Selling a broken Jaguar S-Type

An S-Type that slips out of gear, won't release its park brake or knocks over bumps still has a buyer. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. Sell the whole car as it sits; free pickup anywhere in the US comes with it.

Complaints and recalls, 2000 to 2008

We tallied these S-Type owner reports from NHTSA's records on October 10, 2026. They aren't a grade of the car. A 2008 S-Type is eight years younger than a 2000, which gave its owners a shorter span to report problems. The last column shows how many recall campaigns name each S-Type year; a campaign naming 2003 and 2004 appears twice.

That's 483 complaints and 8 recall campaigns in all. Each vehicle total quoted below is NHTSA's count for an entire campaign, and Jaguar campaigns often reach past the S-Type to other models.

What went wrong, by group of years

The S-Type sold as a midsize sedan from the 2000 to the 2008 model year. Three stretches stand out.

2000-2002: power train and suspension

The 2000 S-Type leads every year with 141 complaints: 40 about the power train, 19 about visibility and 18 about the engine and its cooling. The 2001's 79 complaints lean hard on the suspension (34). The ball-joint recall above names the 2000 and 2001, and NHTSA puts that campaign at 38,681 vehicles.

Both years also share a belt recall. Under 00V228004, the base of certain TRW buckles skipped proper heat treatment and can't meet the federal load requirement. Dealers inspect the S-Type's buckles and change them where needed, across 5,477 vehicles.

2003-2004: the parking brake and the gearbox

The 2003 S-Type has 100 complaints and 15 crash reports, the most crashes of any year. Speed control leads with 13, the parking brake follows with 11, then the power train with 10.

Two recalls name the 2003 and 2004. 04V488000 says the electronic park brake module on 2003-2004 cars can apply the brake by itself, with nothing on the dash to warn the driver; dealers fit a module built to later production specs (30,181 vehicles). 04V024000 is about the automatic: with Drive selected, standing still or rolling forward, the gearbox could pick reverse and show no sign of it. The fix is a transmission control module reprogram. NHTSA's figure of 31,731 vehicles also appears on XJ and XK records, so the S-Type is only part of it.

One more reaches 2002-2005 S-Types: 04V484000. The brake fluid reservoir sits recessed in the engine bay without the warning label a federal brake standard calls for, so Jaguar mailed owners labels to stick on.

2005-2008: the fuel tank year

On the 2005 S-Type, 21 complaints cite the gasoline fuel system and 20 more the fuel and propulsion system, together 41 of its 85. Recall 06V418000 covers 2005 cars where seals on the fuel delivery module, jet pump module or cluster valve may not stay seated in the tank. Dealers inspect each tank and either reseal it or replace it (13,655 vehicles).

Then the complaints drop: 29 across the 2006, 2007 and 2008 S-Types. The 2006 has a recall for a badly made parking pawl guide plate in the automatic (05V503000, 493 vehicles, shared with the 2006 XJ). The lone 2007 recall, 06V467000, covered 9 cars built with test-only prototype fuel tanks. NHTSA's notice says those nine stayed on dealer lots and never went to customers.

Should you fix it?

Some S-Type faults carry a free dealer fix. Most don't.

• Recalls come first. Type the S-Type's VIN into NHTSA's recall search and ask a Jaguar dealer about anything open, especially the park brake module on a 2003-2004 or the tank seals on a 2005.
• Slipping or harsh shifts? Our bad transmission guide explains what each symptom points to.
• Clunking front end on a 2001? The broken suspension guide covers what's worth repairing.
• Cranks but won't fire, or stalls? Start with car doesn't run.
• Do the math. If the S-Type repair quote nears the price of a running S-Type of that year, see our page on repairs bigger than the car.

Selling the S-Type whole

1. Gather the S-Type's paperwork facts: VIN, odometer, what it does or won't do, and if it moves. The trunk badge (3.0, 4.2 or R) helps too.
2. Ask for an offer on the site, or dial (877) 421-6008.
3. Paint us a picture of the spot: a carport, an apartment lot, a backyard, a repair bay. If the electronic park brake has locked the rear wheels, mention it so the truck shows up ready. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Don't pull anything. Wheels, battery and converter all stay on the S-Type. Anything already gone goes on the list.
5. Pickup day: the signed title, your ID and every S-Type key you have. States split on who keeps the plates; after you sell covers each one.

No title? Read selling with no title first. Other Jaguars: XF, X-Type, XJ, or all Jaguar models.