NHTSA Complaint #723042 — 1990 JAGUAR SOVEREIGN

MAY 2000 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME IN HER 1990 JAGUAR SOVEREIGN - THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY AS SHE WAS PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. LUCKILY, SHE HAD JUST PULLED IN AND WAS GOING VERY SLOWLY AND MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE HAND BRAKE BEFORE REACHING THE GARAGE DOOR. HAD THIS OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC, SHE COULD/WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, ALONG WITH OTHERS AND MAJOR PROPERTY DAMAGE. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKING WITH NO WARNING SYMPTONS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN DEFECT - COMPLETE BRAKING (A SAFETY-CRITICAL ITEM) SHOULD NEVER BE LOST DUE TO A ROUTINE PART FAILURE UNLESS COMBINED ABNORMAL ENVIRONMENTS BEING PRESENT. UPON HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO ROSENTHAL JAGUAR IN TYSONS CORNER, VIRGINIA, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ABS PUMP AND SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED @ COST = $2,800. THE DEALER HAD HIS TECHNICIANS DRIVE THE CAR AND WERE ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM, NARROWLY MISSING A "BAD SITUATION" THEMSELVES DURING THEIR ROAD TESTS. THE SERVICE MANAGER POC IS KEN SMITH, 703-893-1700. HE INDICATED THAT NEVER BEFORE HAD ONE OF THESE ABS SYSTEMS FAILED COMPLETELY, AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT JAGUAR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE FOR HELP IN FUNDING THE REPAIR. I CONTACTED KERRI ROSELLI 800-452-4827, OPTION 3, EXT. 8089. SHE CHECKED BUT TOLD ME THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL AND IT WAS NOT JAGUAR'S PROBLEM - WHICH I FIND AN AMAZING CONCLUSION, SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE DEVELOPED. CHECKING WITH INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ABS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OBSERVED BEFORE IN OTHER JAGUARS, ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY THIS CATASTROPHICALLY, AND THAT THEY FELT THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED BUT NEVER WAS. THEY EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT JAGUAR WOULD NOT OFFER TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. I FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS - I SUGGEST YOU START BY CALLING THE KEN SMITH @ ROSENTHAL JAGUAR 703-893-1700. EVEN INEXPENSIVE CARS PERFORM BETER THAN THIS EXPENSIVE JAGUAR. JAGUAR NEEDS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY-RELATED DEFECTS LIKE THIS. *