Your vehicle report
2003 Jaguar S-Type
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 100
- Received Oct 2002 to Jun 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Unintended acceleration despite braking13 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Parking brake fails to hold or release6 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night5 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V484000Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, "passenger car brake system." the brake fluid master cylinder reservoir is recessed and oriented in the engine compartment beneath a leaf screen, such that the brake fluid warning statement embossed on the top of the reservoir body is not visible by direct view.
- Recall #04V488000On certain passenger vehicles, the electronic park brake module, which controls the application of the parking brake, may unintentionally apply the parking brake without any indication or warning to the driver.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 15 crashes, 1 fire, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 12 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 21 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 100 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 13 | 13% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 6 | 6.0% | – | NHTSA recall #04V488000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 5.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 4.0% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 4.0% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 4 | 4.0% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 4 | 4.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 3.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #04V024000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 3.0% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 3.0% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 3 | 3.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V484000October 14, 200450,000 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, "passenger car brake system." the brake fluid master cylinder reservoir is recessed and oriented in the engine compartment beneath a leaf screen, such that the brake fluid warning statement embossed on the top of the reservoir body is not visible by direct view.
This does not comply with the standard.
Remedy
Owners will be sent letters which will include installation instructions and labels containing the required warning statement. If they prefer, owners may contact dealers to have them install the labels. The recall began on january 25, 2005. Owners may contact Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827.
NHTSA recall #04V488000October 7, 200430,181 vehicles affected
parking brake
On certain passenger vehicles, the electronic park brake module, which controls the application of the parking brake, may unintentionally apply the parking brake without any indication or warning to the driver.
This condition Can cause the vehicle to decelerate and may cause rear wheel "lockup" at any road speed. A crash may occur.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the electronic park brake module with the latest production lever parts. The recall began on january 15, 2005. Owners should contact Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827.
NHTSA recall #04V024000January 8, 200431,731 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, with the forward drive gear selected and the vehicle stationary or in a forward motion, the gearbox could potentially select reverse gear, without indication.
This failure could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reprogram the transmission control module. The recall began on may 1, 2004. Owners should contact Jaguar at 1-201-818-8500.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Jaguar S-Type.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN