NHTSA Complaint #10546670 — 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L

WAS ON US I-280 NORTHBOUND AT ABOUT 8 P.M., GOING PREVAILING SPEED, GOING TO A SOCIAL MEETING, BUT WITH AN ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTOR. HEARD LOUD POP AND CAR LURCHED FORWARD ABRUPTLY, THEN ENGINE BEGAN TO RATTLE, SMOKE AND BURNT RUBBER/OIL SMELL BEGAN TO INVADE CABIN. HUSBAND TURNED OFF ENGINE AND COASTED TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND UP EXIT RAMP SHOULDER. TOOK THE CAR TO DELONG'S AUTO REPAIR, THE ONLY KNOWN AUTHORIZED JAGUAR SERVICE CENTER FOR AT LEAST 50 MILES IN ANY DIRECTION. OWNER, CHIEF MECHANIC, [XXX] SAID WE HAD AN ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE TEMPERATURE GAUGE THAT GIVES FALSE READINGS AND CAR HAD OVERHEATED WITHOUT SHOWING IT ON GAUGE AND THE HEADGASKET BLEW CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE--ON THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE TOLD THAT JAGUAR HAS A COOLING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND RATHER THAN FIX IT, THEY PUT IN GAUGES THAT DELIBERATELY DECEIVE THE OWNER INTO BELIEVING HIS/HER VEHICLE IS RUNNING AT A NORMAL TEMPERATURE WHEN IT IS NOT. PREVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT GOING ON AND TOOK CAR TO JAGUAR AND OTHERS. NOTHING SEEMED OUT OF PLACE, DAMAGED, ETC.--MECHANICS REPEATEDLY TOLD US THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING INDICATOR LIGHT. "ENGINE COOLANT" LIGHT DID SAME THING. ENGINE COOLANT WAS NEVER LOW WHEN MANUALLY CHECKED. CURRENT MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS ALL TYPICAL OF THE DECEPTIVE GAUGED, THAT THE CAR WAS PROBABLY NEARING OVERHEATING AND FAULTY INDICATOR WAS NOT TELLING US, EXCEPT THROUGH OTHER INDICATORS THAT DIDN'T MATCH THE MANUAL CHECKS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. WE WERE LUCKY TO NOT BE HIT BY OTHER CARS AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, WITH FEW STREET-LIGHTS DUE TO RAMPANT COPPER THEFTS IN AREA, AND LOCAL BUDGET PROBLEMS. FILING A COMPLAINT, HERE, BECAUSE WE HAD TO SUE JAGUAR FOR THE LAST DEFECT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR