NHTSA Complaint #10236623 — 1998 JAGUAR XK8

THE VEHICLE, WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND INSTANTANEOUSLY AT SPEED LIMIT IN A FREEWAY TRAVEL LANE, CEASED TO OPERATE. THIS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE FIRST ACQUIRED WITH LESS THAN 4,000 MILES USE. EACH TIME THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER (MY WIFE) TO CONDUCT AN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE - HIT THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS, SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, AND RESTART THE CAR WHILE IT WAS DECELERATING. THE LAST TIME WAS ON JULY 14, 2008. THE POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, SAFETY HANDLING SYSTEMS, AND ENGINE WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED JAGUAR DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS ACKNOWLEDGED, DIAGNOSED, AND OSTENSIBLY REPAIRED. THE REPAIR WAS INEFFECTIVE AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF THE FIRST REPAIR THE VEHICLE FAILED IN THE SAME WAY AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN A SECOND TIME TO THE AUTHORIZED JAGUAR DEALER WHERE ANOTHER REPAIR WAS CONDUCTED. FOLLOWING THIS REPAIR THE INCIDENT DID NOT REOCCUR UNTIL JULY 14, 2008. THAT DAY, WHILE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN A TRAVEL LANE, THE VEHICLE CEASED OPERATION WITH NO WARNING ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT RESTART AS STATED ABOVE AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A SMALL GORE-POINT BETWEEN TWO CONCRETE TOLL BOOTHS WHILE TRAFFIC AVOIDED THE VEHICLE TO EACH SIDE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START FROM NEUTRAL, BUT HAD TO BE PLACED IN PARK IN ORDER TO RESTART. FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED JAGUAR DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SERVICE TECHNICAL ATTEMPTED THE JAGUAR "SERVICE ACTION". THE PROCEDURE FAILED, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DISABLED, AND THE CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED FOR TWO WEEKS. A JAGUAR FACTORY FIELD EMPLOYEE AND A MECHANIC FROM OUT OF THE AREA WORKED ON IT AND NOW REPORT THAT "EVERYTHING IS FINE". THEY HAVE REINSTALLED THE DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT AND REPORT THAT THEY ARE CONFIDENT THAT THIS TIME THERE WILL BE NO MORE TROUBLE OF THIS NATURE. I DO NOT SHARE THEIR CONFIDENCE. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND ASSESS THE SAFETY RISK OF THE JAGUAR CARS "SERVICE ACTION" PROCEDURE. *TR