Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Jaguar XJ8 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* - the contact's stated the vehicle was purchased on August 30th 2006, and had problems with loss of power. The vehicle lost power about 100 times while driving65 MPH. The contact took the vehicle to the local Jaguar dealer for a check up. The dealer informed him that they did not know the cause of the failure. The contact states that on November 20, 2006, while exiting the highway, the vehicle was involved in a crash due to loss of vehicle power and difficulty in steering. The conta ct's vehicle struck the vehicle in front of her. The incident was reported to police. After the crash, the contact states took the vehicle to dealer an oil change and was informed that the vehicle had a recall on file. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer ,and was informed that it had already been repaired in November 2004. …
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. …
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. …
Operating my vehicle, the engine starting running poor. Jaguar dealership explained poorly designed timing chain tensioners and arms have failed because Jaguar made the components out of a cheap plastic, that is known to crack and cause the valves to contact the pistons. Jaguar updated the tensioners to metal , but refuses to accept responsibility for this design flaw and want to charge several thousand dollars to upgrade to the better designed parts. They refereed me to service bulletin technical service bulletin no. X303-68 , but it states if you haera a rattling noise, however it also states you May not hear a rattling noise, my car did not, and out of no where , thengine stopped running due to this design flaw, that has been updated. In fact, this effect every single 4.0 engine, that's millions! …
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.
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.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Jaguar XJ8. The contact detected a loud rattling noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who stated that the timing chain tensioner failed which caused the vales to bend. The pistons and connecting rod were also damaged. The dealer informed the contact that a new engine would be needed. The contact stated that the failure was unexpected, and the vehicle's routine maintenance was up-to-date. The current and failure mileage were 63,000. The consumer provided repair invoices for vehicle and various information from different websites pertaining to the same defect. Updated 06/26/07
While traveling on the freeway at 70 MPH, the engine shuts off. Have taken it to the dealer 6 times in the last 3 months of 2003 to have fixed. Supposedly they replaced the engine on the third service time, but within 4 days the same problem occurred while driving on the highway. I am afraid to drive this car. Each time I take it to the dealer for service they insist the problem is fixed, yet the same thing keeps happening, the engine shuts off for no reason. The dealer has told me they do not know why this is happening and supposedly they take it for a test drive and it doesn't happen for them.
Vehicle stalled at highway speeds without warning. No impact reported. 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.
Vehicle stalls randomly bringing about a failure of all systems sometimes in the middle of crowded and fast freeways. Doing research on the problem it seems to be common for this type of vehicle and there seems to be a solution with the throttle body assembly design but aparently the manufacturer has not issued a recall for it and many people go to the dealerships spending thousands of dollars in repairs that do not solve the actual problem. The failure ocurrs randomly while driving under normal conditions.
Engine complaints in other XJ8 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1998 Jaguar XJ8?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1998 Jaguar XJ8, 46% of the model year's 83 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Jaguar XJ8 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1998 Jaguar XJ8. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Jaguar XJ8 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.