NHTSA Complaint #10096181 — 1998 JAGUAR XJ8

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.