28th Apr 2009, 18:52
I am an automotive technician at an independent repair shop. We have an S-Type that came in with a locked up A/C compressor. To replace the expansion block you have to remove the instrument panel and dash assembly. The engineering is horrible and there are a lot of plastic pieces that break.
To get to the nuts on the firewall, there is a plastic electrical engine harness bracket that has to be moved. A lot of the electrical connectors have to be undone and many of them broke the locking devices disconnecting them. The black plastic gets brittle when exposed to under hood temperatures. The only thing that was easy was replacing the A/C compressor. The car is overladen with plastic parts, probably to reduce the weight cause it has so much luxury crap. The recirculation air door broke and the parts are no longer available. It may be fun to drive, but is a nightmare to work on. You have to be insane to work in a Jag dealer service department.
The coolant system is an abomination and is prone to leaks and expensive repairs. If you have lots of money and love Jags, you could get away with owning one. Other than that the car is a piece of junk and buyer beware. Believe me, I am not jealous of anyone that owns one.
17th Jun 2009, 09:26
I agree Jaguars are rubbish, and I don't think they are classy cars either, they are quite cheap; a quarter of the price of Mercedes and BMW, they are even cheaper than Lexus. They are just rubbish, they have poor comfort levels, noisy, you feel the bumps on the road and the rattling of the dash, they are absolute junk. If you want class and reliability, go with Mercedes and BMW, you will thank me once you do.
17th Apr 2008, 18:09
I absolutely LOVE my 2000 Jaguar S-type! I bought it in 2005 with 16,000 miles on it (like new!) and immediately purchased an extended warranty (to 75,000 miles). I strongly recommend this for any older car, not to mention a luxury car. Not a day goes by when someone doesn't compliment me on the car. I've had very few problems, and any that I did have were covered by the warranty. My car gets 20-25 MPG, depending on the season, and I run regular unleaded gas in it. I take good care of it, and it is a wonderful car with lots of luxury options. I know other people who have the S-type and they also LOVE their cars! So you just happened to get a lemon, I guess - because I don't think your experience is the norm with this car. Sorry to disagree, but my experience says otherwise!!
Also, to the 2nd comment: my Jag is definitely not "rubbish," - it drives like a dream and is the most comfortable car I've ever had. Don't knock em till you drive em... Maybe jealousy is rearing its ugly head!!!