What breaks most · 1990 to 2004 model years
Jaguar Vanden Plas problems by year
Owners have filed 50 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Jaguar Vanden Plas across model years 1990 to 2004. Three years stand out: 1998 for engine and cooling complaints, 1996 for visibility complaints and 1999 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 1997 and 2001.
- Years to check closely: 1998, 1996, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 1997, 2001
- Complaints on file
- 501990 to 2004, all trims
- Worst year
- 199812 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 51 fires · 6 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 67kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 15Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 3 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Tires (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Tires (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 1998 Jaguar Vanden Plas
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 42% |
5 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1998 Jaguar Vanden Plas |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 25% |
3 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1998 Jaguar Vanden Plas |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 1998 Jaguar Vanden Plas |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
1 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 8% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
1 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1998 Jaguar Vanden Plas |
| Fuel System, Other | 8% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The consumer was driving on the interstate at approximately 70 mph when suddenly the vehicle stalled. The consumer lost control over steering and brakes. This was due to the plastic part in the timing belt, which caused the timing chain to come off. There were no injuries. *ak *sc *jb
-
While driving timing chain failed, causing the engine to blow, and had complete loss of power, including no steering and brakes. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. Also, contacted the manufacturer. Neither were willing to assist consumer. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Jaguar Vanden Plas years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1998, 1996, 1999 carry the most filings on the Jaguar Vanden Plas. The 1998 alone has 12 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Jaguar Vanden Plas problem?
On the 1998 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 5 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Jaguar Vanden Plas problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Jaguar Vanden Plas complaints that include mileage is about 67,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.