AI Damage2008 Jaguar S-Type: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Jaguar S-Type filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about equipment and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Equipment 46% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 8% of all complaints
- Equipment: 6 complaints (46% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (8% 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
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 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.
Accident causing death with the rear brakes engaging with the car in motion, without any warning lights, etc. That has potentially lead to loss of control at speed.
The contact stated while driving 35MPH, there was debris on the roadway, which caused a blowout of the front passengerâs side tire. The contact then pulled over on the side of the highway and attempted to change the tire; however, the contact was unable to remove the lug nuts.
NYS INSPECTION WILL FAIL BRAKES but a lung cancer at [XXX] of age who need my Jaguar to go to hospital and doctors does not want to have NYS INSPECTION STICKER RED REMOVED by shop under NYS DOT law and be ticketed for failure to have Jaguar NYS Inspected only to be told I need brakes but JLR does not nor other OEM…
Here is issue: CLUNK in automatic PRND . Yellow check engine, abs and instrument displays"abs fault" "gear box" " output shaft" and many others. However if the DSC is disabled, like on heavy snow; and slowly shift P R N D then J shift to 2,3,4,5 no CLUNK just normal bumps in and out N. No speed issues my husband says.
While driving various speeds, the suspension made a loud clicking and rattling noise coming from both front tires. In addition, the gear box within the vehicle was faulty and the "gear box" warning indicator illuminated and falsely reported that the trunk was open on several occasions.
This vehicle experienced major malfunctions in performance with gear box and braking systems in which it could not be properly shifted out of park, lost rpm, parking brake failure, abs warning lights and major engine light indicator warnings.
I restarted the car but now the battery light came on in addition to the other issues mentioned before and the car battery drained out completely and went limp. I got the car jump started and even then it showed a "abs fault". I waited for 30 mins with the engine running and then finally drove it back to my house.
Tl* the contact owns continental contitrac low profile tires, size p245/40/r18 on a 2008 jaguar s-type. The contact stated that during a routine inspection the technician concluded that the tires had blisters on the sidewall; therefore, it failed the state inspection. The manufacturer was notified.
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 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S-Type has 46 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Jaguar S-Type?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: equipment, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (23%), warning lights, check engine (23%), loss of power / limp mode (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.