I'm browsing for an S-type V6 Petrol and one popped up near me for a reasonable price, only caveat, it's from 2000. Being educated about the issues with early X-types, I can imagine that the S-type has some of the same growing pains.

Can someone educate me about this? Are there sufficient draining on the earlier S-types, are the sills/windows prone to rust? Door handles getting stuck?

Thanks!

 

The thing to do on most of these early X200s is to punch a small hole in the boot floor between the battery and the spare wheel. (emergency water drain)

The other is to train yourself to set the hand brake and THEN shift the gearbox into PARK. (Ford 5R55N problem with the parking pawl)

I loved my 2001 4.0 S-Type but the people I sold the car to were a little rough on the interior. Many of the parts inside are NLA and good-used are hard to find.

Since I live in Texas USA I can't comment about the rust problems. Cars here don't corrode rapidly.

 

Reliability-wise, they don't appear very different from later models if you look at problems reported on forums.

• Sill rust is a problem on all S-Types as mud blocks the openings that should help keep them dry and you can't see because of the plastic sill covers.
• Window regulators collapse - the plastic parts going brittle and failing. Also seen on all years. You could take these out and replace the plastic sliders before they break and twist the wires etc.
• Door locks can be problematic on all vintages.
• Front drop links are made of butter. There are better aftermarket replacements (check out Meyle HD versions).
• Early header tanks were brittle but their replacements don't seem to fail so readily.
• Early wood trim lacquer went milky but all were probably replace during the warranty period.
• Early radio displays had problems but were probably also replaced for the first owner under warranty.
• On mine the boot seal leaked. Refitting with mastic especially being thorough around the rear weld solved the problem completely.
• Mine is a manual, but the Ford 5R55N automatic has a mixed reputation. In all installations, not just the S-Type, there are very common reports of the unit failing at around 70k miles. However some people have had no problems. This to me is the most serious weakness.
• Plugs and coils can get damaged due to scuttle drains being blocked and rain water overflowing onto the engine and resting in the plug recesses.

There may be other minor stuff, but the basics are quite robust and last well if not abused. I would say that a good early car is a much better bet than a bad later car. At these ages, buy on condition and not specification. Even a 20 year old car should still feel tight if it is a good one with worn parts having been swapped out as and when required. Parallel to my X200, I had a FIAT Coupe. This was my daily driver for over 20 years. Like a favourite sweatshirt that gets washed and worn, I just used it and maintained it with simple standard servicing, brakes, etc.. Recently we had the original suspension swapped out for new equivalents and a bunch of other minor stuff done. It now drives like newish - way better than the slightly soft creature it had become even though it still felt safe. If an old car feels old it will probably need a lot of suspension parts to make it run correctly again, and these parts are quite expensive for Jaguars. Look for one that has been kept right or recently sorted.

By the way, some components on the early cars were probably better than on the later ones. We noticed that the rear exhaust boxes were about twice the weight of later ones and outlast the later ones quite significantly. The "alternative" interior is generally made of very good plastics that also seems to not deteriorate. Some improvements are made from a cost not engineering point of view, so some components may actually become less long-lived as more marginal components replace the heavier ones!

Good luck with the search.

Btw,is it any of these: https://www.autouncle.se/en/cars_sea...cars.price+ASC

 

I disagree. Stay away from the series 1 with the 4.0L V-8. The later cars with the 4.2L V-8 and the improved ZF 6 speed transmission are worth paying for. These cars are worth almost nothing anyway so try to get the latest year S Type you can find.

Also can you DIY any repairs? This is crucial as an expensive luxury car gets no cheaper to repair as it gets older!
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1999-2002 ford scorpio = no go

 

What does a Scorpio have to do with an S-Type?
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