Jaguar S-type (1999 – 2007) Review

Jaguar S-type (1999 – 2007) At A Glance

Ask Honest John

How can I increase the height of my seat to improve visibility?

"The driver’s seat is very low on my Jaguar S-Type. I am only 5’4” and can hardly see over the bonnet. Any suggestions?"

The problem is probably being caused by a heavily worn driver's seat. Consider buying a foam-filled comfort cushion with an anti-slip backing and adjustable straps that will secure it to the seat. Halford's sell them for around £30. If you are considering replacing the car, then something like the Toyota Yaris might be better for your needs: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/yaris-and-yaris-hybrid-2011/

Answered by Dan Powell

What should I be aware of when buying a used Jaguar S-Type?

"I am considering buying a Jaguar S-Type 2005 described as in 'pristine' condition for £7999 from a specialist dealer. The vehicle has done 30000 miles and has a full service history. What should I be aware of?"

Regardless of how the dealer has described it, you should view it with your eyes wide open. The first thing to do is drive some other models to see what's available because you really, really don't need to pay £8k for one. You can get an S-type R with a 4.2-litre V8 for £3k. Remember - you are not buying a new car and whatever you buy will need work. Much better to have some in the pocket for a rainy day. Have a look at our buyer's guide here: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/jaguar/s-type-x200/buying/

Answered by Keith Moody

More Questions

Model History

• March 1999
• January 2002
• June 2003
• January 2004
• May 2005

Driving Jaguar S-type (1999 – 2007)

This car simply oozes personality. The smooth 3.0 litre 240bhp Ford Duratec V6 thrums, whoops and bellows, yet remains smooth to quite high revs. It's also very powerful, with 20bhp more than Audi's new 3.0 litre V6, 19bhp more than Mercedes' 3.2 litre V6 and 9bhp more than BMW's much-vaunted 3.0 litre straight six. The five-speed manual gearbox has a heavy, ponderous, occasionally obstructive shift (something Autocar magazine criticised it for). But what Moss-boxed Mk II or original S Type didn't? To my mind, this adds to the character of the car. The new ZF variable ratio power steering has a mechanical oiliness to it, yet allows enough feedback to make the driver feel attached to the car rather than detached from it. And you get that amazing Jaguar buzz of endless acceleration, just as I remember from my first ride in a 3.8 E-Type in 1965 when we went out to double the newly-imposed 70mph speed limit.

You can, of course, simply go for the looks and opt for the Ford-supplied automatic. If you want the most powerful S Type, the 281bhp 4.0 litre V8, you have no choice. But the autobox isn't a very good one and is apt to change ratio when you least want it to while pressing on. And to my mind, the automatic ceases to be the characterful car which the looks of the S Type promise. The V8 doesn't sound Jag-like either, so I'd plump for the V6 manual every time.

The ride is smooth, even on the huge 18-inch alloy wheels and liquorice-strip-thin 245/40 Pirelli P Zeros of the Sport. Wind noise is pleasantly subdued. And the 3.0V6 engine pulled our car to an indicated 146mph on a German Autobahn with commendable ease. The slight roughness of the engine at these high speeds was simply cured by switching to Superunleaded, but this isn't necessary for normal day-to-day running. Fuel consumption worked out at 23.9mpg overall, which wasn't bad for the speeds plus a lot of stop-start town work. Handling is fine, though definitely big-car-like rather than hot-hatch-nippy. And I have to admit I didn't press this particular car to find its limits of adhesion.

With Volvo and Jaguar building its top-of-the-range cars, Ford no longer needs a Granada or Scorpio. Volvos provide a feeling of immense strength together with old-fashioned, police-car-like front-drive handling on the one hand. Jaguar successfully interprets its core values of smoothness, pace and rear-drive handling on the other. The four-wheel-drive X Type will soon complete the range. But the S Type is by no means eclipsed by it.

I'd also better mention Jaguar's impressive scores in all recent Top Gear J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Surveys. My own mailbag reflects this. Hardly a single complaint about Jaguars, compared to significant numbers about Mercedes and a fair few about BMWs too.

Update for 2.5-litre and 4.2-litre V8.

‘Autocar' had a high opinion of the new entry-level 2.5 V6 automatic and I can confirm it's a very pleasant car. The automatic parking brake comes as a slight surprise (on the automatic, you do nothing; one the manual you switch it on and off by a console control that looks like the hood switch on an Audi cabrio). But it works far better than, for example, the Mercedes Benz arrangement.

With six ratios to help haul the car along, the new autobox makes the best of the engine's 201bhp. But if you're not happy with its decisions, you can always use Jaguar's ‘J' gate which allows you to stop the box changing up from 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th and has a natural, intuitive action of moving forward to go lower or backwards to go higher.

The bigger 240bhp 3.0V6 manual has been re-mapped a bit. So, while it's now officially cleaner and more fuel efficient, it's just a tiny bit slower off the mark. But it makes up for that with more settled handling than the original S Type. It now feels more like a modern E Class Mercedes than like it did before, which is saying a lot. And a really useful feature is electrically adjustable steering wheel and foot pedals so almost anyone can find the ideal driving position.

Next up, the 4.2V8 is sublime. Most drivers will simply burble along in fully automatic mode. But, if the mood takes you, you can hold the lower ratios and shoot up to 110 or so on almost any short, open straight. It's an excellent long distance cruiser, too, with 70mph corresponding to exactly 2,000rpm in sixth. And it's also better value for money than the old car was.

Finally, there's the bonkers, screaming-mad, supercharged 400bhp Type R. Whether you use the ‘J' gate or not, this will howl its way to sixty in just 5.3 seconds and on to around 175 if you can find a way to disconnect the limiter. But it's far from leery or uncouth to drive. Even on the wettest July day in history with mud all over the country roads and the traction control switched off it was still easily manageable. I actually had to try quite hard to get the tail out and it came back again very obediently. Yet of all the new S Types, surprisingly enough, this was the nicest to drive slowly.

Update for V6 diesel

BMW offers big diesels. Mercedes offers big diesels. Audi offers big diesels. All with better economy, lower C02s and therefore lower BIK tax for company drivers than equivalent petrol models. And now that British bosses are leaner, hungrier and more cost-conscious than the fat cats they used to be, it's very hard to put them into a car that not only guzzles petrol but guzzles tax at 40% as well.

So now, with Prescott in a Prius, Jaguar has had to get its act together and start offering BIK friendly alternatives. The front drive X-Type diesel is already the most popular X-Type. The lightweight aluminium XJ is awaiting some new big diesels being developed by PSA and Ford. And the S-Type has been the first recipient of PSA/Ford's new 206PS 2.7 litre twin-turbo diesel V6.

So what does this do to the car? In the old days Jaguar engines were so smooth you could balance a coin on the cam covers. Stand next to even a rust-bucket Mk II and your ears wouldn't tell you if the engine was running or not. That was part of the point of a Jag. The last thing you wanted was a car that looked fantastic but sounded like a Kango hammer.

From outside the S-Type diesel you can hear it. It's as subdued as a diesel could be and far more so than an Audi, BMW or Merc. But anyone at the golf club who isn't deaf will know you're burning oil under the bonnet.

Inside, too, it's no longer a case of looking at the rev counter to check if the engine is running. You are aware of a distant hum, but your passengers probably wouldn't be. Especially with the 10 speaker optional Premium Sound system playing Christina Aguilera's ‘Stripped' CD.

How does it go? Well not as hard as the new Audi A6 3.0 V6 TDI or the BMW 530d or the muscular Mercedes E320CDI, that's for sure. Really, more like a 525d or an E270CDI. It does pick up speed, and does make proper use of the first five of its six gears. But totally undramatically and very quietly. The complete opposite of the A6 3.0 V6 TDI. Handling is pleasant rather than out and out sporty. You are slightly isolated from the action, but if you're buying an S-Type diesel you probably want to be.

It's nicely appointed inside, with a vast options list that allows you to tailor the car almost exactly as you prefer from a luxurious cruiser to a tighter, sportier chariot. You can go for wood, pale leather and deep pile carpets, or aluminium, black leather and 18" wheels. The car I drove had Mercury 8 x 18" alloys with 245/40 tyres, a £250 option on the Sport model it was, yet it rode and steered on indifferent surfaces with true Jaguar distain.

DVD satnav, with touch-screen controls for the aircon and sound system is an option well worth ticking because it works very well indeed. Set everything as you want, then leave the GPS to tell you where you are.

Electric seats and steering wheel adjustment are standard through the range, with memory on Sports and SEs and also a very useful of option of electrically adjustable pedals, which is a huge help to those with longer or shorter legs than average.

My one bugbear was the 6-speed autobox. On the petrol engines it's fine, the changes are fairly seamless and you don't get the whole thing dying on you. But because the diesel has no torque at all below around 1,200rpm, and because the ‘J' gate is a very sloppy kind of manual over-ride, on some corners and roundabouts you can be stuck up the creek without a paddle-shift.

I tried pre-selecting third, but it still bogged down between gears. Maybe familiarity would breed content, I don't know. And, of course, you could go for the Barcelona box instead.

A six-speed manual V6 twin-turbo diesel S Type. Imagine that emerging from Brown's Lane in the late 1960s.

In the cabin

It's a surprisingly big car - bigger than a BMW 5-Series. (We'll soon see the X Type Jag to compete with the 3-Series.) The boot looks absolutely huge until you start loading it up, when you find it's a lot shallower than you first thought. However, it does have the advantage of fold-down rear seats, and an optional ski flap if required.

If you want a real Jag, the S Type Sport V6 manual has to be the one to go for. It costs £30,600 on the road and the price includes leather seats, leather steering wheel, leather gear knob, climate control, floor mats, those huge 18-inch Monaco alloy wheels, P Zero tyres and front fog lights. You can get an S Type V6 manual from £27,000, but the Sport's extras make the car. Do, however, be careful to specify electric lumbar support for the driver's seat, as this is one very worthwhile accessory.

On the other hand, if you want superb, less traditional looks, coupled with fine, Mercedes S Class-beating handling, a decent Mercedes sourced autobox and truly immense performance, Jaguar can always fix you up with an XJR8.

Jaguar S-type (1999 – 2007) Buying Guide

Good

S and T reg cars came a good 17th in 2001 Top Gear / JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey, ahead of the Toyota Corolla.

Average number of breakdowns, problems and faults and rated a 'Best Buy' in 2003 Which survey.

Which? used best buy £15,000 - £20,000 in 2004.

Bad

No limited slip diff, so apt to rely on traction control instead. Outclassed in handling, roadholding and safety by W211 E Class Mercedes. Automatic 'J' change of older 5-speed autobox can be sloppy and apt to drop a gear unasked when you're halfway round a corner.

Early V6 manuals criticised for baulky gearchange and too revvy engine management system.

Second-hand prices originally higher than same age XJ8s.

Whining of Type R's Eaton supercharger sounds great to start with but can become wearing on the driver. 

Jaguar had fifth highest warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 126.91 v/s lowest 31.93). Jaguar 2nd bottom of Reliability Index for 2004 combining high average cost of repair of £483.26 with high 42.16 failures per 100 Warranty Direct policies. Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk

Have been problems of misaligned propshafts, premature disc wear, porous heads on V6s and PAS pump failures. 

Air-conditioning condensor matrix of 2.6 diesel is vulnerable to stone damage. Best to fit a home made grille to protect it.

Watch

Rare on S-Type problem of V8 blocks suffering Nickasil bore liner problems after 50,000 - 60,000 miles, losing compression and being replaced without question by Jaguar if under 100k miles, under 5 years old, with full Jaguar service history. Lumpy feeling V8 engine is a sign of the V8 engine problem. Definitely no problem from September 2000 build. 

Timing chain tensioner problems on V8s. Listen for noisy timing chain. 

Water leaks into boot compartment play havoc with electrics (because that's where the battery sits) as rear lamp seals and boot lid seal can fail. The seal needs to be cemented into place with waterproof silicone sealant. Boot lock solenoid also subject to failure due to moisture ingress.

Have been problems with Mondeo based electric window winding mechanisms. Typical failures on early cars include ignition coils, water leaks, seat motor, window motor, door lock and security alarm faults. Check all electrics as best you can before buying (particularly important with auction bought cars.) 

Original 5-speed autoboxes prone to failure at around 60,000 miles. 

Thread for insertion of rear towing eye is ANTI-CLOCKWISE. This isn't mentioned in the driver's handbook. 

Bonnet safety catch can corrode from road salt and seize open, so does not restrain the bonnet if main catch fails. Make sure the safety catch is well greased and working properly. Needs re-checking at least once a month in the winter. 

Threeseparate complaints of multiple problems with S-Type diesels received in 10 days, which is a lot compared with the total number of S-Type diesels out there. By late August 2007 Jaguar had 120 cars with this problem that it was unable to fix. Apparently working on a software solution. 

On 2.7 diesel in winter engine pre-heater is close to ventilation system and apt to fill the cabin with fumes. 

At least one 2.7 diesel has suffered big end failure at 4 years old and models miles, put down by the dealer as 'component failure', definitely not shortage of oil as the car had just been serviced.

2.7 diesel turbos run very hot and are prone to turbo oil seal failures. need to be idled after motorway runs in hot weather, after long ascents, or after towing. 2.7d engines used for short runs from cold starts will clog their particulate filters, leading the the excess fuel for regenerating them dribbling down the bores into the sump, contaminating sump oil and raising its level to a point where the engine may run on it.

Seems to have been a "bad" batch of turbos fitted to 2006 2.7 V6 turbodiesels. Though failure may simply be due to failure by owners to idle the turbos from red hot before switching off. They do get extremely hot, especially after a long ascent. 

6-speed autoboxes have required software upgrades. Torque converter failures of 6-speed automatics (known as "gearbox squark") have become quite common. Problem of lurching of ZF autobox covered at www.thelurch.com plus numerous other Jaguar TSBs. This can be temporarily alleviated by using different automatic transmission fluid and an additive. Jaguar has replaced transmissions on 3 - 5 year old cars for as little as £770, calling it a "25% contribution", though the true customer cost of a new transmission would be more than £3,080. 

'Electronic' parking brake (from 2002MY) has caused excessive rear disc and pad wear. 

Alarm problem may be due to a faulty 'boot open' switch. Misplaced sealing ring allows damp to corrode the switch contacts. Cleaning the contacts solves the problem. 

Like Mercedes and Renault, the automatic transmission fluid cooler is situated in the radiator where a fracture can put coolant into the transmission fluid and wreck the transmission. 

Seems to be a problem with the 'electronic' (electric) parking brakes failing to disengage properly, leading to excess wear on the rear discs and rear disc life as short as 15,000 miles. 

Batteries prone to discharging through fault boot light switch.

16-8-2011: On 2.5 and 3.0 V6 petrol, a rumble from the front may mean that  the bottom crank pulley damper assembly 4659709 is starting to separate around the rubber insert  in the middle of the flat dinner plate sized wheel. Costs £83.23 + vat. Pulley Assy £25.47 +vat and the V-Belt £17.86+vat Total Labour £82.00. Separation is usuallly more marked on the inside than the side one can observe. If it fails completely then engine is written off.

23-12-2011: Report of engine oil pump casing that the timing belt tensioner is bolted to shearing off and timing belt coming off and trashing the engine of 2007 2.7 TDV6 with 60,000 miles. (Ths was a Range Rover Sport, but same basic engine in S-Type 2.7 V6 diesel.)

29-5-2013: Intermittent running of radiator fans on 2008 2.7V6 diesel fixed as follows: "Checked fault memory and found fan circuit low. Checked wiring loom from ecu and found fault. Traced faulty wire back to o/s/f chassis area to find power lead chaffed, carried out wiring repairs and tested system found working all ok, refitted all trims."

5-4-2014: Climate control of 2005 Jaguar S-Type 2.5 V6 randomly switches to maximum heat. Possible faulty cabin thermostat?

10-6-2014: Low pressure fuel tank sender pump of low mileage 3.0 V6 S-Type apparently due to high resistance of relay.

10-9-2016: Tip from RP that if the aircon packs up, despite a re-gas and no obvious reason, it's probably due to intermittent failure of the relay solenoid switch that can be replaced inexpensively.

Recalls

4-10-2000: 2,109 S Types built 5/200 to 7/2000 recalled because part in front seatbelt buckles not to standard and may release the belt when subject to load. All buckle assemblies between production dates to be replaced. 23/11/2000: 18,062 S Types built 1/1999 to 9/2000 recalled because first thread of the ball stud in the front suspension lower ball joint could fracture leading to separation of the lower control arm from the knuckle leading to limited steering control. Ball joints to be checked and vertical links to be replaced if necessary. Defective timing chain tensioner apparently subject to a recall, but cannot give a date. April 2004: Recall because 6-speed automatic can slip into reverse at high speed due to computer software problem (per 'Auto Express' 21-4-2004). TSB (unknown date) Apparently Auto transmission fluid looses viscosity and the remedy is to replace the fluid and reset the adaptive sensors. That might overcome the torque converter problems outlined above.

TSB R-513 recall: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, with the forward gear selected and the vehicle stationary or in a forward motion, the gearbox could potentially select reverse gear, without indication.  Internal : With the vehicle stationary, and Drive (D) is selected, the transmission may select Reverse (R) if there is insufficient oil pressure in the transmission and/or a sticking valve within the transmission. If this condition is 
present, the vehicle will default to Mechanical Limp Home mode and the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will illuminate.

TSB S307-17. Drifting of program for adaptive learning. Now involves both engine AND gearbox reprogramming to address customer concern of harsh transmission shifts, particularly 3 - 2, 2 -1 roll out and 1-2 up-shifts The adaptive shift strategy drifting over time causing higher than normal clutch pressures. To eliminate the issues outlined in the summary the transmission adaptions must be cleared and the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and the Engine Control Module (ECM) should be re-configured using the Worldwide Diagnostic System (WDS) with software release JTP 759/35 or later. Should a customer express concern, follow the Service Instruction outlined below.

TSB S307-15 This Technical Bulletin has been issued to address customer concerns of a squeal or squeak noise heard during gearshifts under acceleration.

TSB S307-14 This Technical Bulletin has been issued to address a customer concern of a surge in excess of 150rpm during engine warm up, at a temperature of 30°C to 50°C and at a vehicle speed in the region of 40mph (64.3kph) to 60mph (96.5kph).

One TSB since 2006 on the 2.7 V6 twin-turbo diesel to replace the turbos.

23-04-2007: Some owners not notified until June 2007 R/2007/045JAGUARS-Type 2.7 V6 Diesel and XJ 2.7 V6 diesel particulate filter excessive heatVINs SAJAC031167N32679to SAJAA011387N82818Build dates 01/09/2004 to 31/03/2007 to solve a problem with the diesel particulate filter that could cause a danger of fire after a slow journey.