NHTSA Complaint #10171038 — 2007 JAGUAR XK

IN THE EVENING OF 10/12/2006, WITHIN ONE DAY OF DRIVING A NEWLY PURCHASED 2007 JAGUAR XK, UPON STARTING, THE VEHICLE RACED INDEPENDENTLY BETWEEN 6 AND 8,000 RPMS UNCONTROLLABLY. THIS "RUNAWAY" CAR EVENT COULD ONLY BE CEASED BY SHUTTING THE CAR DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE JAGUAR DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT MORNING WITH DETAILS OF THE OCCURRENCE. ON 10/13/2006, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT CROWN JAGUAR, JOHN SCHNEPP INDICATED THAT HE HAD REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO JAGUAR AND HAD BEEN INFORMED BY JAGUAR THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED WITH DEFECTIVE SOFTWARE AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN AT LEAST TWO OTHER DEALERSHIPS THAT HAD REPORTED THE PROBLEM ALREADY. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO UPGRADE THE ONBOARD SOFTWARE FOR THE PURCHASED VEHICLE TO THE MOST CURRENT RELEASE. WE ASKED WHAT WERE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THE OTHER 6 OR MORE OTHER VEHICLES THAT THEY HAD IN INVENTORY. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED "...NOTHING UNLESS THEY EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM". WE BELIEVE THAT THIS TYPE OF DEFECT IS NOT ONLY SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF HIS VEHICLES IN INVENTORY, BUT ALSO WARRANTS A MANUFACTURER RECALL. A RUNAWAY VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN NOT ONLY DEATH OR INJURY TO A DRIVER AND PASSENGER(S), BUT ALSO PEDESTRIANS. THIS EVENT WAS REPORTED IN THE AM ON 10/13/2006 VIA PHONE TO GREGORY MAGNO AT THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATION AT NHTSA. MR. MAGNO INSTRUCTED US TO REPORT THIS DEFECT VIA THIS WEB SITE. *NM