NHTSA Complaint #11282048 — 2009 JAGUAR XF

RECALL ALERT: JAGUAR XFFACEBOOKTWITTER POSTED: DECEMBER 9, 2008 JAGUAR IS RECALLING ABOUT 3,800 2009 XF SEDANS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL DEFECT THAT COULD RESULT IN A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS. IN A DEFECT NOTICE FILED WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, JAGUAR EXPLAINS, "THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SPEAKER WIRES MAY FRACTURE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF AN OVERLY AGGRESSIVE TICK-TOCK SOUND WAVE FORM, THE VOLUME OF WHICH IS VEHICLE SPEED DEPENDENT." THE XF MAKES THE TICK-TOCK SOUND WHEN ITS TURN SIGNAL IS ENGAGED - AND AT HIGH SPEED, THE SOUND MAY BE LOUD ENOUGH TO CRACK THE RUBBER COATING ON SPEAKER WIRES. "IN THE EVENT OF A SPEAKER FAILURE, THE FOLLOWING AUDIBLE NOTIFICATIONS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION - DIRECTIONAL INDICATORS, SEAT BELT WARNING, 'LIGHTS ON' WARNING, DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, DRIVER INTERVENTION (ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL EQUIPPED VEHICLES) AND SEAT MEMORY." DEALERS WILL MAKE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT, FREE OF CHARGE, TO FIX THE PROBLEM. OWNERS SHOULD RECEIVE A LETTER IN THE MAIL EXPLAINING THE RECALL THIS WEEK. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE XF HAS BEEN RECALLED SINCE IT CAME ON THE MARKET JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. THE EARLIER RECALL, INVOLVING A SEATBELT DEFECT, WAS A FAR MORE SERIOUS SAFETY RISK - BUT THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED TWICE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME MIGHT CONCERN SOME BUYERS. THE XF IS A MECHANICALLY COMPLEX CAR WITH MANY FEATURES NOT FOUND IN OTHER VEHICLES, FROM A SHIFT KNOB THAT SITS INSIDE THE CONSOLE WHEN THE CAR IS OFF AND RAISES INTO THE DRIVER'S HAND AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, TO A TOUCH-SENSITIVE GLOVEBOX LOCK. JAGUAR HAS HISTORICALLY FACED QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEMS. THE XF IS A SHARP-LOOKING CAR WITH A POWERFUL ENGINE THAT HAS WON PRAISE FROM MANY REVIEWERS, BUT QUALITY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR COULD DEFEAT JAGUAR'S EFFORTS TO REFORM ITS IMAGE.