hi, i live in canada, and i am about to buy my first jag.

jaguar s type 2000 3.0 with about 85thousand KM on it (52thousand Miles for us people)

i had it inspected by a mechanic who said it has an oil leak, and it will need a new timing belt at 100k
the oil leak i beilve will cost about 500-600$

the final price i negotiated was $7,500 CAD ($6,800 USD) - will not go lower at all.

do you think i should buy it or not? thanks.

i have also read almost everywhere in reviews that jaguar s type 2000 are EXTREMELY unreliable, and because you can only get the parts from a jaguar dealer, the cost is at about 400% mark up
advice? tips? what should i do?

 

Hey CarNotSmart.. I am new to this forum, but I have spent hours upon hours researching my new jag which I purchased resterday, but from what I have read about 02 and prior is that they are not very reliable. Now this is only from what I have read and do not have first hand experience with them. The car might be a good deal now, but a headache in the future.. Good luck with your decision, I know it can be difficult.

 

Whether you should go ahead or not depends if you are spending your whole wad on the purchase. If you are, DON'T. Like any luxury euro import, repairs are going to cost you some more than you may be used to. You are getting into a now almost 10 year old car with a diagnosed problem already. If you go into it eyes wide open and some cash stashed away for maintenance and repairs then you'll be much happier than if you sink the whole savings into it expecting you won't have to pay out more once you get it.

Have you researched it's history? Whom are you buying it from? Why exactly do you want it?

Before I bought mine I researched for a year, got familiar with the dealer I bought it from before they even got the car in and most of all I fulfilled my dream. All of this knowing I was going to have to set aside a bit of dough every year for unforeseen repairs. Luckily I haven't had to spend it. I have the 3.0 X-Type now with 110,000 km on it.

 

hi, i've been reading everywhere people are saying to get only 2003 and up JAGUAR S TYPES.

is this because ford took over at this time? are the 2003 really that much more reliable?

i dont think im going to purchase this 2000 because i dont want to go through with the costly repairs.

 

The 2003 model was a large update which resolved many problems with the earlier cars, I'd aim for the later model if you can stretch to it.
I'd also consider a new mechanic as the car has timing chains not a belt.

 

the person who inspected it is my brother, he is a licensed mechanic and runs his own auto-body shop.

i think he would have noticed it has a timing chain if he inspected it fully.

so let me get this traight, jaguar s type's timing chains never need to be fixed/replaced?

 

Ford took over a LONG time before then.

It does have timing chains. How could your bro be so wrong? (was he "simplifying" for you, maybe?)

Mechanical things wear, so naturally even chains need eventual replacement (on any car). The tensioners and guides are more likely to need changing first, depending on what year and model (and especially mileage) you settle on.

I recommend reading the last few months of posts on here to get a feel for the cars. If you happen to be interested in any other make and model of car, similarly find a forum for it and read old messages.

 

A few references. The 3.0 is a Ford Duratec unit, built in Cleveland Ohio to Jaguar specs. The S Type itself is a shared platform car that was co-developed with Ford for the Lincoln LS. The update in 2003 not only addressed early model issues (the LS was updated as well) it also served to distance the Jaguar further from the Lincoln. Many of the shared suspension, mechanical, and electronic components were moved to Jaguar common parts. While a marketing type will say the interior was changed to improve the look, it was really done to be able to share control devices. Hence the climate control, overhead console, radios, ect. are common looking from the X type all the way through to the XJ. This allowed Jaguar to reduce costs by sharing components throughout the line and contract for "premium" components to improve the perceived quality of their cars. I said contract since the components you see in cars aren't actually made by the manufacturers but are made by suppliers. This is true for everyone from Kia to Mercedes Benz. Another major difference before 2003 is that the S Type used a Ford 5 speed trans. that was changed to a ZF 6 speed in 2003. As far as reliability, it could be said that the greater issues reported in pre 03 cars is due to age more than anything else. Other issues may stem from the new systems in a new model. Again that is common to all makes.. Hence the saying "never buy the first year of a car". The 3.0 unit has timing chains, but that doesn't mean that they don't need service. I've had timing chain issues with OHV Chevy small blocks. The chains will stretch over time and could lead to issues. Well, I hope all this trivial info helps. The bottom line. I got my S last year. I was shopping for a sedan replacement for my Honda Accord coupe. It would have to be my daily driver. I started out looking at Accord sedans. I then decided that I really wanted to get away from front drive. So, I started looking at Chrysler 300's and Lincoln LS's. Those were about the only choices that were reasonably priced with decent MPG and factory warranty. On a fluke I looked at an S at a Jaguar dealer. It took all of 1 hour to realize that it was the best deal for the money. Yes, service is more. I curb those costs by doing my own work. I also have protection from unexpected issues by buying a certified car. If you have any questions please ask.

 

Jeff,

Excellent response! Good information.

I agree with some of the other posters. I read that pre 03 years had more problems. My 03 has had few problems; however they are expensive to repair. So far the only really expensive one that IMO is due to bad design was the auto leveling headlights. They had to be replaced at 900 bucks each. Thankfully the extended warranty covered that.

 

I have another question.

Because my brother is a licensed mechanic and runs his own body shop, he is obviously going to give me huge discount, but will he be able to fix the things on the jag car? or would i need to first buy the parts from the jag dealer then he fixes them?

 

He should be able to buy parts at a discount? You can also find some parts from non-dealer sources at a less expensive price. I would think he would be able to fix most things. Depends on how good of a mechanic he is and what his experience is with whatever work needs to be done.

 

@reddrawf

You own s type 2003 or something, how's reliability for it? how many KMS on it when you purchased and aprox how much have you spent on fixing things that have broke?

is it really true the 2003 and up are much more reliable? thanks.

 

If your brother is going to be the guy who maintains this car, you really need to bring him to this forum and have him spend a few hours doing research here (and on other Jaguar forums as well). If he is indeed a good mechanic, he should be able to keep the car running in prime condition for you but only you and he can determine if he can do that at what both of you would consider to be a "reasonable cost"....

These cars cost more for routine maintenance than your typical Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans do - that is a fact of life with Jaguar. Whether it is worth it or not to you depends upon your brother's comfort level once he does his homework here....

I researched the S-Type for weeks before I purchased ours last December. My extensive research caused me to consider only the 2005-and-up model years with less than 25,000 miles on the odometer. I don't have time to type up all of my reasons, but I will tell you that I still stand firmly by that decision....

 

My brother would never take the time to read here, he is wayy to busy.

@jon89, i would love to buy a 2005, but i'm only 18, and im buying this vehicle with all of my OWN money that I earned, not parent given, or allowance or anything.

i just dont want to buy the car, get ****ed for 8 thousand ..

 

Maybe your brother will take the time to check the car over and give you his expert opinion.
He is going to be the guy that has to fix any problems after all.

 

Please take this advice with a grain of salt. And this advice is not Jaguar specific. I would not recommend you get a premium car at this time. Premium cars are just cars....BUT.. what makes them premium is the new technology present and additional luxury content. This is why a 10 year old Jaguar, Mercedes, and BMW will have the features found in current regular cars. While the temptation to get a car that "the average" population doesn't have is great, it can be a very costly one. While regular maintenance items are only slightly more money on most premium brands, the countless electronic modules and specialized components can get very expensive to replace.
You have a lot to be proud of having earned 8k to put into a car at 18. I hope my children are as responsible when they get to be that age.. (I have a while ) I would hate to see you get a car that ends up eating you up. Why not look at something in the 4 to 6 range and then work with your brother on adding some custom touches to make it "yours". If you look up my profile there is a gallery of the Accords I've had. My situation is a bit different but some of my reasoning is the same. Before the Jag it was only coupes for me. My life changed at 40 and I found myself with children. I needed to move to a sedan. But I had a budget, only being able to finance between 15 and 20 for a daily driver. I decided that I was going to get a rear drive sedan to offset the compromise. To make a long story shorter, I ended up with the S Type. The ONLY way I could justify the expense is getting it with a certified warranty and realize that it will be traded when the warranty is close to expiration. So far, a year into it, I am very happy with the choice. Yet, I won't accept the risk once the warranty is up for the same reasons listed above. So, think hard about your choice. I'm sure you'll make a good one. Heck, coming on here and asking first speaks volumes to your wisdom and sense of responsibility. Good Luck!

 

it's weird, i hear some people telling me they've never had a problem with their jaguar ever, then some people saying it's in the shop more then it is on the road, im so confused.

the thing is; jag s type is the ONLY car that i will buy, it is either that or im not buying a car at all.

i hate all the cars most young men like me drive these days, especially the honda coupes with 20 inch rims, red writing all over, and blasting their speaking. ugh.

 

Ouch...... Well, mine only had 18's and no writing what so ever.....

OK you are set on the Jag... I would pass on the one you mentioned here. If it's leaking oil then it may be due for a bunch of other stuff as well that could end up costing you a fortune... Contrary to what some other people have said, look for a problem free car but get a pre-2003. Before my fellow forum members start beating me up, let me explain.

A good way to save money on electronic modules is to pick them up through a breaker yard. When I've searched for stuff online there is a bunch more pre-03 cars than post 03 cars.

Another thing is that more parts were shared with the Lincoln before the S Type was updated in 03.

Finally, that dreaded trans. While I haven't heard of them failing and from what I understand the ZF box is a good trans., the Ford 5 speed is serviceable and the fluid doesn't cost as much as a car...

So, be patient, look long and hard for the right one and you should be OK. Just remember, while in my opinion Ford did great things for Jaguar, they can be a pain when something goes wrong.

 

Yes, I have a 2003 V-8. I would have bought a later model but could not afford that. I have been happy with my 2003. I have had a few issues with it but thankfully the extended warranty I purchased covered most. The problems I have had include:

Headlights - auto level feature broke. Expensive to fix!
Radiator reservoir leak - could happen to any car
Windshield wiper pump broker - probably could have been any car as well
Side reflector popped out. - seemed like an odd thing to happen, but not a big deal.
Trunk open indicator broke - my fault, not the car's.
Under tray broke - I chose to replace it. could have left it as it was secured by a zip tie :-)

I think that is it as far as broken. The other expenses have been normal wear and tear things like new tires, oil changes, etc. However, these seem to be way more expensive on a Jag than my previous auto (Ford Explorer) or my wife's Nissan Quest.

 

You should be able to find an S-type for less than $8k US for sure. Be very careful. Have the car inspected. If its a pre 2003, pay careful attention to your transmission fluid. With higher age/mileage cars, keep in mind that rubber bushings, etc can be shot as well.

More importantly, learn how to work on a car. Start by changing the oil. Maybe the rear end oil as well. Take the time to get a manual and learn how to do the repairs before you start with them. Learn about brakes and things like that.

Learn to listen for different types of noises coming from the front end. Talk to service techs. Frequent this forum and good luck with your decision. Don't buy the first one that comes along. I tested at least 5 S-types before settling on mine.