2000 JAGUAR XJ SEDAN — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I OWN A 2000 JAGUAR XJR AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE DEALER/REPAIR FACILITY NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THEM WHICH IN THE END LEFT ME WITH A SEIZED MOTOR AT ONLY 80K MILES. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE CAR GOING INTO "FAIL SAFE ENGINE MODE" WHICH MEANS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHATSOEVER FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. TOOK IT TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND SAID IT WAS A LINEAR SWITCH IN THE J GATE SHIFT CONSOLE. $700.00 AND THREE MONTHS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM PERSIST. TOOK IT BACK ONLY TO FIND OUT THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOCK ITSELF OUT FROM STARTING ITSELF. SECOND I WOULD MERGE ON THE FREEWAY AND OUT OF NOWHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE NEARLY CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. HAD THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSE THAT AND STILL COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THESE TECHNICAL FAULTS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING ON AND OFF UNTIL THE VEHICLE FINALLY HAD THE CHAIN TENSIONER SNAP CAUSING MY MOTOR TO BASICALLY SEIZE ITSELF. CONTACTED JAGUAR CARS AMERICA AND SAID THE CAR IS TOO OLD AND FAR PAST ITS WARRANTY FOR THEM TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. COMPLETELY UNFAIR CONSIDERING THERE WAS NEVER EVEN A RECALL MADE FOR THE OLD CHAIN TENSIONER. APPARENTLY JAGUAR RE INTRODUCED A NEWER RE MANUFACTURED CHAIN TENSIONER THAT TOOK THE PLACE OF THE OLDER ONES THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLING. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE A MANDATORY RECALL FOR ALL JAGUARS V8'S 98-2000. THESE CARS ARE BASICALLY TICKING TIME BOMBS IF THEY HAD NOT ALREADY HAD THE NEWER CHAIN TENSIONERS INSTALLED. I LOVE THE CAR DEARLY BUT JAGUAR CARS NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THESE FAULTS AND REPAIR THEM ACCORDINGLY. IT IS SIMPLY NOT FAIR FOR ME TO HAVE A VEHICLE I HAVE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED TAKE A PLUNGE ON ME OUT OF NOWHERE. THE CAR SHOULD NOT REQUIRE A WHOLE NEW MOTOR AT 80K. NOT EVEN IF ITS BEEN NEGLECTED! WHAT KIND OF ENGINEERING IS THIS?! *TR

JAGUAR: XJ8L, 2000: THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES/TENSIONERS BROKE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE. IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC AS IT DID TO A FRIEND WITH A YEAR OLDER. WITH SUCH FAILURE THE ENGINE STOPS ABRUPTLY, NO MATTER WHERE IT IS. THIS RISKS SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITH INJURY OR DEATH ON HIGHWAYS. THE GUIDES/TENSIONERS FAIL BEFORE 100K MILES ANY TIME BETWEEN ABOUT 60 AND 95K. THEY ARE MADE OF PLASTIC. A NEW KIT IS AVAILABLE WITH METAL PARTS BUT AT $1200 COST FOR THE KIT AND JAGUAR DOES NOT PAY FOR IT, NOR THE LABOR TO INSTALL THE NEW GUIDES, NOR THE OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WHEN THE TENSIONERS/GUIDES FAIL. THIS SITUATION IS A MAJOR TOPIC ON EDMUNDS, AND OTHER SITES. THIS WAS A MAJOR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT HAS AFFECTED THIS MODEL FOR YEARS. WHY HASN'T THE NHTSA DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MAJOR, HIGH RISK FAILURE? *TR

I PULLED IN TO A PARKING LOT AND PLACED MY CAR IN PARK. THE CAR WAS IDLING FOR ABOUT 5 MIN. I NOTICES A FLICKER OF FLAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT AREA. I RAISED THE HOOD AND FLAMES FROM THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT SHOT UP FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. I POURED WATER ON IT AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I HAD EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES JUST PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR USED. I HAD DRIVEN IT ONLY ONE WEEK. THE FIRE CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO BOTH THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHTS, THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HEADLIGHTS, WIRES IN THAT AREA, AND HEAT SHIELD ON THE HOOD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE JAGUAR DEALER IN DES MOINES, IA. I AM STILL AWAITING SOME KIND OF CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT IS BEING DELAYED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

JAGUAR 2000 XJR: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY DISPLAY WARNING MESSAGE THAT TRACTION CONTROL / ASC WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WOULD GO INTO A FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE. ENGINE WOULD THEN RUN VERY ROUGHLY AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 5-10MPH. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULT CODE OF P0121 WHICH IS ADDRESSED AS A KNOWN JAGUAR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR A "MISMATCHED" CONNECTOR TO THE THROTTLE BODY. INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY MANY JAGUAR OWNERS THAT IS KNOWN BY JAGUAR AND CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD. JAGUAR KNOWS THAT IT MISMATCHED GOLD AND TIN PLATED THROTTLE BODY CONNECTORS AND ADVISED ITS REPAIR TECH'S TO REPLACE ONLY IF CUSTOMER COMPLAINS! HOW WILL A CUSTOMER KNOW SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTS UNTIL IT HAPPENS AND IT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY. ANYTHING THAT MAY SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AFFECT A VEHICLE'S ABILITY TO ACCELERATE IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. JAGUAR SHOULD HAVE AND MUST ISSUE A FULL RECALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS CATASTROPHICALLY INJURED AND/OR KILLED. IT COSTS IN EXCESS OF $450+ TO FIX THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AND JAGUAR IS ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO DRIVE UNSAFE VEHICLES THAT MAY FAIL AT THE WORST TIME. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND IT FAILED AT THE WRONG TIME AND GOT BROADSIDED WITH MY WIFE OR CHILDREN INSIDE? *TR

JAGUAR 2000 XJR: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY DISPLAY WARNING MESSAGE THAT TRACTION CONTROL / ASC WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WOULD GO INTO A FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE. ENGINE WOULD THEN RUN VERY ROUGHLY AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 5-10MPH. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULT CODE OF P0121 WHICH IS ADDRESSED AS A KNOWN JAGUAR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR A "MISMATCHED" CONNECTOR TO THE THROTTLE BODY. INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY MANY JAGUAR OWNERS THAT IS KNOWN BY JAGUAR AND CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD. JAGUAR KNOWS THAT IT MISMATCHED GOLD AND TIN PLATED THROTTLE BODY CONNECTORS AND ADVISED ITS REPAIR TECH'S TO REPLACE ONLY IF CUSTOMER COMPLAINS! HOW WILL A CUSTOMER KNOW SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTS UNTIL IT HAPPENS AND IT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY. ANYTHING THAT MAY SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AFFECT A VEHICLE'S ABILITY TO ACCELERATE IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. JAGUAR SHOULD HAVE AND MUST ISSUE A FULL RECALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS CATASTROPHICALLY INJURED AND/OR KILLED. IT COSTS IN EXCESS OF $450+ TO FIX THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AND JAGUAR IS ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO DRIVE UNSAFE VEHICLES THAT MAY FAIL AT THE WORST TIME. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND IT FAILED AT THE WRONG TIME AND GOT BROADSIDED WITH MY WIFE OR CHILDREN INSIDE? *TR