1998 JAGUAR XJ Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XJ8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR AT A STAND STILL, THE GEARS FAILED TO ENGAGED PROPERLY WIT THE FUEL INJECTOR, POWER TRAIN, TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BROWN'S JAGUAR (10505 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, RICHMOND, VA 23235) WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION MODULE WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS WAS ON THE VIN. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 06E043000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 99V138000 (POWER TRAIN) AS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY 121,000.*DT*JB

SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN BROKE DESTROYED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IN ADDITION TO ENGINE DAMAGE

MAY 29, 2012 AIRBAG DEPLOYED AS CAR WAS BEING UNLOCKED IN A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING, MERELY BEING UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY FOB, AS I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER, THE AIRBAG OF THE DRIVERS SIDE, EMBEDDED IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, BLEW, STRIKING ME IN THE HEAD AND BAGGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE OUTER EDGE OF THE DOOR OPENING. IT IS BELIEVED THAT I PASSED OUT, THEN CAME TO AND WAS FOUND LEANING AGAINST THE CAR. I COULD NOT WORK FOR A WEEK DUE TO HEADACHES AND THE IMPACT CRACKED A TOOTH. PEERLESS INSURANCE DENIED MY DAMAGE CLAIM, STATING WEAR AND TEAR AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I CAN FURNISH THE CLAIM NUMBER. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY A DEALERSHIP AND HAD A CLEAN CARFAX WHEN PURCHASED IN2004 WITH 58000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENT. THE SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED, IN EXCESS OF $1800. THE CAR IS MY DAILY DRIVER, MY DAILY COMMUTE IS UNDER TWO MILES. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT LISTED IN THE TAKATA RECALL, BUT WHEN IT APPEARED IN THE NEWS, I WANTED TO REPORT THIS.

TAKATA RECALL TRANSMISSION FAULT LIGHT LIGHTS IS ON INSTRUMENT LIGHTS GO BLANK TRANSMISSION GOES CLUNK IN AND EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE

NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I HAVE HAD THE COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM AND WATER PUMP REPLACED. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE PLACEMENT OF WHERE THE GAS CAP IS LOCATED ON THE VEHICLE (ON TOP NEAR THE TRUNK) RATHER THAN ON THE SIDE. WHEN THERE IS A HARD RAIN, WATER LEAKS INTO THE GAS TANK; DIRT AND DEBRIS GATHER IN THE OPENING FOR THE GAS TANK AND MUST BE FREQUENTLY CLEANED OUT. THE VEHICLE WILL HESITATE WHILE DRIVING AND THEN WILL REFUSE TO START AGAIN. IN READING COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS ABOUT THE PLASTIC PARTS USED IN THE ENGINE, PERHAPS THIS IS MY PROBLEM. AS FAR BACK AS THE COMPLAINTS GO ABOUT THE UNRELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL TO DETERMINE WHY THE CAR WILL JUST STOP RUNNING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XJR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE OPENED THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE SEAT CUSHION AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED AND KNOCKED HER TO THE GROUND. THE CONTACT LOST SEVERAL TEETH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG WIRE WAS CHAFED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

OPERATING MY VEHICLE, THE ENGINE STARTING RUNNING POOR. JAGUAR DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED POORLY DESIGNED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND ARMS HAVE FAILED BECAUSE JAGUAR MADE THE COMPONENTS OUT OF A CHEAP PLASTIC, THAT IS KNOWN TO CRACK AND CAUSE THE VALVES TO CONTACT THE PISTONS. JAGUAR UPDATED THE TENSIONERS TO METAL , BUT REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW AND WANT TO CHARGE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO UPGRADE TO THE BETTER DESIGNED PARTS. THEY REFEREED ME TO SERVICE BULLETIN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NO. X303-68 , BUT IT STATES IF YOU HAERA A RATTLING NOISE, HOWEVER IT ALSO STATES YOU MAY NOT HEAR A RATTLING NOISE, MY CAR DID NOT, AND OUT OF NO WHERE , THENGINE STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO THIS DESIGN FLAW, THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED. IN FACT, THIS EFFECT EVERY SINGLE 4.0 ENGINE, THAT'S MILLIONS! IT'S TIME THIS BECOMES A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE PARTS FREE AND REPAIR ANY ENGINE COMPONENT DAMAGED FROM THEIR FAILURE.A CUSTOMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THOUSANDS FOR AN DEFECTIVE PLASTIC TENSIONER, SOME ONE PUT INSIDE A HOT RUNNING ENGINE, THAT WAS A VERY DUMB IDEA, AND THE FAILURE MAY EVEN OCCUR AS YOUNG AS 32,000 MILES.

ABOUT 2-3 TIMES A MONTH, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (AND ONLY ON FREEWAYS, NEVER HAS THIS HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS), ALWAYS ABOUT 10 MINUTES ON THE ROAD FROM A COLD START, MY ACCELERATOR WILL SUDDENLY FAIL TO RESPOND WHILE I'VE HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS DURING STEADY DRIVING OF 55-75 MPH. NO INDICATOR COMES ON AT THE TIME. I'M FORCED TO MERGE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON THE MOMENTUM PROVIDED BY THE CAR AS I AM UNABLE TO GET ACCELERATION FROM THE PEDDLE. ONCE I BRAKE TO A STOP & PUT THE CAR IN PARK I GET AN "ENGINE FAILED" INDICATOR AND THE RED ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. SO FAR, WHEN I'VE TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED IT, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN WITHOUT PROBLEM AND CONTINUE ON MY WAY. HOWEVER, THESE INCIDENTS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS GIVEN THAT OUR FREEWAYS OFTEN HAVE NO EMERGENCY LANE TO PULL OFF TO WHEN THEY ARE UNDER REPAIR. THERE ARE VARIOUS PLACES ON OUR FREEWAYS WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO STOP IN A MOVING LANE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO GO AGAIN. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED FROM A DEALER IN 2001. IT WAS OFF A 3-YR LEASE BY ANOTHER OWNER. I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE EARLY YEARS OF OWNERSHIP (AROUND 2002 @ 65,000) UNDER A 6 YEAR WARRANTY AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY REBUILT AND THEN ULTIMATELY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT THAT TIME TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DIDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN UNTIL 2012 BUT HAVE SINCE EXPERIENCED IT ABOUT 6 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR (AT 160,000). I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER TO CHECK ON RECALL INFO AND WAS TOLD THERE'S NOTHING CURRENTLY, BUT THAT IN 1999 MY CAR HAD HAD A THROTTLE CABLE ADJUSTER MODIFICATION UNDER WARRANTY. MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE TELLS ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE THROTTLE BODY BEING DIRTY BUT THAT THE ONLY GOOD SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE IT. THE DEALER IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM BUT CAN'T TELL ME HOW LONG A REPLACEMENT WILL LAST ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XJ8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

SEAT SUPPORT BRACKET (DRIVER SIDE RIGHT REAR) CRACKED IN HALF CAUSING SEAT TO SHIFT SUDDENLY. CAUSING DRIVER TO MAKE UNINTENDED STEERING INPUTS. SECOND OCCURRENCE SAME AS ABOVE EXCEPT LEFT REAR BRACKET CRACKED IN HALF ON JUNE 10, 2012 *TT