Jaguar XJ8 Engine Problems

Engine complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Engine › Gasoline
  12
• Engine
  12
• Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
  3
• Engine › Other fuel types › Turbo/supercharger
  1
• Exhaust system › Emission control › Catalytic convertor
  1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  39%
• 25k–50k
  39%
• 50k–75k
  1338%
• 75k–100k
  1029%
• 100k–150k
  412%
• 150k+
  13%

What owners report

While proceeding to park in the driveway, the vehicle experienced a sudden acceleration and forcibly struck another vehicle that was parked in the garage. During this incident the driver had no control of braking or steering. The impact was severe enough to cause the airbag to deploy and sustain major damage to both vehicles.

Tl contact owns a 2004 Jaguar XJ8. While driving 72 MPH, the instrument panel displayed that the engine was faulty. The vehicle automatically began to decelerate and the instrument panel displayed "dsj off". The electronic parking brake automatically applied, which brought the vehicle to a complete halt. As a result, the vehicle was rear ended at speeds between 60-65 MPH. The contacts vehicle spun around into four lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed into a guard rail. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer stated that they May have to go through litigation and are currently unable to provide any further assistance. The contact sustained minor injuries. A police report was filed. The failure and current mileages were 69,000. Updated 02-01-08. Florida police report. Updated 02/01/08

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Jaguar XJ8. While driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and various warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced and an engine oil flush needed to be performed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Jaguar XJ8. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, the check engine and error warning lights were illuminated. The performance of the engine was restricted with minimal engine power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised the failure potentially was caused by the primary or secondary timing chain tensioner. The dealer advised having the vehicle diagnosed in order to determine the exact failure and repair needed. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. There was not a recall for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were 90,000.

1999 xj-8 secondary timing chain tensioner catastrophic failure. Plastic secondary timing chain tensioner broke into pieces, disabling engine and causing significant damage. Damage included 3 valves, one constantly variable valve timing unit (cvvt), timing chains and sprockets. Required removal of b bank head for machining necessary to replace valves and repair valve seats. No TSB or recall has been issued by Jaguar with regard to this design deficiency. Contact with other Jaguar owners has identified that this problem affects many owners. Jaguar repair is to replace entire engine ($7,000-10,000). I rebuilt engine myself, and contacted Jaguar to question why replacement of the tensioners is not specified at some reasonable interval to prevent tensioner failure. Jaguar response to date has been to deny that any design deficiency exists. …

Dt: the contact states vehicle would not start. She had it towed to the dealership, and they determined there was sludge in the oil pan and the timing chain broke. The engine needed to be replaced. The plastic timing chain tensioner failed and jammed in the timing chain which caused the chain to break in half. This resulted in the valves being stuck open and the pistons to collide. The consumer learned of sb x303-68 and 303-30 which addressed this problem. The consumer learned a defective timing chain tensioner was installed when the vehicle was manufactured. Updated 01/25/06

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. …