NHTSA Complaint #754398 — 2001 JAGUAR XJS

INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR IS MOUNTED TOO LOW. IT BLOCKS VIEW TO RIGHT OF CENTER, AND IT IS NOT ADJUSTABLE FOR LOCATION UP/DOWN OR LEFT/RIGHT. IT IS MOUNTED BY A SINGLE SPHERICAL JOINT WHICH ALLOWS ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT BUT NO LOCATION ADJUSTMENT. I AM ONLY 5'-10" TALL; WITH SEAT MOTORED TO ITS LOWER LIMIT MIRROR BLOCKS VIEW THROUGH WINDSHIELD. CURIOUSLY, JAGUAR MOUNTS MIRRORS IN S TYPE CARS WHICH DO NOT HAVE RAIN SENSING WIPERS BY A BRACKET CONTAINING TWO SPHERICAL JOINTS--SEPARATED BY AN "INTERMEDIATE LINK." FOR CARS WITH RAIN SENSING WIPERS JAGUAR ELIMINATES THE INTERMEDIATE LINK (AND ONE OF THE BALL JOINTS) FORCING THE DRIVER TO ACCEPT THE MIRROR LOCATION AS BUILT. NO LOCATION ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE--ONLY ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT. QUESTION IS "WHY IS THE INTERMEDIATE LINK NECESSARY WITH SOME S TYPE CARS AND ELIMINATED WITH OTHER S TYPE CARS? THREE TIMES I HAVE MOVED FROM STOP SIGNS INTO THE PATH OF OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY WERE HIDDEN BY MY MIRROR. FORTUNATELY FOR ME ALL OF THEM WERE ALERT ENOUGH TO AVOID A COLLISION. MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY IS SO INTENSE THAT NOW I DRIVE IN A CONTORTED POSITION--HEAD TILTED TO PEEK UNDER THE MIRROR. AFTER A PERIOD THAT POSTURE BECOMES PAINFUL, BUT DRIVING WITHOUT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF MY SURROUNDINGS IS WORSE. JAGUAR DEALER HAS BEEN ASKED TO RESOLVE PROBLEM, AS HAS JAGUAR REP IN NEW JERSEY. REPLY IS THAT THE CAR PERFORMS AS IT WAS DESIGNED, THEREFORE NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. OTHERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE NON-ADJUSTABLE, LOW MIRROR MOUNTING PROBLEM ON JAGTALK.COM. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE, AND REQUEST NHTSA'S INVOLVEMENT. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *JS *TR