1999 Jaguar XK8 Complaints

SUDDEN LOOSE STEERING, COULD RESULT IS LOSS OF CONTROL. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF UPPER AND LOWER STEERING COLUMN. REPLACEMENT LOWER COLUMN SUPPLIED BY MANUFACTURED IS REDESIGNED AND STRENGTHENED. DEALER RESPONSE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE - COMPLETE FAILURE OF STEERING WOULD BE LIKELY IF CONTINUED USE. *JB

AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, IT BEGAN TO MAKE NOISE AND HAD A ROUGH IDLE. THE RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE MESSAGE FLASHED AND THEN THE ENGINE DIED. THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED AND JUMPED MECHANICAL TIMING, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE LOST WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION. IF YOU READ ON ANY JAGUAR FORUM, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT IS COMMON WITH THE JAGUAR 4.0 V8 FROM 1998 THROUGH 2000.

I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND BECAUSE I HEARD A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING WAS LOOSE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. THE DEALER REPORTED THAT A LARGE BOLT THAT CONNECTS THE CROSSBEAM AND UPPER CONTROL ARM CAUSED WEAR ON THESE PARTS AND THAT THESE AS WELL AS BEAM MOUNTING BRACKES AND VARIOUS BOLT ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID IT WAS GOOD THAT I BROUGHT IT IN WHEN I DID BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COULD COME OFF AT ANY TIME. THEY ALSO SAID THAT JAGUAR WOULD NOT COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER THEIR SELECT EDITION WARRANTY. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS OVER $4000.00

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THIS IS DUE TO THE STABLIITY CONTROL CHIP LOCATED IN THE THROTTLE BODY GOING BAD. WHEN THE WHEELS BREAK LOOSE, A SENSOR SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE CHIP IN THE THROTTLE BODY TO SLOW THE ENGINE SO IT DOES NOT OVER-REV. THIS CHIP ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS MALFUNCTIONING AND 'FIRING' ON ITS OWN RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED. THIS FIRST OCCURRED 18 MONTHS AGO AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY ($1800). IT JUST STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND THE NEW THROTTLE BODY ONLY HAD 13K MILES ON IT. I JUST HAD TO REPLACE AGAIN AND THEY ONLY CHARGED ME ANOTHER $730. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR AND THIS IS DANGEROUS AS SOMEONE ALMOST REAR ENDED HER. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A DEALER ADVISORY REGARDING A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER JAGUAR MODEL. I SAVED BOTH THROTTLE BODIES SO YOU MAY BORROW THEM IF YOU WOULD LIKE. OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE SOME EXPENSIVE BOOK ENDS. WE WILL NOT OWN ANOTHER JAGUAR DUE TO THIS RECURRING PROBLEM BUT I HOPE SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY S...

MY TRANSMISSION APON TAKE OFF(UNDER 15 MPH) LOCKS VERY HARD AND LUNGES, LEAVING ME TO BELIEVE THAT PERHAPS THE TRANS GEARS MAY BE CRACKING AND NOT MESHING THE WAY THEY SHOULD.AT HIGH SPEEDS IT SHIFTS PERFECTLY.