NHTSA Complaint #10164555 — 2006 JAGUAR XJ SEDAN

ON MAY 5, 2006, WHEN MY NEW 2006 JAGUAR XJ8 WAS IN THE GARAGE OF MY RESIDENCE, WITH MILEAGE OF 1,634, THE AUTOMOBILE EXPERIENCED A MASSIVE FUEL LEAK LITERALLY FLOODING THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED A FLANGE SEAL, PERFORMED AN OVERNIGHT TEST DRIVE, AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE "OPERATES AS DESIGNED". THEREAFTER, ON JUNE 4, 2006, WITH MILEAGE OF 2,581, ANOTHER MASSIVE FUEL LEAK OCCURRED AND AGAIN THE AUTOMOBILE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. AT THIS TIME THE FLANGE SEAL WAS AGAIN FOUND TO BE LEAKING AND THE GAS TANK WAS FOUND TO BE WARPED. ON THIS OCCASION THE FLANGE WAS AGAIN REPLACED AND THE FUEL TANK WAS "RENEWED". WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED JAGUAR TOLL-FREE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NUMBER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROBLEM THEY STATED THAT THE SITUATION WAS TOO DANGEROUS FOR THEM TO HANDLE, AND THAT INSTEAD I SHOULD CONTACT MY LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO COME TO REMOVE AND CLEAN FROM THE AREA ANY AND ALL SIGNS OF GASOLINE. LEARNING THAT THIS WOULD TAKE HOURS, I OPTED NOT TO DO SO ALTHOUGH I NOW RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN BY STARTING THE VEHICLE, IMMERSED AS IT WAS IN GASOLINE, A DESTRUCTIVE EXPLOSION (TO LIFE AND PROPERTY) COULD READILY HAVE OCCURRED. *NM