What breaks most · 1990 to 2002 model years
Jaguar XJS problems by year
Owners have filed 50 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Jaguar XJS across model years 1990 to 2002. Three years stand out: 1990 for fuel system complaints, 1991 for fuel system complaints and 1996 for body and structure complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1998 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 1990, 1991, 1996
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1998, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 501990 to 2002, all trims
- Worst year
- 199015 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 39 fires · 0 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 56kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | 3 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 6 | 2 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Seats (1) |
What fails on the 1990 Jaguar XJS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 20% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1990 Jaguar XJS |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 20% |
3 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1990 Jaguar XJS |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1990 Jaguar XJS |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1990 Jaguar XJS |
| Tires | 13% |
2 | 1 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
1 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1990 Jaguar XJS |
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.
-
There was a leak in the gas tank. Then tank split wide open due exsessive pressure in the tank that was suppose to had been fixed in the 1990 under a fuel tank assembly recall. Took to dealer, and they denied the problem.*ak
-
Had just shifted vehicle into reverse to back out, when vehicle took off. Had foot on brakes at the time. The engine was revving at the time. Did not hit anything. *ak
-
Vehicle will intermittently shut off/loss of power which could result in an accident.dealer cannot determine defect. *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 XJS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1990, 1991, 1996 carry the most filings on the Jaguar XJS. The 1990 alone has 15 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common Jaguar XJS problem?
On the 1990 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 3 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Jaguar XJS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Jaguar XJS complaints that include mileage is about 56,000 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.