Total Complaints
2 filings
JAGUAR XJ · model year
2003 JAGUAR XJ
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003JAGUARXJ carries 2 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 2003 XJ is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (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 2003 XJ. 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT SHIFT OR RESTART. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
Mileage: 10,000
20030516ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
HYDROGEN SULFIDE TOXIC FUME, IN 2003 JAGUAR XJ8. I HAVE LEASED 8 JAGUARS NO PROBLEM UNTIL 2002 JAGUAR XJ8. SHORTLY AFTER LEASE I NOTICED A SULFUR SMELL. I WAS INFORMED IT COULD BE GAS OR EXHAUST FUMES FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SMELL, THANKSGIVING A GUEST IN CAR BECAME PHYSICALLY ILL. THE CAR WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE. AFTER NEGOTIATION, PLUS THE ADDITIONAL CORPORATE LEASED AUTO, DEARLERSHIP RELEASED ME FROM 2002 LEASE. I SIGNED A NEW LEASE FOR A 2003 JAGUAR FOR 3 YEARS. IN MARCH WITH LESS THAN 2700 MILES I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SULFUR SMELL. MAGGIE HARLOW, GENERAL MANAGER JAGUAR LOU, SHARED WITH ME A ONE PAGE DIRECTIVE FROM JAGUAR STATING HOW TO COPE WITH THIS PROBLEM IN 2002. I WENT DIRECTLY TO JAGUAR THROUGH EMAIL. MR. MANNY BELTRAN RESPONDED. MR. BELTRAN SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE AT JAGUAR LOU. JAGUAR AREA SERVICE MANGER, JOHN ZIMMERMAN, WOULD BE THERE TO INSPECT THE CAR. ON 4/17/03, I SENT MR. BELTRAN ANOTHER EMAIL HIS RESPONSE D
Compare 2003JAGUARXJ to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 JAGUAR XJ have?▼
The 2003 JAGUAR XJ has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 JAGUAR XJ?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 JAGUAR XJ is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 2003 JAGUAR XJ 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.