JAGUAR Complaints

ENGINE FAILURE `99 JAGUAR XJ8 VANDEN PLAAS ("LOWER ENGINE DISFUNCTION," DUE TO DEFICIENT TENSIONER MALFUNCTION PER DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSIS) AT 61,400 MILES. VEHICLE WELL MAINTAINED AND CHECKED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. WE WERE SENT MANY WARNINGS AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT OTHER MAINTENANCE OBJECTIVES, BUT A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH TENSIONERS WAS NEVER MENTIONED. WE KNOW OF WELL OVER A HUNDRED CASES. ONE DEALER TOLD US THEY SEE AT LEAST ONE CASE LIKE OURS A MONTH AND SUGGESTED THAT A LARGER DEALERSHIP IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA WOULD MAKE THEIR NUMBERS LOOK SKIMPY. THE IGNORANCE OF THIS PROBLEM HAS NEARLY CAUSED SOME CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF LIMB OR LIFE. IF THAT IN ITSELF FAILS TO MOVE THE NHTSA WE HAVE TO WONDER WHAT WILL. THERE ARE SEVERAL RESPECTED AUTOMOTIVE EXPERTS WHO CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY JAGUAR AND FORD HAVE NOT SOLVED THIS SITUATION (I.E. REPLACED THE FAULTY PARTS AND/OR TAKEN CARE OF THE COST OF INSTALLING A NEW POWER PLANT IN THE `98, `99, AND SOME `00 XJ8 MODELS). THIS VEHICLE IS STILL DISABLED BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT A REP. FROM JAGUAR PLANNED ON "HELPING US OUT." AND, WE HAVE BEEN QUOTED A WIDE RANGE OF ENGINE REPLACEMENT COSTS, NONE BY FORMAL WRITTEN QUOTE, NOT EVEN THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY TEXT PROMISED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. WE FEEL JAGUAR NEEDS TO "COME TO THE TABLE" AS FAR AS THIS EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL CONSUMER FRAUD AND REQUEST PROPER INVESTIGATION RELATIVE TO WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST RAMPANT DISREGARD FOR WHAT MOST CONSUMERS EXPECT WHEN BUYING A VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SALES PITCH CENTERS ON DEPENDABILITY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO RESULT FROM THE ACQUISITION OF JAGUAR BY FORD. THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED AND COULD HOLD UP IN ANY COURT IN VIRGINIA AS FAR AS STATING OUR CASE OF MISINFORMATION AND THE AFOREMENTIONED FALSE PROMISE. WE WOULD GLADLY "JOIN IN" AS FAR AS ANY CLASS ACTION IS CONCERNED YET ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE NHTSA WILL DO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THEIR "DUE DILIGENCE." *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING GASOLINE FROM THE STORAGE TANK ASSEMBLY LEAKS HEAVILY FORMING PUDDLES OF GASOLINE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT AREA. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 2/13/2006 - *NM

REAR WHEELS CAN NOT BE PUT INTO ALIGNMENT TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. *JB

DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE ACTUATOR CAUSING REAR BRAKE PADS TO WEAROUT PREMATURELY. *NM

I WAS THE THIRD CAR IN A FIVE-CAR ACCIDENT. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND ABOUT 0.5 CAR LENGTH FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN CAR NUMBER 2, A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP, HIT ME FROM BEHIND. MY CAR, A 1999 XJ8L, SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE REAR, BUT ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT SECTION, NO DAMAGE TO BODY SHEET METAL; ONLY ONE BUMPER SHOCK NEEDS REPLACED. THE DRIVER?????S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE DRIVER?????S SEAT COLLAPSE INTO THE REAR BENCH SEAT. THE POSITION OF MY SEAT WHEN I DRIVE IS; THE BACK ADJUSTMENT IS SET AT OR VERY CLOSE TO STRAIGHT UP (90 DEGREES), THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT IS SET ALMOST ALL THE WAY UP, AND THE SEAT DISTANCE FROM THE PEDALS IS VERY CLOSE TO ALL THE WAY BACK. AS A RESULT OF BEING HIT FROM BEHIND, MY BODY WAS THROWN FORWARD ABOUT 10 DEGREES AND WAS WHIPPED BACKWARDS TO A FULL-RECLINED POSITION (ABOUT 175DEGREES). THE ACCIDENT CAUSED MY SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE BACK REAR BENCH SEAT AND AS A RESULT, I WAS IN A FULLY RECLINED POSITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IS THE JAGUAR'S FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE? I DID HAVE MY SHOULDER HARNESS AND LAP BELT ON AND THERE WERE NO PASSANGERS IN MY CAR. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL 00V359000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL R-1-356 FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINT. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD RECALL REPAIRS DONE IN 2001. THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS INDICATED ON THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNWILLING TO FIX THE RECALL AT THEIR EXPENSE. *AK UPDATED 12/7/2005. *NM

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

DT: THE CONTACT STATES 2000, JAGUAR XJR WAS EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE HAS UNDERGONE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE STARTED OUT WITH INTERMITTENT POWER DIFFICULTIES, BUT IT BECAME TOO FREQUENT. THE VEHICLE JERKED SOMETIMES ON INITIAL ACCELERATION FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND AUTOMATICALLY CHANGED GEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEAR MISSES ON THE INTERSTATE AS A RESULT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY. *AK UPDATED 3/17/2006 - *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEASED VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE BEADS AND BANDS ON THE TIRES LOOKED LIKE HE HIT A DEEP POT HOLE. HOWEVER, THERE HAD BEEN NO CONTACT WITH A POT HOLE. HE REPLACED THE TIRES AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HIM THAT HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE . THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNWILLING TO OFFER ANY FREE REMEDY OR COVER THEM UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRE REPLACEMENT REMEDIED THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT TWO FRONT CONTINENTAL TOURING TIRES WENT FLAT AT 18,000 MILES. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BOTH THE SIDE WALL AND STEEL BELT WERE SHOWING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE TIRE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT THE CORRECT TIRES FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED TWO NEW TIRES AND THEY WERE PUT ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE TWO REAR TIRES WERE MOVED TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT ANY SMALL BUMP WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THIS COULD CAUSE ANOTHER DEFECT WITH THE FRONT TIRES. *AK (12/05/05) THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE FRONT TIRES COULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ANOTHER CONSUMER WHICH WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *SC