Selling an old or dead Jaguar XJS
One in five XJS complaints mentions a fire. Owners have filed 77 complaints about the car with NHTSA, and 15 of them report one. The gas fuel system is the component they name most, in 17 complaints.
- Built
- September 1975 - April 1996, Coventry
- Model years in EPA data
- 1984-1996
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 77 (as of Oct. 10, 2026)
- Complaints reporting a fire
- 15
- Component named most
- Gas fuel system (17)
- Recall campaigns
- 9
- Replaced by
- Jaguar XK8
An XJS that has sat for years, or one with a V12 nobody wants to touch, can still go in one piece. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
The three XJS eras
Wikipedia splits the car's 1975-1996 run into three phases. All were built in Coventry as a front-engine, rear-drive grand tourer.
- Pre-HE, 1975-1981: the 5.3-liter V12. This is older than NHTSA's data here, which starts at 1984.
- HE, 1981-1991: a 3.6-liter AJ6 six or the 5.3-liter HE V12. The V12 used a 3-speed GM TH400 automatic. Wikipedia says the two-seat XJ-SC targa was replaced by a full convertible in 1988.
- Facelift, 1991-1996: 4.0-liter sixes, plus the 5.3 and later 6.0-liter V12. The XK8 replaced it in 1996, after 21 years.
HE years, 1984-1991: fuel and seat belts
Most of the recalls land here. Four involve fuel. Recall 85V087 put in a new fuel delivery system without hose clips on 1984-1985 cars, after leaks near those clips. Recall 87V142 replaced the lower fuel tank on 1987 cars, whose gauge seals could leak fuel. Recalls 89V168 and 90V123 installed revised purge parts for excess fuel vapor pressure; NHTSA's notice for 90V123 says that pressure could weaken the tank over time.
Recall 92V009 (1989-1991) shortened the ignition coil lead so it stops sitting near the number 4A injector hose, which could crack. Recall 90V035 replaced cruise control actuators on 1984-1990 cars.
Seat belts are the other theme. The 1988 and 1989 together carry 7 seat belt complaints. Recall 93V179 covers the automatic (passive) belt on 1987-1989 cars, which can stick along its track. Its 52,102 vehicles are the whole campaign and may include other Jaguars.
Facelift years, 1992-1996: quiet in the files
From 1992 on, owners filed 24 complaints over five years, spread across electrical, seat belts, brakes and seats. Only one recall is listed: 91V155, for an engine harness that could chafe on an air conditioning plate on 1992 cars.
Complaints and recalls by model year
Tallies reflect NHTSA's owner records on October 10, 2026. Campaigns such as 90V035 span seven model years and are counted in each.
| Model year | Complaints | Report a fire | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1985 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 1988 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 1989 | 14 | 4 | 4 |
| 1990 | 15 | 2 | 3 |
| 1991 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 1992 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Restore it or let it go?
Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first. These cars are decades old, and the fuel or belt work may never have been done on yours. After that, the question is how much the car needs and who will do it. Our old project car guide and sitting for years cover the trade-off.
Selling it as it sits
Call (877) 421-6008 or ask online. Mention six or V12, coupe or convertible, and the state of the tires and brakes after all that sitting. Then the location: a barn, a carport, a back lot. Don't strip it; anything removed changes the number. Have the title ready, or start with selling with no title.
More Jaguars: the XK that replaced it, the XJ, or all Jaguar models.
Questions people ask
- Which XJS model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 1990 has 15 and the 1989 has 14, out of 77 for the whole run as of October 10, 2026. Many of these cars are over 30 years old, and the counts are small, so treat them as a record of what owners filed, not a rating.
- What do the XJS fuel recalls cover?
- Four campaigns deal with fuel. 85V087 covers possible fuel leaks at injection hose clips on 1984-1985 cars. 87V142 covers lower fuel tank gauge seals on the 1987. 89V168 and 90V123 install revised purge parts for too much fuel vapor pressure. Their vehicle counts are whole-campaign totals and may include other Jaguars.
- Will you buy an XJS that hasn't run in years?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Say what it's parked in or on, and if it can be pushed.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 85V087: fuel injection hose clips nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 87V025: trunk wiring harness nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 87V142: lower fuel tank gauge seals nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 89V168: fuel vapor pressure nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 90V035: cruise control actuator nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 90V123: fuel vapor pressure and tank nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 91V155: engine harness chafing nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 92V009: ignition coil lead and injector hose nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 93V179: passive seat belt system nhtsa.gov
- EPA fuel economy data (model years and variants) fueleconomy.gov
- Wikipedia: Jaguar XJS en.wikipedia.org