1998 Jaguar XK8 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V022000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) ONLINE AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME. HE ALSO TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO A JAGUAR DEALER IN DARIAN, CT FROM 1998-2004 FOR SERVICE AND THEY NEVER PERFORMED A REPAIR OR INFORMED HIM OF THE RECALL. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

TIMING TENSIONER DEFECT- 1998 JAGUAR XK8 WITH 50000 MILES. ENGINE FAILED TO START AFTER LOUD POPPING NOISE. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES PRIOR. CAUSE-PLASTIC TIMING TENSIONERS FAILED, CAUSING TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK AND DAMAGE PISTONS. SOLUTION NEW ENGINE. DEALER QUOTED $14,000. THIS CAR WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. MY MECHANIC STATED HE WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH TENSIONERS, AND JAGUAR HAD REDESIGNED THEM FOR LATER MODELS. THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT ON LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES! THERE WERE MANY DOCUMENTED CASES. JAGUAR REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK

I HAVE A 1998 JAGUAR XK8 CONVERTIBLE. CURRENT MILEAGE 37,334. TWICE, WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE ENGINE JUST CUT OUT. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I ATTRIBUTED TO POSSIBLE A BAD TANK OF GAS ON MARCH 2006. AFTER THE SECOND TIME ON MARCH 2007. I FEARED IT HAD ANOTHER CAUSE. JUST ABOUT THAT TIME I RECEIVED FROM JAGUAR A "SERVICE ACTION" S-514 STATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH CLOSED THROTTLE OPERATION, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE MY PROBLEM. I E-MAILED THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK ABOUT AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE FACILITY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THEY REFERRED ME TO CUSTOMER SERVICE. A REP CALLED TO SAY I COULD ONLY HAVE IT FIXED ON THE MAINLAND! THAT OF COURSE, WOULD COST ME FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS. I ASKED IF IT COULD BE FIXED BY SOMEONE HERE LOCALLY AT MY COST. SHE SAID "WE CAN'T RECOMMEND THAT". NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. MY COMPLAINT, HOWEVER, HAS MORE TO DO WITH HOW THIS PROBLEM IS CLASSIFIED....

JAGUAR XK8. VEHICLE WITH 54K MILES ALWAYS DEALER SERVICES. TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING, WAS ABLE TO GET CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONTACTED JAGUAR AND THEY DID NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. JAGUAR HAS KNOWN THE PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN GUIDES TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE HAVE HAD TWO DESIGN REVISIONS AND NOW PUT A METAL GUIDE IN THE CARS SINCE 2002. JAGUAR DOES NOT ADVISE OWNERS OR DEALERS TO REPLACE THE GUIDES WHICH EVEN WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE I WOULD HAVE HAD DONE AT $800. THE DEFECTIVE GUIDE CAUSES THE CHAIN TO BREAK AND VALVE DAMAGE, A $7K REPAIR. THE DEALER AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS TELL ME THEY ARE REPAIRING THESE ALL THE TIME IN LOW MILEAGE ENGINES 45-70K AND THE INTERNET IS LITTERED WITH THE SAME. HARD TO BELIEVE JAGUAR HAS NOT BEEN FORCED IN TO A RECALL OR SOME TYPE OF VOLUNTARY REPAIR PROGRAM. BOTTOM LINE - ENGINE PART WITH KNOWN, DOCUMENTED DEFECT, THAT CAUSES CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WITH NO ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF RAIN STORM CAUSING ME TO LOSE VISIBILITY. NO WARNING - THE WIPERS JUST STOP AS THE NUT HOLDING THE WIPER ARM HAS BECOME LOOSENED/STRIPPED. TWO PREVIOUS TIMES THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT. *NM