AI Damage2003 Jaguar S-Type: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Jaguar S-Type filed 100 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 100
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Parking brake 14% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 22 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 18 complaints (18% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 16 complaints (16% of all).
- Parking brake: 14 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.2 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 4.2 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 100 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 10 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was parked at a red light and hit head on by another vehicle that had to be at least traveling more 50 mph and the air bags didn't deploy on either the driver and the passenger side.
After starting the car in a parking lot and putting in drive I stepped on the brake but the car lurched forward and the harder I pressed the brake the faster the car went over a concrete barrier. The cause was, of course, that I was stepping on both pedals.
The vehicle crashed into an iron fence and the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a police impound where the insurance company recovered it. The vehicle is being inspected and to determine if the vehilce is destroyed or repairable. The failure and current mileages were 60000.
Unintended and uncontrolled acceleration safety hazard and defect-complaint odi [phone] jaguar s* the consumer stated he was at a red light, when all of a sudden the vehicle lurched forward and started moving rapidly into the intersection.
Dt*: the contact stated in january 2006, the vehicle accelerated on its own while reversing, crashing into a cement garage. No injuries were sustained. A police report was taken. The service dealer could not duplicate the problem. In october 2006, the vehicle accelerated on its own and rear ended another vehicle.
During this incident, the vehicle was placed in reverse and again the brakes failed and hit the vehicle behind them. Updated 07/14/06.
Upon impact, front air bags did not deploy. Vehicle was towed. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
The contact contacted an authorized dealer and was informed that the dealer lacked the equipment and parts required to service vehicles over 15 years old. The contact was then referred to an independent mechanic specialized in foreign vehicles, to whom the dealer transmitted the vehicle information and failure…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,569 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S-Type has 46 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 100, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Jaguar S-Type?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, powertrain. Total complaints: 100. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rollaway, parking brake (18%), warning lights, check engine (11%), brake failure (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Jaguar S-Type?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2003 Jaguar S-Type from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2003 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.