Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Jaguar X-Type owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2002 Jaguar x-Type. The contact stated that she always noticed white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. During that time, she also noticed that the engine light was illuminated on the instrument panel and she smelled something burning. She took the vehicle to a local dealer and they stated that the smoke was not problematic. After a year of complaining about the smoke, the contact began experiencing failure with the gear box and noticed that the gear box fault light was illuminated. She then took the vehicle to another dealer and they replaced the transmission. She does not remember what caused the transmission to fail or the specific failures she experienced with the gear box. The failure mileage was 69,000 and current mileage was 75,000.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Jaguar x-Type. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without pressure being applied to the accelerator pedal. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not slow down. She swayed across the road and crashed into the curb to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was damaged and taken to an authorized dealer for repairs. There were no warning indicators prior to this failure. The insurance company was notified of this incident. Recently, the transmission failed at low mileage and has not yet been replaced. The VIN was verified, but appears to be invalid. The failure mileage was 5,000 and current mileage was 31,000.
I was stopped in front of my garage, waiting for the door to open, with my foot on the brake pedal, when all of a sudden the engine began to speed up and brake pressure failed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle struck the partially open door, then smashed in to cabinets in the rear of the garage. Damage to the vehicle and the garage was severe. There car suffered damage to the front bumper, the hood and scratched the windshield and roof. I was not injured, but badly shaken by the incident. The vehicle has about 60,000 miles. I see in your complaint reports that this has occurred several times previously to the same model and year Jaguar. The car has yet to be repaired.
In March of this year I bought a 2002 Jaguar x-Type 3.0 sport with only 40,123 miles on it. Since then I have only put on six thousand miles. Just last week my transmission suddenly went into high revs on upshifts and sever jerks and then failure. All in one day with no warning at all. The vehicle has expired its factory warranty only by time and not mileage. I find this unacceptable, especially at the response of, that will cost about $7,000 to fix. That's half the value of the car! I have contacted jaguars' USA customer service center in nj three times and they will not stand behind their product and will not offer any assistance what so ever. I basically got a, sorry, and such is life response. I am currently waiting to speak with a supervisor. I have been searching the internet and have found numerous reviews and comments of exactly the same problem, the transmission failure. …
Jatco jf506e transmission is a known defective issue with a rotor or plate that cracks and ruins the whole transmission costing thousands of dollars. There was a noticeable slip occurring intermittently and has caused a failure. Jaguar never warned it's customers of this issue when they found out 4 years ago or more never calling for a recall. There has been thousands of reports on this issue and is very hazardous to the consumer. When driving it can slip not go into gear and cause a major accident. There are three components to the Jaguar 2002 x-Type which is european, American, and japanese parts. This I asked the dealer to specifically tell me if the parts were european and he explained this are all Ford parts so it won't cost that much to fix things. …
I purchased my 2002 Jaguar x-Type in April 2002 new. It had surges, and stalls. I asked the service dept to add remarks, it once stopped in the highway right in front of a semi truck, with no warning. This was very shortly after I purchased the vehicle. Since I cashed in my company 401K and paid cash for the car, I kept trying to drive it and deal with the problems, and it has had very many. Now at just over 59,000 miles I have been told it needs a new transmission, water pump, vacuum leaks on the engine, and so on. The estimate for repairs is approximately the car's total blue book value. Again, just as I pulled out into traffic, gearbox fault error came on, and the car would barely crawl out of the way of incoming cars. Is there anything you can do to assist? Based on numerous searches, Jaguar should have recalled this vehicle. It has a terrible safety history. …
I bought my jag 2002 x-Type used with 38,000 on it.but after a years ownership on 2/10/10 with about 50,000 on it while driving I experienced an engine deceleration and an error message came on the dashboard saying gearbox failure pulled over to the side of the road out of the way of traffic switched off car and put it back on put in drive but could not go over 30mph took it to Jaguar for a diagnostic was told needed transmission,fuel pump.and oilpan gasket cost almost 10,000 doll. Too expensive for me then took the car to the local co they replace trans and everything on the diagnostic done by Jaguar for 118.00. Get my car back after 2 mths driving car and same thing happens again a week after trans replacement gear box failure take it back after another month am told I have an electrical prob after 52,000 spent on parts and labor my car is still in the shop . …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Jaguar x-Type. While accelerating from 25 to 70 MPH, the contact noticed that the gear box fault indicator began illuminating on the instrument panel. She then heard a grinding noise, which caused her to stop at a traffic light and turn off the vehicle. When she restarted the vehicle, the gear box fault indicator stopped illuminating and the grinding noise ceased. She continued to drive the vehicle throughout the day and returned to her residence. Four days later, the warning indicator and grinding noise failures recurred. The vehicle began decelerating on its own and she repeated the actions from the previous failure; however, the gear box fault indicator would not stop illuminating. Approximately two minutes later, while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and towed to the dealer. …
Both drive shafts , fuel tank and sunroof were replaced, the sunroof malfunctioned-3 or more times, the blinkers and lights failed, tires blew out, air bag light remained on, the passenger front seat belt malfunction, trunk latch issues, heating and ac system had gone out, surge in engine on acceleration, rubbing noise in steering column, constant whining noise in engine, fuel gauge not working, odometer stopped working while on the freeway, no bright lights except when the car was shut off, interior lights remained on after the car was shut off, safety latch on console failed twice, burning smell from the engine 3 times. Problems have been ongoing since purchase of car approximately 12/2002. …
While driving home from work at night at about 30 MPH the transmission started to slip then the car stopped moving at all even though the engine was running and in gear. I work in an old industrial part of town and not a place to break down after dark and was very lucky a policeman happened by almost immediately and waited until a tow truck came. I called the Jaguar dealer about it and was told there is a lot of problems with the 02 x types and he thinks since Ford is in such bad shape, Jaguar is not covering these out of warranty even though this is a known defect. I ended up having the car towed to a transmission shop I trust and he also was aware of the problems these x-types were having with the transmissions. It cost me $4,500 to have the transmission rebuilt on a car with 55,000 miles on it. …
Transmission complaints in other X-Type years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2002 Jaguar X-Type?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2002 Jaguar X-Type, 44% of the model year's 116 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Jaguar X-Type transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2002 Jaguar X-Type, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Jaguar X-Type transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.