IllustrationWOULD NOT START, BATTERY RUN DOWN IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK. STATIONARY
1998 Jaguar XK8
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all XK8 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
525–50K
850–75K
375–100K
3100–150K
0150K+
21 reports with mileage · 11 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Power Train complaints
7 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 35-50 MPH, THERE WAS A GROWLING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE NOISE DOES WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHED 50 MPH AND ABOVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAIL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 35-50 MPH, THERE WAS A GROWLING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE NOISE DOES WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHED 50 MPH AND ABOVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ALSO OCCUR WHEN DECELERATING. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ASSUMED THAT THE PLANETARY GEARS WERE FAILING AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,700.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING AND IS NOT SHIFTING GEARS CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V138000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING AND IS NOT SHIFTING GEARS CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V138000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD SOUND UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A LOCK-UP IN THE AUTOMATIC GEAR BO…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD SOUND UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A LOCK-UP IN THE AUTOMATIC GEAR BOX. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY IS NOT OPERABLE. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.
PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS UPON REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC THE CAR WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE FROM REVERSE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO SIT AND GO BACK INTO DRIVE UNTIL IT WORKS. TWICE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (70) MPH THE CAR HAD JUST STOPPED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AFTER GETTING IT OFF THE LAN…
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PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS UPON REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC THE CAR WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE FROM REVERSE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO SIT AND GO BACK INTO DRIVE UNTIL IT WORKS. TWICE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (70) MPH THE CAR HAD JUST STOPPED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AFTER GETTING IT OFF THE LANE AND NUMEROUS TRIES IT STARTED AGAIN. *MR *CB *JB
WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE, CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO PLACE GEAR IN DRIVE UNLESS MOVES TO PARK FIRST. DEALER HAS REPLACED SHIFTER 5 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. VEHICLE IS A 1998 JAGUAR XK8. *AK *CB
THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING.*AK THE GEAR SHIFT FAILED TO COME OUT OF PARK. *TS ALSO THE ANTENNA AND POWER MIRROR SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JB
Official recalls
198V022000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Feb 12, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE CABLE ADJUSTER BRACKET NUT ON THE OUTER SLEEVE OF THE THROTTLE CABLE CAN BECOME DISPLACED FROMTHE CABLE ABUTMENT BRACKET ON THE ENGINE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULD THIS OCCUR, LIMITED OPENING OF THE THROTTLE WILL OCCUR, EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND MODIFY THE THROTTLE CABLE SYSTEM.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.