NHTSA Complaint #10088867 — 2000 JAGUAR XK CONVERTIBLE

THE DATE BELOW IS APPROXIMATE. ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS MY JAGUAR XK8 LOST POWER AT FULL SPEED. THE ENGINE FAILED AND I LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BREAKS. I FIRST REPORTED THIS TO MY JAGUAR SERVICE CENTER IN MAY 2003 AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY REPLACED THE RELAYS BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THIS HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM IN OTHER INSTANCES. IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS AGO AND I AGAIN BROUGHT IN THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT AGAIN THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED IN THE SHOP BECAUSE ALL CODES WERE ERASED WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNLESS I KEPT THE CAR RUNNING AFTER THE FAILURE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE MODE. ONE FEELS LIKE A SITTING DUCK ON THE ROAD WITH NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR AT HIGH SPEEDS. ONE HAS TO COAST TO A SAFE STOPPING POSITION WHILE SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED BY THE LACK OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE (THERE IS SOME VERY LIMITED ABILITY TO STEER). IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING AND CALL A TOW TRUCK SINCE ONE HAS VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER WHERE ONE IS FORCED TO STOP (THE FIRST TIME I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY!) THE JAGUAR SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS. I HAVE REFUSED TO PICK UP THE CAR AND DRIVE IT ANYMORE AND ENTERED A LEASE ON A NEW CAR. I HAVE SEVERAL MONTHS LEFT ON THE LEASE OF MY JAGUAR AND CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS. I HAVE CALLED JAGUAR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REGISTERED MY COMPLAINT BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT FINANCIAL, THOUGH I DO NOT APPRECIATE JAGUAR'S APPARENTLY LOW LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT IS LIKELY TO END IN FATALITIES IF NOT ADDRESSED.*AK