A popular mid-size luxury car, the S-Type was reintroduced to the automobile world in 1998 after a nearly 50 year hiatus. The X204 and X206 are the 3rd and 4th generation of this popular car, and they continued to uphold the high automotive precedent set by their predecessors. A not-uncommon issue with the X204 and X206 is clunking coming from the rear of the car.
Clunking sounds coming from the rear end of the car are always alarming. Is the problem really serious? Could it simply be a loose piece of the under carriage? Or are you dealing with a mechanical issue, something that is much more serious? Unfortunately, the latter is almost always the case. The type of rear end clunking described by most X204 and X206 owners occurs while slowing down, right before making a turn, and usually not noticeable at high speeds. It is further described as the feeling of something lurching forward in the car, as though there is a something that is shifting underneath the body.
There are a variety of different things that can cause symptoms such as this, and they are all rather serious occurrences. Bushings—the metal liners around holes where things like axels rotate—often wear down over time, which could lead the clunking. Or you might be looking at a damaged sway bar. An unlikely scenario, but one that is worth checking out just in case, is that the rear differential mounts have gone bad and need to be replaced.
These issues can be incredibly time consuming and difficult to fix when attempted by a casual DIYer. Instead of putting yourself through the headache of attempting to repair the clunking yourself—during which time you may actually make the problem even worse—we suggest that you bring your S-Type to a local Jaguar service center where the level of expertise will match or exceed that of a dealer, and you’ll be paying only a fraction of a dealer’s cost.
Search for a local, independent Jaguar repair shop with Jaguar mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.