2000 Jaguar S-Type from North America - Comments

I have a 2000 S-Type 3-Litre Auto and I am suffering the same problems as most here:

Jerky Engine when the car is wet

Crunching sound from left front wheel (suspension)

Cannot leave in Park (have to use N)

Window fell out.

What a waste of money its been. I have had the gearbox stripped, had most things replaced, ball joints done, window replaced and more.

This is by far the worst car I have ever owned and the most expensive too. I wish I had kept my Rover 75 as this worked really well.

Yes, my powerful, black, jaguar car looks beautiful, but its not fit for purpose in my opinion and Jag KNOW it.

I own a 2000 jag s-type. Bought it with 76,000 miles about 2 yrs ago. The car had been running fine except for when I am pulling out of park to reverse it sometimes gets stuck.

About two months ago the engine light went on at about 98,000 miles. Then the gear box fault indicator went on. I had to have the car towed to a Jaguar dealer about 40 miles from my home because it is the closest dealer around. (I didn't want to risk the car leaving me stranded on the freeway) After checking out the car I was told that gear 5 and gear 6 incorrect ratio and it could be due to the solenoid, but they didn't have the parts or the tools at the time. So they recommended to replace the transmission at a cost of $5,300.

I ended up having the car towed back home and it is now in my garage hoping for a miracle. Any suggestions? My e-mail address is katz1969@sbcglobal.net.

I'm going to add my sad tale to what appears to be a very familiar story both here in the UK and elsewhere!

Bought my 2000 3.0 litre S Type auto in July '07 with 57k on the clock, fantastic car - was delighted with it.

However, last week got the 'Gearbox Fault' warning flashing and car went into 'limp home' mode (will not shift higher than third).

First of all, I took it to my local mechanic who read the fault code, but didn't have the experience to work on jag auto transmissions.

Took it into Rybrook Jag in Warrington this morning who ran a diagnosis, which I had to pay for (!). The said, basically the gear box has a problem (!!!) and they recommend replacement. However, they also said that they are not transmission speacialists, so always tend to just replace rather than look to fix first. The price to replace the gearbox? £3279.

For a car to have a new gearbox at only 57k is absolutley crazy, and Jaguars 'if in doubt, just replace it' attitude is dissapointing to say the least.

I'm going to find a local transmission specialist and see what they can do for me. If that doesn't work, I can get a 2nd hand auto gearbox for £500.

One thing is certain - I won't be taking it to Jaguar!

We own a 2001 S type in the UK and at 60K miles the gear box fault showed on the dashboard. The dealer quoted 5000 dollars to replace.

I contacted a local gear box specialist who asked for the coded fault report which I duly gave him having received it from the dealer after the check.

The specialist changed the Solenoids and the work cost 500 dollars.

No more stiff gears and the car runs like new.

We have a 2001 S Type. Pretty good for the first 45000 miles. After that... Do not purchase one. I know it is a beautiful car, but it is not worth the money that has to be put into it to keep it running.

I was wonderin if any one experienced a faulty odometer

NO km showing in the cluster and I am having rough time registering the car. becauce did not pass inspection the car from outside the provence. any suggestion

regards

info@cityadmobile.ca.

Wow. OK, first off. There is no lawsuit.

Second - stop slamming your doors with the windows down. Every person who's into cars knows not to do that.

Third - read your manual for proper parking procedures. No wonder you can't get it out of gear on a hill.

$5000 for a transmission? I really feel for you people that paid such a hefty price to line the pockets of a service manager's wallet. The 5r55n is a standard Ford gearbox that can be bought rebuilt all day long for under $1200. Installation is less than that by far.

If you take your car to the dealer and they spend ELEVEN hours on it and DO NOT fix it and charge you for all that time - it's sadly YOUR fault for getting taken to the cleaners. Jaguar as a manufacturer does not own the service departments. To "sue" them and not the owners of the dealerships for swindling you is amazing.

Dealers have been replacing perfectly good parts for years. Dealers have been billing people money for unfixed cars for years. This is nothing new. Sadly, the perception is that a Jag owner will pay (more). And as some of the complaints here prove - you will.

When I go to the dealer I demand that any repairs are OK'd by me beforehand and that if said repair is performed I will pay zero dollars if the problem persists.

Lesson? Don't be a pushover. Service your car, accept that it could break down after 100,000kms...

Sadly, We bought a 2001 S-4 with 60,000 miles on it. We have had every window fail and need replacing. We have had the sunroof fail and need replacing. We have had each ten thousand mile check-up, usually $800 to $1400 each time. Now the check engine light is on and I want to pull the light out.

Radams@embarqmail.com.

Wow I finally bought my dream car, and yes the 00 Jaguar S-Type 3.0 V6.

So far the same day I had trouble with the battery, which needed cleaning, and I got that fixed. 2 days later the car went into failsafe engine mode (when this happen it's hell ladies and gents); the car can stop at anytime, even on the free way so be careful.

With that said, I took it to the dealer and they fixed it. Accordingly to them, it was the throttle on the car; it needed a new one. I spent $600 american dollars on that.

I noticed a change and it drove well. A week later yesterday on my way to work; "GEARBOX FAULT" appeared on my dashboard and I can only imagine the price I they will tell me. I'm just hoping that this car is a durable one. I believe any car is as long as you service it. But I don't agree with the fact on a new car to go through that many issues all at once. I will take my jag today to the Jaguar dealership to see what they can tell me, and if I'm gonna pay for a new transmission or pay a price of $1,000 american dollars or more, this car will go back to the dealer without a doubt.

Thank You!

I work as a mechanic in a general repair shop, and I have seen a lot of different brands and models of cars, but none of them (except 1999-2003 Jaguars V8 and a few Fords) use a plastic timing chain tensioner. Come on, this is ridiculous. They saved 50 cents on metal, and now thousands of people are facing tremendous 7-8 grand bills due to major engine damage.

Something must be done with this. Luckily I am not a Jaguar owner (and never will be after what I have seen and read here). I was just doing some research on timing chain and tensioner failure of 2000 Jaguar s-type V8, which is in my shop right now. It is clear that 85 comments with totally the same problems mean something. Go to court, group together, and the faster you guys will break the Ford/Jaguar bankrupt, the better.

I sympathize with all my fellow Jag owners. This blog has made my feel I am not alone in my woes and financial bleeding.

I bought my 2000 S, 4.0 v8, in January 2004, with 42,000 miles on it. Within the first few months I replaced the water pump, brakes, and compressor. The window mechanism failed, and I do not slam the doors with the windows down or up. The second year I replaced damaged weatherstripping, and a parking light.

At about 50,000 miles the Gearbox Fault appeared. The gears missed, would not engage and the car was downright scary on the highway. The car went to the dealer three times. The warranty company finally relented and replaced the transmission at about 68,000 miles after it failed completely on the highway in rush-hour traffic and I limped into the dealership. Now at 71,000 miles this mighty v8 is dead. I am awaiting the result of the adjuster and the mechanic. My local mechanic has indicated the heads are blown, gas is in the coolant tank and the engine requires replacing!

My wife wanted to purchase another Accord or an Infinity, I should have listened. This vehicle is unreliable in the snow, the front tires wear excessively, and the transmission and the engine went all before 72,000 miles. Our Honda Accord lasted 185,000 miles before we sold it and it is still running fine to this day. Jaguar does not stand behind this product, and the warranty companies do not either. What has become of this once great vehicle? Buyers beware. The joke at my company is that every time I bring the car in it costs a minimum of $1300.

If someone does sue let me know. Jaguar obviously believes all us suckers are wealthy moneybags who care not a whit about accountability, reliability or expense.

I have a 2000 S-Type. Yesterday, it was baptized at 160,000 miles. You read that right: 160,000 miles.

Oh what a long road. New transmission. New windows -- all four. And to the guy who said to stop slamming our doors when the windows were down, no one ever even gets into my backseat, Sometimes I just like to roll them down. New coil, new this, new that. Couldn't get it out of park when it was on a hill -- although the dealer did finally relent and fix that problem early on when I took a printout of message boards just like this, with people who all have the same problem.

This week, my heater stopped working. And my engine light is on again. And when I accelerate, there's a ticking sound -- sometimes.

So here's my fix, now that I'm done putting another dime into this car: I bought a really great pair of cashmere lined gloves. And I bought an electric blanket that plugs into my lighter. So that cured the heater problem.

As for the engine light, I bought a little rubber dog, tiny little thing, and he sits on my dash board in front of the engine light.

As for the ticking sound, I keep it filled with oil, water, good fuel, and I bought some REALLY great CDs. When the ticking sound starts, I crank the stereo.

I'm getting every last dime I've put into it, out of it. And I won't put in another. And when it finally calls it a day, most likely on the highway when I need to be somewhere ten minutes ago, I'll get out, close the doors gingerly with the windows up (if they'll still roll up at that point) and call Auto Club to come take it away.

Yep...I'll climb into that tow truck and, though I'm a nonsmoker, I'll bum a cig from the driver, and he'll drive us both home. He'll tell me how many Jags he tows, and I'll just smile and tell him she was always a gorgeous ride -- even more stunning when she was just fresh out of the shop -- those kind folks always washed her up so pretty for me... probably to ease the pain.

But until that day? I'm warm. The stereo works. She's beautiful on the outside. And we're headed for 170k.

I purchased my 2001 S-Type v8 Jag brand new, and from then until now (82000 miles) I have shelled out over $8000 to keep it on the road after my warranty ran out. It won't start right now (again!) and I'm waiting for Jag roadside assistance as I write this! This has been an unbelievable experience owning this beautiful, unreliable, dangerous, seemingly worthless hunk of scrap! It took me a little while to realize that Jaguar the manufacturer, and its dealerships have nothing to do with each other, and once you buy you are on your own! My dealer's service dept. never seemed to be knowledgeable about the S-Type, as if it were a prototype! Before they sold me their product, they rolled out the red carpet; after, especially when the "gear-box fault" transmission fun started happening, they became increasingly hostile. As if I was bothering them with my concern for their lack of performance. One of their guys actually pulled me aside and told me to "dump" it on somebody else!! Yeah, shine it up and sell it to another sap before he finds out what's wrong. Just like Jaguar did to me! JAGUAR DEALERSHIPS DO NOT STAND BY THE CRAP THEY'RE SELLING. If anyone knows of or wants to start a class action suit, please reach me at dfagostini@myway.com

Well my wife and I have a 2000 s type, lets see windows, coils, gear shift sticks, timming tensioner, big piece of sh... Jag needs a law suit I'm in...

Ddoffroad@aol.com.

Wife wanted a Jag... she fell in love with the "looks" of a 2000 S type. I checked the reliability rating on a common use car reliability web-site; it was rated pretty well.. which surprised me. I was told that Ford bought Jaguar in 2000 and reliability had greatly improved; I should have known better. So (long story short) she bought it... now we've incurred the wrath of God... Before we'd gone 500 miles, the trans failed, the power steering started to leak and the left rear window stopped working. Now we just found out there's excessive play in the front end. I'm in for anything we can do as consumers. Maybe we could ship this thing to the Taliban.