There are 11 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2002 Jaguar S-Typein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ON JULY 14, 2010, MY CAR STARTING DRIVING SLUGGISH, AS IF PULLING HEAVY WEIGHT. THE GEAR BOX FAULT LIGHT TURNED ON. ON 7-16-2010, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $2,800 PLUS TAX TO CHANGE THE GEAR BOX WITH A ONE YEAR GUARANTEE. MY SECOND OPTION WAS TO INSTALL A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF OVER $5,000. TWO MONTHS AGO I SPENT $5,000 ON A NEW ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND FUEL INJECTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SINCE I AM STRUGGLING AS MANY FINANCIALLY. THE DEALER SAID THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL. TOLD HIM I DOUBTED THAT, HENCE, MY COMPLAINT. *TR
THE VEHICLE THAT I HAVE A COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO IS A 2002 JAGUAR S-TYPE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING SLUGGISH AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING AT NORMALCY. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE JAGUAR DEALERSHIP TO BE SERVICED AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT A TRANSMISSION FAULT LIGHT HAD BEEN TRIGGERED. UPON THEIR EXAMINATION THE DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY HAD MANY CARS IN WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS MY VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY DID IN FACT HAVE BEEN SEEING THIS ISSUE WITH MANY OF S-TYPE JAGUAR VEHICLES. I THEN PLACED A CALL TO A TRANSMISSION RE-BUILDER TO INFORM HIM OF THE ISSUE AND BEFORE I COULD EXPLAIN MY PROBLEM HE WAS ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE DUE TO THE MANY S-TYPE JAGUARS TRANSMISSION HE HAD REBUILT WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
TL*- WHILE DRIVING THE 2002 JAGUAR S TYPE WITH 30000 FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE AT 40 MPH AND ACCELERATING UP A HILL THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO UNEXPECTEDLY LOSE SPEED. THE VEHICLE GOT TO THE TOP OF THE HILL, THEN CAME DOWN THE HILL, AND IT LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT "THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED". THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
MY CAR IS A 2002 X-TYPE BUT WAS PURCHASED USED IN MAY '05 WITH ONLY 22K MILES. HAD A FAILURE OF MY CAR TO "STEP-DOWN" INTO PASSING GEAR AS I WAS GOING UP A HILL, THE CAR WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE HOME BY PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNING THE CAR OFF THEN BACK ON AGAIN. THE FACTORY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED BY LESS THAN 20 DAYS AT THIS INITIAL FAILURE BUT WAS COVERED BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS PURCHASED, THEREFORE THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED. MILEAGE AT FAILURE WAS 26,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED 10 MONTHS LATER, DIFFERENT GEAR. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE REPEAT TROUBLE DEALERSHIP SAID A REBUILT FORD TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SENT BUT THIS TIME JAGUAR WAS SENDING A NEW ONE. HE ALSO SAID THIS IS A VERY KNOW PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL BECAUSE IT IS MORE FORD THAN JAGUAR PARTS. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND VIBRATION. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY AND REALIZED THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM IF THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND SAID THAT THE DOG IN THE BACK SEAT MAY HAVE HIT THE GEAR SHIFT AND CAUSED THE CHANGE OF GEARS. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL THAT THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION EXPLODED AND LOST TRANSMISSION FLUID. A SERVICE DEALER SAID THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE RAN OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET, BUT WAS SENDING HIM AN EMAIL AS SOON AS HE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. *AK UPDATED 12/27/05. *JB
OUR 2002 JAGUAR S TYPE WITH 44,000 MILES HAS TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPANY. WE NEED HELP GETTING THIS PROBLEMS SOLVED. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS IS A $60,000 VEHICLE. HELP. *JB
DT: 1ST TIME CAR WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE, AND AFTER RETURNING THE GEAR SHIFT WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. THEN , CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WHO REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. AFTERWARDS, ONCE AGAIN VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK. TALKED TO A JAUGUAR REPRESENTATIVE, WHO SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT OF THE PART. THEN, JAGUAR REPRESENTATIVE ARRANGED MEETING WITH A NEW DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. MECHANICS STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SHIFT LEVER. PROBLEM. DEALER REPORTED THERE WAS NO SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. WHEN PROBLEM OCCURRED DEALER SUGGESTED THAT CONSUMER PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE WHEN THIS OCCURRED, AND ROCK THE VEHICLE TO GET IT OUT OF PARK. THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS. ISSUE. OWNER WROTE LETTER TO THE JAGUAR TO MAKE THEM AWARE, AND WAS WAITING TO HEAR FROM DEALER. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVESHAFT CAUSES A "HOWLING" NOISE, LIKE A WET FINGER AROUND A WINE GLASS, IN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING FROM A COLD START. THE NOISE IS DEPENDENT ON AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (LESS THAN 40F) AND THE CAR MUST BE TRAVELING BETWEEN 55-65 MPH. I HAVE CONTACTED JAGUAR CUSTOMER RELATIONS, WHO DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. MY SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALSO DENIED KNOWLEDGE, BUT OFFERED TO REPLACE THE DRIVESHAFT. I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING NAMES OF OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM FROM 2 INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR DRIVESHAFTS REPLACED 3-5 TIMES, WITHOUT SUCCESS. SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE BEEN TOLD THE NOISE IS CAUSED BY BEARINGS IN THE DRIVESHAFT THAT ARE OFF-CENTER. MY CONCERN IS PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE DRIVESHAFT UNDER SPEED, OR WORSE, A FIRE FROM FRICTION OF HIGH SPEED ROTATION OF THE DRIVESHAFT. THIS NOISE CANNOT BE DUPLICATED AT WILL BECAUSE OF THE DEPENDENCE ON AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG AND 2002 JAGUAR S TYPE BEGAN VIBRATING. THE GEAR SHIFT HAD MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE. *TS THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL GARAGE WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD EXPLODED AND HIT THE FLOOR WITH A MAJOR LOSS OF FLUID. THE CONSUMER WAS WAITING ON THE MECHANIC'S DETERMINATION TO SEE IF SOMETHING COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HIT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. IF THAT WAS THE CASE THE CONSUMER WOULD BE ABLE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. *JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK TO GO INTO DRIVE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. CONSUMER HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SWITCH GEARS. *AK CONSUMER FEELS JAGUAR SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES WITH REBUILT TRANSMISSION WITH A EXTENDED WARRANTY. *PH
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026