Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2006 Jaguar S-Type. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the transmission erroneously shifted into reverse. The contact had assumed that the parking brake had engaged. The contact depressed the brake pedal and restarted the vehicle. The was driven forward but unintendedly shifted back into reverse. The independent mechanic test-drove the vehicle and while driving the vehicle, the vehicle came to a stop. The mechanic determined that there was a failure within the transmission. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Bought car on Friday(7/20/18). Upon arriving home and after getting acquainted and accustomed to car, detected the following problems that I was unable to detect during test drive. After reviewing car fax report and dmv car info, was aware of car history, after verifying carfax indicated they would purchase back my car if determined to be a lemon, I purchased vehicle w/ full confidence. Arriving home,determined the following safety issues with the car that I was unable to notice during a routine test drive. Upon driving vehicle at home, noticed immediately the following safety issue's 1.)brake system~applyinging breaks, prior to stopping the car jerks to an abrupt stop making pax in vehicle experience a whiplash effect 2.) determined at home after reading manual, that the red light illumination when accelerating vehicle found out it was the "priority light" indicating coolant fluid …
My wife and I were given a replacement Jaguar s-Type on 05/03/2005 by smith co. Motor cars of charleston, wv. After they were unable to repair a Jaguar x-Type that we had bought on 08/26/2004. We then moved to california in 06/2005 and my husband drove the car cross-country to ca without any problems. On 08/05/2005 the car was first presented for a scheduled 10,000 mile maintenance to Jaguar of south bay, 3111 pacific coast highway, torrance, ca. Since then, the car has been returned to them for more than 8 (eight) times, without satisfactory repair. …
After engaging reverse, the transmission froze. The transmission would not shift from reverse and into drive or any other gear. The vehicle had to be towed to the shop. The diagnosis was "[transmission] cable selector bolts backed out." the vehicle was repaired after the installation of new selector cable bolts. Had these bolts come loose while driving on a busy street, a serious crash would have occurred. I have just read where other Jaguar owners have also reported this malfunction to NHTSA and decided to report it, too.
While on the expressway while coming to a stop my car switched into reverse on its own while it was in the drive.the car began to drive backwards almost causing a major crash on i64 east in virginia. This nearly resulted in me losing my life as well as passengers and other drivers. The car also has an automatic parking lock engaging error which locked my entire car and prevented me from driving. This also occurred and nearly a week ago in drive thru a week ago. While in the drive thru the car locked in park and would not allow me to drive. Unfortunately, I had to pay to have my car towed from a mcdonalds drive thru around 2:00 am due to the parking lock error. Also there is an issue with the transmission that does not allow the car to catch. This I believe is the reason the car is able to slip gears in to reverse which is very dangerous. …
This vehicle has issues with the automatic transmission, the transmission is not responding properly to the computer and needs to be reprogrammed in this model, also the parking brakes do get mixed up and if you put the gear control in drive it goes into reverse and the parking brake default light and transmission default light is on, my vehicle malfunctioned with the parking brake while I was in the parking lot and leaving to go home I place it in drive and it jumped into reverse....very dangerous and almost caused an accident and the transmission default happened when the vehicle was in drive and would not accelerate in speed or even go properly at all
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 continue to drive. Additionally, the contact stated that while at a complete stop with the vehicle in drive(D), the vehicle would reverse independently. The contact would immediately depress the brake pedal. The warning message "Gear Box Fault" was illuminated. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V024000 (Power Train). …
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 made in 2005 and newer and the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000. VIN was unavailable.
Related recalls (2)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Certain sedans May have been built with an incorrectly manufactured automatic transmission parking pawl guide plate.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the parking pawl guide plate free of charge. The recall began November 22, 2005. Owners May contact Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the transmission control module. The recall began on May 1, 2004. Owners should contact Jaguar at 1-201-818-8500.
Frequently asked questions
Which Jaguar S-Type years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (41), 2003 (16), 2001 (13), 2002 (10) and 2004 (7) model years. Transmission complaints make up 29% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Jaguar S-Type transmission problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 05V-503 (gear position indication (prndl), Nov 1, 2005); 04V-024 (automatic transmission, Jan 8, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Jaguar S-Type transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles; 36% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (49 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission › lever and linkage › floor shift (9).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.