2003 Jaguar S-Type problems & reliability
100 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Jaguar S-Type, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Jaguar S-Type vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 18 | 18% |
| Power Train → | 16 | 16% |
| Parking Brake → | 14 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 12 | 12% |
| Electrical System → | 11 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 7% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 42,671 miles (middle 50% between 21,550 and 80,000 miles), based on 73 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2003 Jaguar S-Type. The contact stated that while refueling the vehicle at a gas station, fuel suddenly sprayed out from underneath the vehicle without warning. The contact contacted an authorized dealer and was informed that the dealer lacked the equipment and parts required to service vehicles…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 12, 2026
“The contact owns a 2003 Jaguar S-Type. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle would shift into reverse independently and would lock up while the gear shifter was in a drive(D). The gear box fault warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal in order to…”
Power Train · filed Apr 22, 2022
“The contact owns a 2003 Jaguar S. The contact stated that his wife was reversing with the brake pedal being depressed when she lost control of the vehicle and it accelerated on its own almost crashing into pedestrians. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that they only repair vehicles…”
Power Train · filed Jun 24, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
95 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Jaguar S-Type. The 10 most recent:
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
A customer may report "Hood Open" message displays on IP with hood closed.
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
18C - New face of InControl Touch Pro and 18C software improvements
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
SIM card activation issues
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
InControl Touch Pro phase 4 customer letter
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
Jaguar Land Rover Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC_08MAR18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 8, 2018
Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC_14DEC17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2017
Issue: a customer may raise a concern of their vehicle not passing state inspection in california and there is no warning light or other suggestion of a fault.
SSM-72805 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Jaguar S-Type has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Jaguar S-Type?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 42,671 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.