NHTSA Complaint #10412295 — 2000 JAGUAR XJV8

MY 2000 XJ8 JAGUAR, WITH APPROXIMATELY 36K MILES, BEGAN RUNNING VERY BADLY AND SURGING UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CAR BECAME VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED HAVING, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE ACCIDENTS, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO TWO JAGUAR DEALERS, WHO COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. ONE KEPT SAYING THE CAR NEEDED A NEW THROTTLE BODY. AFTER THE CAR HAD ITS THIRD THROTTLE BODY, AT MY EXPENSE...AND AFTER GETTING THE NEW JERSEY JAGUAR REPRESENTATIVE INVOLVED, THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED THE PROBLEM PROBABLY WAS NOT THE THROTTLE BODY. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THREE OTHER MECHANICS, ONE OF THOSE HAS HAD IT THREE TIMES. NONE COULD IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH ALL AGREED THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. THE LAST MECHANIC, WHO HAS HAD THE CAR SINCE NOVEMBER, WAS WORKING ON THE CAR WHEN IT DROPPED A VALVE. TURNS OUT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD APPARENTLY JUMPED TWO TEETH DUE TO WEAR IN THE PLASTIC GUIDES. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THE JAGUAR FORUMS INDICATE THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND IS WELL KNOW TO JAGUAR. JAGUAR HAS EVEN RECOMMENDED UPGRADING TO THE METAL REPLACEMENT GUIDES, AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE, HOWEVER, THE OWNER'S WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. I AM FACING A VERY EXPENSE REPAIR FOR A KNOWN DEFICIENCY IN THE DESIGN OF THIS ENGINE. FOR SOME REASON, A RECALL HAS NEVER BEEN ISSUED. I FEEL JAGUAR HAS THE MAJORITY OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS REPAIR. I, AND OTHERS, COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, DUE TO THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. DUE TO THIS PROBLEM I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR 50 MILES THE PAST FOUR YEARS. IT HAS SPENT THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME AT VARIOUS MECHANICS...INCLUDING JAGUAR DEALERSHIPS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME COP-ABILITY ON THE PART OF JAGUAR. *TR