Total Complaints
19 filings
JAGUAR XJS · model year
1990 JAGUAR XJS
19 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990JAGUARXJS carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 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 1990 XJS is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 3 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2) and electrical system:ignition (2). 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 1990 XJS. 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.
19
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100915SEAT BELTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JAGUAR XJS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LOCKING INTO PLACE. THE CONTACT STATED PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SEAT BELTS FOR HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT AND THAT IS ON BACKORDER WITH NO ESTIMATED TIME. THERE HAD BEEN NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157000. UPDATED 03/02/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT HAS DEVELOPED AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM. IT DOES NOT LOCK INTO PLACE, IT KEEPS RATCHETING BACK AND FORTH, WHICH WEARS DOWN THE BATTERY. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS TO PULL THE FUSE TO DISABLE IT, WHICH RENDERS THE SEAT BELT INEFFECTIVE . THE CONSUMER STATED THE PARTS HAVE BEEN ON BACKORDER FOR OVER A YEAR. UPDATED 03/09/11
Mileage: 152,000
20041221UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER SEEKING CONFIRMATION FOR THREE RECALLS INVOLVING THE 1990 XJS.*MR
20010313FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK DEVELOPED LEAK. WEB SEARCH REVEALED THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. CAUSE IS EITHER TANK PUNCTURE BY CONTACT WITH RIVET OVER TIME OR A REAR WINDOW LEAK ALLOWING WATER INTRUSION. WATER SATURATES FOAM ON WHICH TANK RESTS AND CORRODES METAL FROM OUTSIDE. PASSENGER CABIN IS CONTAMINATED WITH FUMES UNLESS WINDOWS ARE CLOSED AND FAN IS ON. TRUNC CONTAINS BOTH LIQUID AND FUMES IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP.
20000922FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE JAGUAR XJS V12 FROM MID 1989-ON, EQUIPPED WITH MARELLI IGNITION HAS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR THAT RESULTS IN LOSS OF IGNITION ON THE RIGHT BANK OF CYLINDERS. THE MOTOR CONTINUES TO RUN ON THE 6 LEFT BANK CYLINDERS, AND UNBURNED FUEL PASSES THROUGH THE RIGHT HAND CYLINDERS, AND IGNITES IN THE HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER, RESULTING IN A FIRE THAT LEADS TO THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE CAR. THIS PHENOMENON HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN DEPTH ON THE FORUM "XJ-S@JAG-LOVERS.ORG" AND DETAILS CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM THE SEARCHABLE XJ-S ARCHIVES AT WWW.JAG-LOVERS.ORG ENGINEERS IN THE DISCUSSION FORUM HAVE ANALYZED FAILED PARTS AND DETERMINED THAT THE MARELLI-TYPE DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR BURNS THROUGH AND ARCS TO GROUND THE CURRENT FOR THE RIGHT SIDE BANK OF CYLINDERS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND COSTLY SITUATION, AND SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. WWW.COPART.COM, THE INSURANCE SALVAGE SITE, TYPICALLY LISTS SEVERAL FIRE DAMAGED XJSS PER MONTH. INSURANCE COMPANIES AND JAGUAR DEALERS CAN SUBSTANTIAT
20000919FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WITHIN THE IGNITION SYSTEM. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
20000808TIRES
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35/40 MPH TIRE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE EXPLODED. THERE WAS NO CRASH. TIRE NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P235/60R15. TIRE WAS TAKEN TO A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE TIRE. OWNER STILL HAS TIRE. DOT # HYVEJBA507. *AK
20000706SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE ABS IS DEFECTIVE. YH
20000622FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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
20000518ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
GAS TANK FAILURE CAUSED LEAKAGE, RESULTING IN ODOR AND FUMES ENTERING VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RECALL RELATED 90V-123. CONSUMER REQUEST REMBERSMENT. *YH
20000518FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
GAS TANK FAILURE CAUSED LEAKAGE, RESULTING IN ODOR AND FUMES ENTERING VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RECALL RELATED 90V-123. CONSUMER REQUEST REMBERSMENT. *YH
19990925SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL, FOR 3-5 SEC. WITH CAR SWERVING SIDE TO SIDE AT 50MPH ON FREEWAY. MIRACULOUSLY AVOIDED MAJOR COLLISION/INJURY. MY 12 YO DAUGHTER SAID SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DIE.
19980724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT CROSSING CENTER LINE OF ROADWAY. DRIVER STUGGLED TO PULL IT BACK TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THAT WHEEL TO LOCK UP.
19970821SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN DRIVEN, CAUSING EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR.
19970821VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
A STRONG GAS ODOR HAS PERMEATED THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
19970821ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THERE IS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE.
19970617SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 25MPH WHEN ABS WERE APPLIED AND DID NOT FUNCTION. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO BRICK WALL.
19970304SUSPENSION
VEHICLE VIBRATES TO THE POINT THAT IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED.
19960314CrashTIRES:SIDEWALL
PIRELLI TIRE BLEW OUT AT SIDEWALL WHILE IN SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT, CAUSING ACCIDENT/LOSS OF CONTROL. *SD
19951026POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
NOISY DIFFERENTIAL. *TW
Compare 1990JAGUARXJS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 JAGUAR XJS have?▼
The 1990 JAGUAR XJS has 19 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 JAGUAR XJS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 JAGUAR XJS is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1990 JAGUAR XJS 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.