Jaguar Problems

You’ve probably hit the nail on the head, and it is a seat-belt warning you’re hearing. Even though you may have the belt properly fastened, if the sensor that is supposed to detect the seat-belt being latched is not working, then the car will think you’re driving around unrestrained.

Jaguars of this era were not universally known for the quality of their electronics, so it’s very possible that this is precisely the problem. The catch then is that you need to check each seat-belt for a dud sensor, and there are five of them in the S Type. Other things that could trigger the same sort of alarm could be that the park-brake is not fully released or that there’s a door or bootlid ajar. Check it all and rule things out one by one.

This will all come down to how much you love that particular car. Because the economics of privately importing and then getting the car legal to drive on the road here probably don't add up.

You'll spend at least a few thousand dollars (and possibly a lot more) to ship the car here, then it needs to be cleared by customs and the import authorities, fumigated, then inspected and any changes carried out. At every stage of this process, somebody will be taking their cut, too, so be prepared to spend plenty. And that's if nobody finds anything wrong with the car that requires big, expensive engineering changes to put right.

Looking at it dispassionately, you'd almost certainly be better off buying the same make and model here. Aside from anything else, an Australia-delivered Jaguar will probably have less rust in it than one that's spent its life on the UK's salted/gritted winter roads. The exception would be if the particular model you want wasn't' sold here or, as we suspect, there's an emotional attachment to that very car. At which point you have no choice but to take the plunge and privately import it.

If that's the way you go, be sure to consult a shipping agency at both ends of the journey who will be able to guide you through the process and help take some of the stress out of it.

A mechanic experienced with Jaguars should be able to fix it, but I would suggest taking it to a Jaguar dealership to be sure.

Buying a car like the F Type is an emotional one, not one based on practicality. It’s a good looking car, rates well for performance, economy and driving experience, is well equipped, but it’s tight on room and the boot is quite small. Check out the reviews at Carsguide for more information.

Range Rover is a sub-brand of Land Rover. Most Land Rovers are made out of their main factory in Solihull, England, with some production taking place at an old Ford factory in Halewood, England. Jaguar Land Rover have also started manufacturing their vehicles out of China and Slovakia. The I-Pace and E-Pace are also manufactured out of Graz, Austria. Some vehicles are assembled from knock down kits in other countries including India, where Jaguar Land Rover's parent company Tata Motors are based. 

Range Rover is a sub-brand of Land Rover. Land Rover is owned by Tata Motors. Jaguar Land Rover are Tata Motor's British subsidiary and, as the name implies, are also the parent company for Jaguar. 

Jaguars are made at Castle Bromwich Assembly in Birmington. During the war the factory was actually used for building Spitfire planes with Jaguar taking over in the late '70s. Jaguars are also built at Magnus Daia in Graz Austria, Solihull in the UK, in Pune India and Changsu China.

The most expensive new Jaguar is the 2019 XJR575 listed at $310,103. For more info on the latest model, check out our pricing and specs page, and you'll find all Jaguar reviews and news here.

Tata Motors in India own Land Rover. Both Jaguar and Land Rover sit under their British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover.

The cheapest new Jaguar is a 2019 E-Pace D150 listed at $47,750. For more info on the latest model, check out our pricing and specs page, and you'll find all Jaguar reviews and news here.