1998 JAGUAR XJ8 Complaints

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1998 XJ8L JAGUAR. THE VEHICLE STARTED EXPERIENCING A SLIPPAGE APPARENTLY FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELERATING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED JAGUAR REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING ON THE VEHICLE. FROM THIS POINT I CONTACTED ALPINE JAGUAR TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE WERE RECALLS BUT NOT ON MY VEHICLE. THE RECALL # IS R478. THE DEALERSHIP INSISTED THAT I BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION, BUT WOULD NOT WAIVE THE $104.00 INSPECTION FEE. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MECHANIC AND HE STATED MY VEHICLE HAD HIGH MILEAGE (72,400 MI) FOR THAT VEHICLE. I ASKED HIM HOW JAGUAR COULD BUILD A VEHICLE THAT COSTS $65,000 TO ONLY LAST 70,000 MI. IF THAT INFORMATION IS TRUE IT NEEDS TO BE ATTACHED TO ALL OF THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS LIKE CIGARETTES ADVERTISEMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WARN AGAINST LUNG CANCER. FROM RESEARCH ON JAGUAR FORUMS AND TALKING TO VARIOUS MECHANICS, I FOUND THAT THE 1998 AND 1999 XK8S AND XJ8S HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES WHEN OVER 50,000 MI. THE THREE MAJOR ISSUES ARE NAKISIL ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND SLIPPAGE ON THE SERPENTINE BELT. MY QUESTION IS WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES WHICH EXPERIENCE THESE RELATED PROBLEMS. IF JAGUAR IS NOT WILLING TO STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, I WILL BE CONTACT OTHERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES AND EXPERIENCES TO JOIN ME IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THE COMPANY. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *NM

CONSUMERS 1998 JAGUAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. *TS (11/16/05) THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *SC

DT: 1998 JAGUAR XJ8. THE CONSUMER STATES THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED. THE VEHICLE IS AT A TRANSMISSION PLACE NOW. THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP IN THE DRIVEWAY, AFTER IT SAT FOR APPROXIMATELY HALF AN HOUR HE TOOK IT TO DEALER. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED. THERE WAS RECALL 99V138000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION. WHEN HE CALLED JAGUAR, THEY STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THIS IS A COMPLAINT FROM CANADA, THE MILEAGE IS IN KILOMETERS.*AK *JB

OVER THE PAST SIX (6) MONTHS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 4 TIMES. HAD TO DRIFT ONTO THE SHOULDER, PUT VEHICLE IN PARK TO START CAR AGAIN. THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE ON AN INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 50 AND ABOVE HAVING TO DRIFT ACROSS LANES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. AS OF THIS PAST WEEKEND, I STARTED THE CAR, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF. THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR WAS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE AND ONCE AGAIN THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. THE NOISE SOUNDED AS IF SOMETHING WAS LOOSE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CAR SOUNDED SO HORRIBLE, I HAD IT TOWED VERSUS DRIVING IT TO THE SHOP. I GOT THE BAD NEWS THAT THE ENGINE HAS NO COMPRESSION AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC HAS NO IDEA WHAT WENT CAUSED THIS. I WILL HAVE TO GET ANOTHER ENGINE OR LET THE MECHANIC BREAK THE CURRENT ENGINE DOWN TO SEE WHAT PARTS CAN BE RE-USED. I READ ON ANOTHER WEBSITE THAT A FEW PEOPLE HAD TO HAVE ENGINES REPLACED ON THE 1998 JAGUARS FOR NO APPARENT CAUSE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND NO FAULT OF MINE. I HAVE KEPT UP THE MAINTENANCE. I FOUND THIS LINK WHICH SUGGESTS POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSES HTTP://WWW.JAGSERVICE.NET/JAGUAR_V8_SECONDARY_TENSIONERS.HTM. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING HER VEHICLE ON THE EXPRESS WAY APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUED ON THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS, THE THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THERE WA SLOW CYLINDER COMPRESSION, AND THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS STILL THE PROBLEM.*AK

RECALL REMEDY FAILED. AFTER THE RECALL FOR THE THROTTLE WAS PERFORMED THE RECALL DEFECT HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK RECALL CAMPAIGN# 98V022000. JAGUAR STATED THAT THE THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. (MORE FREQUENTLY) IN OTHER ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE STALLING PROBLEM, THE DEALER WOULD REPROGRAM THE ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. THE SOFTWARE FIX RECOMMENDED BY JAGUAR HAD NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT A CHIRPING NOISE WOULD OCCUR UPON DECELERATION. THE FRONT BRAKE SHROUD WAS ADJUSTED. JAGUAR INVESTIGATED AND CHANGED AN IDLER PULLEY AND THE SERPENTINE BELT BUT THE CHIRPING NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD DIFFERENTIAL AT 80K MILES. *SC *JB

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS FOR MY 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L HAVE DISINTEGRATED IN THE ENGINE. LUCKILY WE FOUND THE PIECES IN THE OIL CHANGE BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. BUT THIS IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REBUILD THIS AREA OF THE ENGINE. JAGUAR HAS ALL BUT ADMITTED INSTALLING FAULTY PARTS BY REVISING THIS PART TWICE, ONCE WITH A REINFORCED PLASTIC TENSIONER WITH A SPRING, AND FINALLY WITH A METAL TENSIONER THAT WILL NOT BREAK OR CRACK UNDER THE STRESS OF TENSIONING THE TIMING CHAIN.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT 65 MPH. CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL. THIS RECALL COULD NOT BE FOUND IN NHTSA/ARTEMIS DATA BASE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

CAR STALLED AT HIGH SPEEDS FROM 44,000 UNTIL TRADE-IN ON SEPT 4 AT 69,000 MILES. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS EVER HURT. HOWEVER, WE HAD EXPECTED TO KEEP THE CAR FOR LONGER AS WE DID OUR LAST CAR OF OVER 100,000. WE KEPT TAKING IT BACK TO JAGUAR BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM BUT THE THROTTLE JUST NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THEY EVEN TAUGHT MY HUSBAND HOW TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE. DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS WE HAD THE CAR, WE HAD IT TO THE JAGUAR DEALER AND TWO OTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR PLACES TO TRY TO FIX THE STALLING. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO FIX IT. AFTER TWO MORE VERY BAD SCARES OF STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN TWO DAYS, WE FELT WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GET RID OF IT BEFORE WE (AND OTHERS) WERE IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS LATER WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A THROTTLE PROBLEM WITH OUR JAGUAR THAT CAUSED CARS TO STALL AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR IT. WE ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL THE REPAIRS. JAGUAR SAID SOME WERE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THE OTHERS WERE PERFORMED AT INDEPENDENT REPAIR CENTERS SO NOT COVERED. WE THINK THEY SHOULD NOT ONLY PAY OUR BILLS FOR TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO SHOULD COMPENSATE US FOR HAVING TO TRADE THE CAR IN EARLY WHEN THEY KNEW THE PROBLEM EXISTED BUT HAD NOT TRIED TO FIX IT FOR US OR OTHERS HAVING OUR MODEL.

CAR WILL STALL WHILE DECELARATING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THROTTLE BODY HAS TO THE ISSUE. WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE WORLDWIDE EXCEPT US. HAS OCCURRED ABOUT FIVE TIMES AND CAN LEAD TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK