1998 Jaguar XJ8

OVER THE PAST SIX (6) MONTHS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 4 TIMES. HAD TO DRIFT ONTO THE SHOULDER, PUT VEHICLE IN PARK TO START CAR AGAIN. THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE ON AN INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 50 AND ABOVE HAVING TO DRIFT ACROSS LANES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. AS OF THIS PAST WEEKEND, I STARTED THE CAR, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF. THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR WAS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE AND ONCE AGAIN THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. THE NOISE SOUNDED AS IF SOMETHING WAS LOOSE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CAR SOUNDED SO HORRIBLE, I HAD IT TOWED VERSUS DRIVING IT TO THE SHOP. I GOT THE BAD NEWS THAT THE ENGINE HAS NO COMPRESSION AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC HAS NO IDEA WHAT WENT CAUSED THIS. I WILL HAVE TO GET ANOTHER ENGINE OR LET THE MECHANIC BREAK THE CURRENT ENGINE DOWN TO SEE WHAT PARTS CAN BE RE-USED. I READ ON ANOTHER WEBSITE THAT A FEW PEOPLE HAD TO HAVE ENGINES REPLACED ON THE 1998 JAGUARS FOR NO APPARENT CAUSE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND NO FAULT OF MINE. I HAVE KEPT UP THE MAINTENANCE. I FOUND THIS LINK WHICH SUGGESTS POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSES HTTP://WWW.JAGSERVICE.NET/JAGUAR_V8_SECONDARY_TENSIONERS.HTM. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING HER VEHICLE ON THE EXPRESS WAY APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUED ON THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS, THE THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THERE WA SLOW CYLINDER COMPRESSION, AND THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS STILL THE PROBLEM.*AK

ENGINE STALLED AT 75 MILES PER HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS ACCELERATING AND CLIMBING A HILL - CAR JUST SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART AFTER THE INCIDENT, BUT EVENTUALLY STARTED UP AGAIN AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS, LUCKILY, BUT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR VERY CAREFULLY SINCE THE INCIDENT IN ORDER TO AVOID TROUBLE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE DEFECT IS WELL-KNOWN AMONG JAGUAR OWNERS AND DEALERS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE 1998 XJ8 WHO HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WELL-DOCUMENTED BY JAGUAR, AND YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED YET. THE TENDENCY OF THE CAR TO STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING DEFECT. I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER TAKING ACTION ON THIS CASE IMMEDIATELY. *AK

CAR HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH. THE CAR HAS BEEN INTO THE WHITE ALLEN JAGUAR DEALERSHIP IN DAYTON OHIO AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ISOLATE THE ISSUE. ALTHOUGH, I HAVE PAID THEM ON EACH OCCASION TO CLEAN OUT THE THROTTLE BODY SCREEN. THIS PAST WEKEND I WAS ON I-75 IN CINCINNATI AND IT STALLED NEARLY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHEN I HAD TO TRAIL ACROSS 4 LANES TO REACH THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO PULL OFF. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. IT WAS A HORRENDOUSLY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BY JAGUAR TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE RATHER WIDESPREAD AND OF SERIOUS DANGER TO THE OWNER AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME THE CAR STALLS. *AK

1998 JAGUAR XJ8 ENGINE STALLED ON INTERSTATE WHILE DRIVING IN MIDDLE LANE. HAD TO PULL OVER ON EDGE ON ROAD. VEHICLE HAD TO SIT A WHILE BEFORE STARTING AGAIN. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. FORD WILL NOT ADMIT TO HAVING A PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER. FORD MOTOR COMPANY, JAGUAR DIVISION NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLS NEEDS TO BE ISSUED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THANKS.

VEHICLE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK DEALER CLEANED THROTTLE BODY, BUT AFTER 9 TO 12 MONTHS PROBLEM RECURRED. WHENEVER VEHICLE STALLS, IGNITION HAS TO BE TURNED OFF AND THEN ON TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, WHEN VEHICLE STALLS, ACCELERATOR PEDAL DELIVERED NO FUEL. VEHICLE MUST BE PULLED OVER, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND TURN IT ON AGAIN IN ORDER FOR VEHICLE TO RUN NORMAL. DEALER ALSO PERFORMED REPAIR ON STEERING WHEEL BECAUSE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED. WIPER BLADES WERE REPLACED. *LA

THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE THROTTLE PLATE CLOSING FOR A SELF-CLEANING MODE DURING NORMAL DRIVING OPERATION, THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SHUT-OFF FROM LACK OF AIR. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR ENGINE STOPS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR (JAGUAR XJ8 VANDEN PLAS) INTO THE DEALER (BAUER JAGUAR- SANTA ANA, CA) TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY ON ALL OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN THE MILEAGE WAS 39,860 (FEB 28, 2002) - THE SECOND TIME MILEAGE WAS 44,898 (DEC 3, 2002) AND THE LAST TIME IT WAS 46,746 (MARCH 24, 2003). THE SERVICE WRITERS AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE SEEN IT ON SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEALERSHIP (BAUER JAGUAR) INSTITUTED A FIX (SEE BELOW) WHICH IS NOT FACTORY APPROVED THAT APPEARS TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE DEATHS TO OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE "FIX" PERFORMED ON THEIR CARS. THE PROBLEM AS THE SERVICE WRITER EXPLAINED TO ME, IS DUE TO THE THROTTLE BODY GOING INTO A "SELF CLEANING" MODE WHILE THE CAR IS OPERATING. THIS "SELF CLEANING" MODE MEANS THE THROTTLE PLATE CLOSES WHICH SHUTS-OFF AIR TO THE ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE SHUTDOWN. THE "FIX" IS TO INSTALL A STOP ON THE THROTTLE PLATE SO THAT THE PLATE CANNOT COMPLETELY CLOSE.