NHTSA Complaint #759420 — 1992 JAGUAR XJS

WHILE DRIVING MY 1992 JAGUAR XJS THE FRONT STEERING SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF PLAY. GOING OVER BUMPS OR DIPS IN THE ROAD MADE THE CAR DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. I INTIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE POWER STEERING AS THAT PART WENT BAD GIVING ME THE SAME CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVING. AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN THE GARAGEOVER NIGHT I WENT TO BACK OUT WHEN I HERD A SNAP. THE POWER STERING WENT OUT. I DID BACK THE CAR UP AND LEFT IT ON THE DRIVEWAY SO THAT IT COULD BE TOWED TO GREAT BRITTANS (JAG DEALOR/REPAIR SHOP). THATS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE WHOLE FRONT SUBFRAME BROKE AND CAME APART, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS CUT DUE TO THE SUB ASSEMBLY FALLING. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF OTHER XJS CARS REPORTING THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE HAD 2 DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS CHECK OUT THE FRONT OF THE JAGUAR AND THEY DO NOT SEE ANY PROBLEM EXCEPT THAT THE WELDS CAME APART. I KNOW THAT THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD AND OUT OF WARRANTY AS JAGUAR RELATED TO ME BUT THE ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THIS HAPPENING IS THAT THE SUBASSEMBLY MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE IN BEING BUILT. JAGUAR HAS RECORDS OF ALL REPAIRS AND MILEAGE TO ALL IT'S CARS. CAN YOU REQUEST A LIST OF REPLACEMENTS FOR THIS PART AND MILAGE OF CARS BEING WORKED ON? IT DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT THAT A $65,000 DOLLAR CAR SHOULD FALL APART AT 112000 MILES AND THE MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK CALLS OUT SERVIVE TO THE ENGINE OVER 250000 MILES. NON LUXURY CARS LAST LONGER THAN THIS....... THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE IF IT CAME APART WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. WHEN TALKING TO THE SERVICE PEOPLE AND JAGUAR REPRESENTATIVES I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT JAGUAR KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END OF THIS CAR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT THERE MUST BE SOME. HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED. *AK