JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS · model year

1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS

6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996JAGUARVANDEN PLAS carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 VANDEN PLAS is power train with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:module (1) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1996 VANDEN PLAS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1

Recent Complaints

20050531SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

RIGHT REAR BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE DRIVERS SEAT TO THE MOUNTING TRACK BROKE. THIS ALLOWED THE DRIVERS SEAT TO SWING BACK ON ACCELERATION AND SWING FORWARD, INTO STEERING WHEEL, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE SEAT WOULD SWIVEL AROUND ON THE THREE REMAINING ATTACH POINTS. THIS OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AS A RESUJLT OF A REAR END COLLISION, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD HAVE TORN LOOSE AND BECOME AN UNGUIDED FLYING OBJECT IN THE CAR. GIVEN THAT THE SEAT BELT IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT FRAME RATHER THAN THE CAR'S FRAME, IT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED NO PROTECTION. IF THE AIRBAG WERE TO HAVE DEPLOYED, THE FORCE OF IT WOULD ALSO HAVE KNOCKED THE SEAT, COCKED AT AN ANGLE AND WITH THE DRIVER STRAPPED IN IT, ACROSS THE BACK OF THE CAR AND INTO ANY PASSENGER SITTING BACK THERE. I HAVE DETAILED PHOTOS ON THE BROKEN BRACKET AND THE FRAME MOUNTING FROM WHICH IT SEPARATED.

Mileage: 82,504

20031024STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

VEHICLE FAILURE DUE TO FAILED WIRE STRANDS. ADD TO VOQ 10041323.*MR OF SEVEN STRANDS IT APPEARED THAT FOUR OR FIVE MAY HAVE BEEN "TRIMMED" DURING MANUFACTURING PROCESS LEAVING TWO OR THREE STRANDS TO CARRY THE CURRENT. ADJACENT WIRES SHOW DAMAGE FROM HEAT. ON TWO WIRES THE INSULATION IS CRACKED SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT THE WIRE STRANDS ARE VISIBLE. CONSUMER BELIEVE THE REPAIR SHOULD'VE BEEN AT NO CHARGE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND PERHAPS DESIGN BY PLACEMENT OF THE WIRE CRIMP AT POINT OF FLEXURE. *PH

20031006VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING

VEHICLE1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS VIN#[XXX] PROBLEMFAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER CAUSEBROKEN WIRE AT CRIMPED JUNCTION IN WIRING HARNESS THAT SUPPLIED POWER TO CONTROL SWITCH I HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO GET A PHOTOMICROGRAPH OF THE FAILED WIRE. OF THE SEVEN STRANDS IT APPEARS THAT 3 OR 4 MAY HAVE BEEN TRIMMED LEAVING 2 OR 3 STRANDS TO CARRY THE CURRENT. ADJACENT WIRES SHOW DAMAGE FROM HEAT. ON TWO WIRES THE INSULATION IS CRACKED SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT THE WIRE STRANDS ARE VISIBLE. THIS HARNESS IS SUBJECT TO VARIOUS DEGREES OF FLEXURE AS THE STEERING COLUMN LIFTS AND RETRACTS FROM THE PROGRAMMED DRIVERS POSITIONS. THE FAILURE WAS 2.1 [55 MM] FROM THE 10 PIN CONNECTOR THAT IS RIGIDLY CLIPPED IN PLACE. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 57,521

20020912VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER STATED ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASSIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK, AND THE ACCELERATOR HAD TO BE STOMPED ON IN ORDER TO DISLODGE IT, THE DEALER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST TIME, HOWEVER THE SECOND TIME CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A MAINTENANCE ITEM AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FIXED EVERY 10,000 MILES AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSMENT AND FEELS THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A MAINTENANCE ISSUE.*JB

19980917ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

COMPUTER CHIP FAILURE. QCAW

19970912POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

Compare 1996JAGUARVANDEN PLAS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS have?
The 1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS?
The most-complained component for the 1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1996 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.