2001 Jaguar XK8

FAILURE OF THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS. THIS RESULTS IN THE NEED FOR A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE ENGINE. I AM TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THESE SINCE IT IS POORLY DESIGNED. WHEN YOU RESEARCH THIS ON THE NET, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO JAGUAR OWNERS AND OCCURS TOO FREQUENTLY FOR IT TO BE CHANCE. COST OF INSPECTION AND FIX PRIOR TO FAILURE ABOUT $1200, PRICE AFTER FAILURE $3,000 PLUS. *TR

I WAS RECENTLY MADE AWARE THAT AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT OCCURRED WITH MY 2001 VEHICLE WAS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. IT WAS CONSIDERED A RECALL ITEM ON JAGUARS IN MODEL YEARS 1997- 1999 (JAGUAR SERVICE ACTION NUMBER: S514, SUBJECT: THROTTLE CLOSED POSITION OPERATION, REFERENCE: 13/05/04 303-S514V1). I EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE AND COULD HAVE EASILY, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, BEEN KILLED DUE TO THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT. SPECIFICALLY MY JAGUAR XK8 WOULD DISPLAY WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES WHILE RAPIDLY DROPPING TO A SPEED OF ABOUT 1 MILE AN HOUR AND WOULD GO NO FASTER. THE MESSAGES INDICATED THE FOLLOWING: RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE, FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE, TRAC NOT AVAILABLE, ASC NOT AVAILABLE. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF THE MESSAGES WOULD CLEAR AND THE VEHICLE WORKED FINE. THIS HAPPENED, LUCKILY FOR ME ONLY WHEN I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT OR TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY (EXAMPLE: LEAVING THE HOUSE). WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR, THIS CONDITION OCCURRED 5 TIMES INCLUDING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT A COST TO ME OF NEARLY $2,000. I CONTACTED JAGUAR''S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT LAST WEEK TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS AND WHAT I THOUGHT SHOULD HAPPEN: 1) THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND REPAIRED; 2) WHEN IT WASN'T AND I EXPLAINED THE SYMPTOMS TO THE DEALER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TREATED AS A RECALL ITEM THEN AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO IMMEDIATELY STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND TO HAVE IT TOWED. I WAS TOLD THAT TODAY, MARCH 5, 2007, THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN TO INFORM OTHERS AND THAT NO REFUND WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS RECALL INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER SERVICE SHOP WHO STATED THAT I WAS THE THIRD JAGUAR XK8 THAT HE SENT TO DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM. ROADFLY HAS NOTES FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE TRYING TO SOLVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 JAGUAR XK-8/ CV. AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH THE TOP DOWN, THE HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP STARTED LEAKING FROM THE CENTER LOCK DOWN MECHANISM ON THE WINDSHIELD FRAME. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS WINDSHIELD WIPER SPRAY FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. I WIPED MY FACE WITH MY HAND AND FELT AN OILY SUBSTANCE. I PAID CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE WINDSHIELD AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING ON THE GLASS. I SLOWED THE CAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SINCE IT WAS AT NIGHT, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN WHERE THE THIS OILY SUBSTANCE WAS COMING FROM. I PLANNED ON GETTING OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. BEFORE I COULD REACH THE NEXT EXIT MY EYES WERE SPRAYED BY THIS OILY SUBSTANCE. I PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER WITH MY EYES STINGING AND BARELY OPENED. LUCKILY, MY WIFE HAD WITH HER MY EYE DROPS AND MANAGED TO FLUSH MY EYES OUT WRIGHT AWAY. WHEN I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO PARK I FELT A DROP HIT THE BACK OF MY HAND, THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THE HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING FROM THE WINDSHIELD FRAME. THE COVER FOR THE LOCK MECHANISM IS A MESH METAL TRIM PLATE, AS WE DROVE AT SPEED THE OIL TURNED INTO A FINE MIST AND WAS SPRAYING IN MY FACE. ONCE THE CAR WAS STOPPED IT POOLED ON THE COVER UNTIL IT DRIPPED ONTO THE CENTER CONSOLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT JAGUAR OF GREAT NECK IN ROSLYN, N.Y. I ALSO CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. *NM

FUMES ENTER THE CABIN: SHORTLY AFTER I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE JAGUAR AND NUMEROOUS TIMES THEREAFTER MY WIFE AND I EXPEREINCED SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS WHILE RIDING IN THE CAR. THESE PROBLEMS WERE ONLY WHEN THE SUNROOF WAS OPEN. THE FIRST SYMPTOM WAS BAD HEADACHES. EYES BEGIN TO FEEL DRY AND THERE IS DIFFICULTY FOCUSING. WITHOUT WARNING THE EYES SEEM TO BE STUCK IN THE SOCKETS RESULTING IN VERY BAD DOUBLE VISION. *AK SUNROOF WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. DEALER REPLACED THE PURGE CANISTER VALVE AND STATES THAT THE FUMES WERE FROM SEAM SEALANT THAT WILL GO AWAY, AFTER MAKING REPAIRS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY, THEREFORE REQUESTING A CANCELLATION OF THE LEASE AND REQUESTING THAT ALL PAYMENTS MADE BE REIMBURSED. *SLC