car with image and no quality. It is a saying among the Washington mover and shakers that if you buy a Jaguar, you must agree to acknowledging that you will have it half the time and the repair shop the other half.
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    As I have stated in the past about my woes with the Jaguar dealer in Laurel Maryland. I strongly suggest anyone who has had similar experience with Laurel to switch to Annapolis Jaguar (see Miguel). They are a small new Jaguar/Land Rover dealership trying to get established and they are going all out to satisfy. No crazy questions as to where I bought the car in order to get a loaner. First visit, loaner from Enterprise plus a free Jaguar keychain, second visit to install backordered part, given a '03 S-Type as a loaner (love the new seats, feels like a lounger with great support, however, I think the interior overall is a little cheezier than the 2000 models). If this was Laurel Jag I would still be arguing over a loaner and calling the Jag hotline. By-the-way "DT", if you had anything to do with getting the backordered part in before 7/5, thanks!
  • arodmanarodman Member Posts: 2
    I am currently researching the Jag S-Type, MB E320, and the BMW 530i. After test driving all three within a few hours, I prefer the Jag. The BMW was fun to drive - very responsive - but the interior was spartan (no space in console, forget the drink holders!). Nice electronics - but the Jag and MB had equally nice features. The Jag and MB both have great style and beautiful interiors. After reading several posts, Consumer Reports, Edmund reviews, etc. I am concerned with the reliability and depreciation of the Jag. I thought since Ford took over, a lot of the mechanical problems had been solved (i.e., the electical system, etc.). Consumer Reports blackballed the Jag and MB for reliabilty. Why do they hate the Jag and MB and think the BMW walks on water? Even though our local Jag dealership has a great facility (simulated golf range, gym, catered, etc), I would rather not spend a lot of time there!! But then again, I suppose my boss would get tired of the old "I have car trouble" excuse all the time. :-) Thanks in advance for your honest opinions!
  • danbarn3danbarn3 Member Posts: 2
    Should I buy a used 2001 Jag S-Type 4.0 V8? It has 90K miles and came from a rental company's fleet through an auction house. The asking price for the car is very attractive (around $19K) and hard to pass up on. The car history is clean, no accidents, nothing major, etc. I understand these cars can be a blessing or a curse, even brand new just off the car lot. Does anyone have ownership experience of the Jag S-Type beyond the 90K mile marker? If I purchase this vehicle, I intend to drive another 40-50k miles over the next few years. I once owned an old mercedes and had no maintenance problems with it. With a Jag, I am prepared to spend no more than a couple thousand dollars in maintenance and repairs per year. I am not prepared for this car to sit at the mechanics garage half of the time. Your ownership experience would be helpfull. Thank you in advance.
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
  • jagboyxtypejagboyxtype Member Posts: 241
    While our S-type does have quite a lot of happy miles on it, it doesn't have 90,000 yet. It is a 2000 MY car, one of the first produced, and though the warranty is up, it has still not had a single problem since its purchase, beyond the windshield wiper fluid tank getting a leak once, which, though occuring out of warranty, Jaguar replaced for free. No other part of the car has ever had any problems, and the current washer fluid tank is functioning perfectly.

    The way things are going with our S-type, I wouldn't be surprised if it could reach 200,000 miles with the proper care. Despite some of the horror stories you hear on message boards, Jag's reliability has been pretty excellent overall. These cars aren't the old XJ40's or Series 3's that had to be retuned in the shop all the time. Good luck finding the car for you!
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    I agree with the spotted reliability of the Jag. I thought robotics would solve these problems. I was speaking with a lady who just bought a 2003 S-Type who is having reliability problems big time. Can't seem to get the car replace despite numerous service visits. She is getting the same song and dance from Jag that I get. The philosophy seem to be in order to get attention from Jag, the same problem or problems have to occur repeatedly, and then you still have to get your attorney to contact them. Unless that happens they will give you the song and dance. If your car is having ongoing different problems, Jag see it as being normal. Afterall, they may rationalize, it's better than what they use to be, regardless of the price and competition's reliability. One of the automobile mediation group in the Washington D.C. area sites Ford and Toyota as being the most difficult to deal with when it comes to replacing your vehicle and Mitsubishi as being the easiest.
  • libertycatlibertycat Member Posts: 593
    IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR AND IS WAY PRETTIER INSIDE AND OUT THAN LEXUSES, CADILLACS, LINCOLNS, SAABS, VOLVOS, BMWS, MERCEDES, AUDIS, VWS, ACURAS, AND INFINITIS. GO JAGUAR (AND PARENT COMPANY FORD)!!!!!!!!!! ALSO IT IS ALMOST FUN GETTING YOUR CAR FIXED AT THE WONDERFUL JAGUAR DEALERSHIPS! LOL
  • arodmanarodman Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your replies. I bought the Jaguar (Adriatic blue with dove interior). Such a beautiful car!! Not the color I expected to buy since I am typically a black car, sand interior fan. But I love it. So much fun to drive. There was only one slight problem. The interior sliding moonroof panel doesn't glide smoothly. The dealership said they would fix it promptly. Can't wait to check out the service dept next week (and the golf simulator) :-)
  • danbarn3danbarn3 Member Posts: 2
    My 2000 S-Type Jaguar has a misfire in the engine. It has 35K miles. I just bought this vehicle for $24K. It usually runs a bit rough when idle and on occasion you can fill the roughness or misfire during acceleration and lower cruising speeds under 50 MPH. There is a slight hesitation upon acceleration as well. Has anyone else experienced this in their S-Type?Does anyone have any idea what this could be? How much would this sort of repair cost?
  • keybdwizrdkeybdwizrd Member Posts: 2
    I just picked up my new 2003 Jaguar S-type three days ago and it's incredible.

    After much debate, I opted for the 4.2L V8 and am glad I did. A very smooth, powerful engine with lots of headroom for highway driving.

    I also chose a car with the 320-watt Alpine sound system -- incredible! If you listen to music alot, this option is a must. It's like having an incredible stereo system with a Jag built around it!

    British racing green with sand interior. Gorgeous!
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