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Jaguar: Problems and Solutions

redrockbunnyredrockbunny Member Posts: 18
edited March 2014 in Jaguar
My friend told me that when the car would shake while driving, he at the same time would experience a lack of acceleration and no power. This problem would disappear when the car stopped shaking the next day.

Also after one of the sudden acceleration problems the gear shifter was found to be in reverse. All by itself, it went from drive to reverse, without being touched. Very strange.

Hope someone can relate some similar experiences!

Thank you!
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Comments

  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    I don't know guys, this reads like a troll to me. Several things don't add up (A new car dealer "towing" a new Jag? Come on, wouldn't they have sent a ramp truck??; Cadillac a paragon of customer service???; "outrageous lease amount"? the perfect typing and punctuation? etc.).

    I could be very wrong on this but...
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    I'm with you on this one. My wife currently has a 2001 XJ, and it's a fine car. However, we were invited to a "ride and drive" about 3 months ago, hosted by our local Jag dealer.

    All I can say is this...If it was financially practical, there would be a 2004 XJ in our garage. As nice as her 2001 is, the 2004 is many times over, a better driving car.

    We've had only two issues with her 2001. The first was a minor adjustment that was needed on the sunroof. The second was the rapid depreciation that makes the 2004 too much of a financial burden to justify a "trade-up".

    Just my $0.02 worth, but this "bedrockbunny" story, if it's anywhere true, sounds like a personality clash with the dealer's service department. Nothing that a little diplomacy can't cure...That is, if there's ANY truth to it.

     
    One other thing...Not that we've needed it, however our Jag dealer doesn't "tow" cars. It's flatbeds only!
  • redrockbunnyredrockbunny Member Posts: 18
    Sorry that people have a hard time believing my letter. Maybe I should have written it differently.
     
    There are many Jaquar owners out there that will doubt that the car could be problematic. However, in every make there are problem cars. My only intention in posting the letter is to try to help my friend get some more experiences-feedback on the problems related, so he can use that with the dealer. I am mecahnically inclined enough to know that if one car is experiencing an unusual malady, there undoubtedly are others out there too!
     
    As for the towing, when he told me they came up and got it, afraid to drive it to Scottsdale, he never said whether it was towed or put on a flatbed. Really, this is quite an assumption on the "boards" part. It may very well have been put on a flatbed. It never occured to me to ask. But I do know this, the dealer wants my friend to pay for the "tow", perhaps they said "transport". It is 6:50 a.m., or I would call my friend and ask him, but what does it matter? He has now found out the pay-off amount on the lease is less than he felt it would be, but still so much that getting rid of the car will be a finacial problem. This is what high-powered attorneys are for. And his attorney is supposedly part of a firm that is the most prestigous firm in Arizona. Of course everyone knows that this doesn't mean much when you go up against a car lease company, dealer, or a manufacturer. The attorney is kept on retainer for many business related legal situations, so I hope he will be able to really delve into this situation and help in a more personal way. Although I would not want to pay the bill.

    The bottom line is, the cars are so sophisticated that in my friend's case, it has resulted in some (I assume) electronic glitch of some sort that can't be traced. I have done a lot research to try to help, and have found that in the new electronic systems there can be unusual problems. Like dangerous "sudden acceleration". I have driven the car once myself, from Scottsdale to Sedona at night. I did not experience any problems. I have ridden in the car numerous times. But in 8000 miles of driving, my friend certainly HAS.

    He is going to rent a Cadillac for the time being, he is looking into leasing a Lexus. He is very, very, disappointed and upset that the Jag has been a problem, as he LOVED that car. I mean loved it. But he is afraid to drive the car now. I found out yesterday that Jag sent a man out from back east to go through the black box, factory rep. I guess. They were unable to trace the fault code. But that doesn't mean my friend is a liar either. That is the problem with dealers, they keep the car for a couple days, in this case the service manager took the car home. But in such a short time they often cannot diagnose a problem, then they come back to the customer and say, there is nothing wrong with the car.

    Meanwhile the car is sitting on the dealer's lot. My friend will not pick it up. I hope that this can be resolved in a amicable manner, I am sure that is what Jaquar desires, and of course so does my friend.

    Him and his wife have owned at least 10 new Cadillacs and Lincolns through the years, and leased many others through their business, including an Audi TT that was just turned in. I drove it back to the same dealer myself a couple months ago. I hate to see him get stung on a Jaquar when all he wanted to do is have something better and different. I researched the car for 2004, and actually thought it was going to be a great decision for him. Now I realize that a first year model can have unforseen complications. Like he has told the dealer, "I am your Guinea Pig"

    By the way, as for the 2002 he had. He told me yesterday, that he had to take it to the dealer a couple times when parts just fell off of it. Doesn't sound so well built to me.

    Hope I can hear from people that experienced unusual problems with their Jags. But I have found watching this board for many years, that the more expensive the car, and the more wealthy the car owner. The less you see posts on it. I guess people that drive the kind of cars don't have the time to debate them on a board. Guess that is why I am here debating for my very busy friend.
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    ...Your friend's dealer has the car, nobody can find the problem, and therefore they say, "Too bad"?? Is your "friend" too busy to invoke the state's lemon laws? It's not too hard, and if I was that disgruntled with a $60-70,000 car that I had just bought, you had better believe I'd MAKE time. And, after I made the time, I'd be making the dealer replace the car. (And yes, I have done exactly that, in 1997)

    From what I've seen during the course of my life, many wealthy people HAVE money because they don't WASTE money. Griping about an expensive car instead of taking action is wasting money, IMHO.

     Just my $0.02 worth.......
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    Redrockbunny, there are some more problems:

    1) The board never assumed it was towed. You explictly said "The dealer came up and...towed the car to Scottsdale, AZ". That is as clear as it could be. What makes this significant is your twisting the authorship of this around and blaming it on the board. Also, in my experience Jaguar dealers just don't use a tow truck to move a new vehicle. In fact, I can't think of any new car dealer who uses a tow truck (just imagine the front end damage and what it is doing to the transmission after Bubba gets it all hooked up). Small point but it diminishes your story.

    2) The statement that "the more expensive the car and the more wealthy (sic) the car owner. The less you see posts on it." just isn't true. By your logic the low cost Yugo and relatively low cost Saturn boards would be busy. They are not. Rather, look at all the posts under BMW, Audi, even Chevrolet Tahoe/Yukon and Yukon Denali. The real relationship is the more the owners feel involved with their cars the more they post, not cost of the car or socioeconomic status of the owner. In doubt? The Land Rover Disco Board is perhaps the liveliest on the entire Edmunds site. The MSRP of a new Disco is only 34K.

    3) "All he wanted to do is have something better and different" is contradictory for a fellow who supposedly turned in a 2002 Jag XJ for a new one. A 2002 Jag is about as close to a 2004 Jag as you are ever going to get. It is not something "different". Again, not a major point but logic redrockbunny just isn't on your side.

    4) Business owners of substance as this gentlemen is portrayed to be let their attorney handle the rough stuff. Why isn't the "high powered" attorney involved right now? Speaking of "high powered attorneys", that is a phrase right out of People Magazine. Real people don't talk that way.

    5) The Jag rep came "from back East". Even I as a New Englander living on a small island would know that Jaguar would support dealers in NM and AZ out of a CA office, not from "back East".

    OK, maybe you aren't a troll but this saga sure reads funny and you have a habit of not letting facts get in the way of your narrative.
  • 66bird66bird Member Posts: 2
    To all owners past and present, I am seriously thinking about a 1996 sedan, with 80,000 miles. I am used to driving 1960's Fords and Lincolns. Will a Jaguar cause me to lose my mind and my retirement savings? I realize that maintenance will be high but are there idiosyncrasies in this car that are way out of the expected? As an example of what I mean; I was interested in an Audi until I read that one of the early 90's models (A4, I think) requires a complete new front-end, every 30,000 miles, at a cost of $4,000 because of the way it was designed-individual parts can't be replaced, only the whole unit. Any advice or comments on the Jag will be appreciated.
  • redrockbunnyredrockbunny Member Posts: 18
    It is not important to me who believes me or not. I am only interested in people of whom would like to post input about their Jaguars, or experiences they have heard. This board seems to have slipped from, "let's all comment on this problem" to "let's all try to discredit the poster" This is sad to me.
     
    I will not apologize for saying "towed" instead of "transported". So What??? It is the same thing to me, and a real fine line, and very petty to keep harping on it. The car is at the dealer, they came and got it, end of issue!

    The attorney is involved now, that is neither here now there, as I am only asking for input as to the mechanical attributes of the car not legal advice. This attorney is high-powered as are many, and maybe you don't talk that way but people I know do. Welcome to the real world.

    The process is still too fresh for the Lemon Law to be brought on line.

    Also the 2004 IS totally new, about 95 percent so. It is also a radical aluminum design. A person with a 2002 will definitely have a different and better car with the 2004. That being that the individual car doesn't have a problem of course, like this one does.

    Anyone that doesn't have anything to say contructively about the problems put forth with the car, need not waste their time posting and reposting. I would really appreciate some reasonable responses.
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    How's your friend doing with resolving his problem??
  • redrockbunnyredrockbunny Member Posts: 18
    Thank you for asking......

    The problem has not been resolved yet. However he went down to Scottsdale last week and had a lengthy discussion with the dealer. They were very accomodating. They told him they want to get him another car, but until they find the problem, their hands are tied. A couple managers are going to drive the hell out of it this weekend, taking it out of town etc, to try to get it to duplicate the problem. Hopefully they will find the glitch, however, it seems it is usually experienced in everyday use by the owner. So far the consensus is the car will not be reclaimed by my friend. I don't have any information on the lawyer side of it.

    Meanwhile he has rented a new Lincoln until all this is resolved. He hates it, and says it is not nearly the car his Jaguar was. In spite of the problem with the Jag he really is missing the car.
    As it was special ordered, and he had to wait for it excitedly.

    I was hoping that someone may have experienced unusual problems with their new Jag and may have posted by now. This particular top of the line model, (2004 Vanden Plas), is still relatively rare, as the other models are more frequently sold. I still think the problem is something to do with the circuitry between the accelerator-gear shifter. The system somehow stores codes as to the anticipation of throttle needs in conjuntion with the transmission needs, and they are activated when the transmission indicator is selected and the accellerator depressed. I would have to do more research, but I think all these responses are all electronic and the direct mechanical links have been eliminated. This is where the type of problems has been experienced in other makes.

    After more indepth discussion about the other issue, the shaking, having not been in the car at the time, I feel it may have had something to do with the same computer glitch. As he has told me he had no power, while it was shaking, and the fuel mileage would drop like a rock. This is similar to an older car when you would have a carburation problem, or vacumn problem. Yes, I have done a lot of restoration of engines and cars from the 60's.

    My opinion: cars are becoming too computer operated. This takes a lot of control away from the driver. Car makers think computers never error, but in realty they are not infallible! I say keep the computers as non-critical applications in these new cars. And leave the operation of the car mechanical only.

    Because I believe in fairness above all in posting. I will definitely post when I hear the results of this issue. I think I owe that to Jaquar and the board. This issue may end up be completely resolved amicably, who knows?
  • xj8ornotxj8ornot Member Posts: 4
    I am able to get a really good price on a 2001 XJ8 though a friend that works for a Jag dealership. I know he has my best interest at heart and is providing an XJ8 with 28K on the clock, in prestine condition, Select Edition, in the $26K range.

    My big question is.......am I going to be visiting my local jag dealer on a frequent and regular basis and spending lots of dollars? I have read the horror stories on this forum and am quite concerned. I am used to the Japanese high end vehicle, driving problem free, and am wondering if this is going to be a huge change to the negitive upon switching to the XJ8. It seems to appear there's a multitude of minor to major disappointments with these cars that, quite frankly, I have never experienced in the 10 years of driving Acura and Infiniti. All advise will be appreciated. Thanks to all...Rich
  • wcollinswcollins Member Posts: 45
    It is highly possible that the vehicle could have been towed by a non-flatbed. Most Jaguar dealers do not have their own towing service, they contract out. Jag does insist on flatbeds. However, I had an experience with my S-Type being towed by a non-flatbed. The excuse was: "Our flatbed truck had a flat, so we had to use this one". When I informed Jaguar about what had happened, they said they would investigate, never heard back from Jag. Not to mention a 3 or more hour wait on a tow (at least 3 times). In my 4 year ownership of my S-Type, I have had many many problems, including a new engine and two new transmissions. Stubborn dealer, and careless mechanics. Even had a troubleshooter come down from Detroit with specialized equipment. However, I can say, and I agree with Redrockbunny comment on Jag's customer service. Jaguar is the King or Queen of double talk. Lot's of "I'm sorries" and little on solutions. I've had similar result with rentals. I was even given a pick-up truck a couple of times. It appears that in the Washington D.C./Va./Md area, Enterprise has the contract to supply rental vehicles. And you get what's on the lot at the time. To date my vehicle has spent 148 days in service. Thank God I have only 4 more payments.
  • redrockbunnyredrockbunny Member Posts: 18
    Just an update on my friend's Jaguar. The car sat at the dealer for over a month. They checked it out from stem to stern. Supposedly nothing was found that would cause the anomalies. Of course in the meantime my friend is in the middle of many other projects including trying to build a new home, and had to pay for a rented Lincoln and Cadillac while Jag was trying to de-bug his car. Quite expensive and inconvenient. Finally the dealer said my friend had to take the car back. He refused, and left it sitting on the lot for several weeks. Then higher-up Jaguar representives contacted him and asked him to give it one more try. Finally he took the car back, and has had it for about a month. I am afraid to ever ride in what we have termed the "death" car again. My friend is between a rock and a hard place: continue to drive it and wait for something else to surface, or trade it off and forfeit a major chunk of change. Hopefully after more consumers are able to document this problem, Jaquar will eventually be able to address it in some manner. I do not fault Jaguar, but I do think the vehicles have become so sophisticated in this day that finding anomalies is quite difficult. My friend told Jaguar if he has a bad accident with the car, they can expect a very large lawsuit. So far he has not had any further problems, I frankly haven't wanted to ask him, it is a very sore subject. End of story for the time being.

    By the way I think the car originally was taken to Scottsdale on a flatbed truck, I at the time, when posting: "it was towed," didn't even think to ask how it was taken down there.

    Also finally someone has posted a very similar problem with their Jaguar. You can click on this URL for further information:

    http://www.womanmotorist.com/index.php/news/main/2011/event=view
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I still don't see how it's possible that he could not stop the car with this "sudden acceleration". This incident would require a wide open throttle occurring on its own and a complete brake failure at the same moment. It seems so unlikely, and isn't even explainable. It requires one to believe that not one, but two one-in-a-million things happened at the identical time.

    This could be a disorientation issue. I know it certainly happens in small aircraft, where a perfectly operating plane is driven right into the ground (John Kennedy for instance).

    But who knows? It's very weird and I'm still pretty skeptical that the car is as fault until someone can explain it to me in scientific terms.
  • siennadadsiennadad Member Posts: 5
    To Redrock Bunny, I've not experienced sudden acceleration, but I have experienced (also quite frightening) the opposite. While driving on the highway, the car just died. Engine cuts out. Complete loss of engine power. The weird thing is you press the accelerator and the car does not speed up, just slows down while coasting. But for some reason the tach keeps showing engine rpm's that you had prior to the stall. The first time this happened, it was a couple yrs ago and I didn't give it much thought. But on a recent trip to Florida from PA, it happened 6 or 7 times w/in 2 hrs. It would have happened more often except I realized that by keeping the throttle pressed all the time (i.e. avoiding coasting), the car wasn't as likely to stall. Except driving on the highway w/o being able to coast was very difficult, had to either brake or accelerate. When I had taken the car to the dealer, they cleaned the throttle body but it didn't help. Couple days ago, I got a letter from Jag that they're recalling my car for stalling while driving. Maybe they'll fix it now... My jag is a 98 XJ8 w/79K mi. I have owned 3 other jags in two yrs but will never get another one. The brand's customer service is AWFUL!!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The dealer should have done more than that for you. That was a waste of time. This sounds like a throttle body sensor issue to me, sending wrong or garbled signal to the computer and shutting down your injectors. That must be a very irritating problem.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Anything they might crank out still would beat the hell out of the British-Leyland days! ;)
  • tfmtfm Member Posts: 1
    I've been looking at a 2004 Jag X and I've talked with a few people about the maintenance. Most folks are saying not to buy it as the maintenance costs are high. Anyone have any insight for me? Thanks.
  • judiblankenjudiblanken Member Posts: 1
    We are having problems with the new transmission in the 2004 Jaguar. On occasion it will not shift from 2nd to 3rd properly - can race to 4400 rpm, will jerk into gear and/or will roar the engine. We have not been able to have it fixed, because, again, the Scottsdale dealer says they cannot duplicate the problem. Has anyone else had this sort of problem?
  • dawn7dawn7 Member Posts: 7
    tfm,

    some insight......

    Maintenance is free on Jaguars for 4 years 50,000 miles. Spark plugs last 100K and oil changes are infrequent.

    The X-Type was recently rated the highest quality car from Europe, with the X-Type assembly plant earning the highest award from JDPowers in 2005.

    Jaguar powertrains were just rated the highest quality powertrains of any manufacturer in the world by the 2005 JD power survey.

    Jaguar was rated #2 in overall quality of all brands in the 2005 JDPower survey.
  • doiwantajagdoiwantajag Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking to buy a used Jag...S-Type, 2002 or later. I live in Austin, TX. A couple of questions:
    1. Repairs and maintenance: how much of an issue are repairs and maintenance. Looking over this message board, I get the impression that Jag dealers may not be the most responsive repair shops among car dealerships. But I also understand that Jag rank #2, under Lexus, for customer satisfaction. Is that customer satisfaction with the car, satisfaction with the dealer, satisfaction with repair issues, or a what?
    2. I have talked to a couple of local Jag owners, they tell me the only Jag dealer is Austin is not held in very high esteem by other Jag dealers in the state for repair issues. However, these owners did NOT buy their Jag from the local dealer, so maybe the poor response results from that fact. Any thoughts?

    WC
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    According to Edmund's "True Cost To Own" calculations:

    True Cost To Own: Calculate for Jaguar S Type Here

    your future S Type does very well in its class, although none of the cars in its class are particularly cheap to own. Edmunds says .55 cents a mile, (see criteria used for the calculation in the link I sent you), which one would expect compared to a Toyota Echo for instance.

    Probably the only area where the S Type does not perform well on a cost per mile basis is when you figure in depreciation. It will depreciate more heavily than say a Lexus...figure about $10,000 in 5 years, or a little more.

    Naturally, the car you buy in used condition counts for a lot here. The cost-to-own calculations presume you started with a car in very good condition and also presumes a decent level of dealer support.
  • polarized67polarized67 Member Posts: 1
    If anyone could help? I am looking to change the front brakes on a 92 XJS12.
    After looking at the callipers I see four bolts that look more like they hold the calliper
    together? I am used to the two bolt system that most cars use to hold the calliper to the
    suspension. I did see two other bolts that could be what i am used to. I just thought I would seek
    advice before I dig in.

    Its been a few years but do I open the reservoir cover when I compress the piston?

    Any other advice would be appreciated.

    PS Had no Idea about the rear brake system. Never seen it and wont be touching them. LOL
  • jaguarlee33jaguarlee33 Member Posts: 1
    After having new struts installed a message has appeared on dash that reads CATS Fault. Is there a computer that needs to be reset? :confuse:
  • joe57joe57 Member Posts: 3
    the car ran fine, turned it off, went out next morning and wouldn't start. the message center flashed a message about "trac" and "asc" not available and boot not available, also, i can't get the gear shift out of park position. each time i try to start it, i get one turn of the key, a click, and this message board. any suggestions as what to try?
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Dead battery?
  • treadwelltreadwell Member Posts: 1
    My 98 XJ8 just started to stall out when driving. It has 128,000 highway miles. I can coast to a stop, than re-start and it will run rough. Stepping on the gas causes it to die out. Than after setting for a few minutes (off) re-starting I can get it going. Than it will die out or sputter and then kick in like nothing is wrong. It sounds like a fuel filter problem or ignition coil packs. If coil packs how does one test them (without dealer) we have a lousy dealer in our area. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • gxmangxman Member Posts: 2
    recently i detailed the interior of my jag and i hit the valet mode button now i can't get it out of valet mode.i don't have a remote.is there anyway mannually i can get it out of valet mode.i tried pressing the valet mode button over and over again and again and still can't get it out of this mode. my trunk won't open and my sunroof opens but closes up about ten seconds later. is there anyone out there that can help me. thanks.
  • rnrmusicrnrmusic Member Posts: 1
    Yes the only way to reset the valet button (because I just did this) is to open the trunk manually with the key. Stick the key in the little hole between the X and the K on the rear panel label. There is a hole for it- it hard to see. This will reset your buttons and open your trunk......Good Luck
  • cobraskipcobraskip Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know the name of the paint manufacturer Jaguar is using on their 2005 models? I am building a 1966 Cobra Replica and am interested in painting it their color called Radiance which is a metallic paint.

    Thanks
  • kkrkkr Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem on my 1998 XJ8. Did you find the solution to this problem?
  • dalydogdalydog Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have a 1995 XJS Convertible and the trunk will not open. It had been working just fine up until about 2 weeks ago. I took it to a dealer and the service personal told me they were not that familiar with the older style. I contacted Jaguar head office in Canada and someone called back and said to remove the back seat to gain access to the trunk, "impossibble no access". The trunk will lock and unlock however it seems as if the release latch is disengaged. Can anyone offer a solution to the problem? is there a release button or wire located anywhere to pop trunk. I have my golf clubs and laptop in the trunk However my wife is loving the whole situation unlike myself"
  • joe57joe57 Member Posts: 3
    I JUST NEEDED A NEW BATTERY...CAN GET THEM FROM MOST ANY AUTO SUPPLY STORE....
  • chef2kchef2k Member Posts: 1
    the interior lighting of my 2000 jag s-type quit working... i tried the button in the overhead console and nothing happened... is there a reset or could it be a fuse problem?
  • moneypit3moneypit3 Member Posts: 1
    My dad just bought a 1991 Jaguar Vandenplas a month ago. The majority of the time it does not start. It has life in the battery but it does not turn over to start. He has taken it to two different mechanics already and has spent $600 on: a new battery, oil change, fuel filter. He doesn't know if he should try the mechanics again or sell the car b/c it is not worth the aggravation! Does anyone know what the problem could be?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Personally I'd ditch this car as soon as possible. It will never end. Probably ignition related as this is a common failure but who knows? These "mechanics" should be diagnosing prior to replacing parts. You should go to a jaguar specialist, get the car fixed and sell it ASAP--that would be my advice. If you like jaguars, buy a much newer one and you will be happier with it.

    The big problem with the older Jags is that they are ridiculously cheap to buy and ridiculously expensive to fix.
  • hunter8hunter8 Member Posts: 1
    When was the last time a the car had a minor tune - up? Fuel filter is a start but there is a bit more to it. I have a 1990 XJ6 that is my daily driver for sales calls. I just completed a 1,200 mile one way trip and didn't have a problem. By 1990 Lucas was almost all gone and Ford had a heavy hand in quality control and actually the 1991 was in with Ford more than a 1990. If you had a Series IIII (up to 1988) I'd say, you do have your work cut out for you. I once owned an SIII, ran it for 5 yeas and always had a to-do list.

    I am assuming that the car you bought had reasonable care by the previous owner (PO). Did you get maintenance from the PO? If it were my car the first things would be fuel filter, plugs, wires, rotor, rotor cap, clean the relay ears, fuel regulator. Under the right knee bolster is a bank of relays that I'd clean. Clean out the duck bill under the hood so that no water gets into the car. For spark plug wires, I'd go with Magnecor 8mm.

    Here's a place I've hung out at for the past 8 years or more: WWW.Jag-lovers.org
    Find Forums and go to the XJ40 forum. You'll need to sign up and after that you can search the archives, look at the XJ40 on line book, post, etc.

    I've had my 90XJ6 for 5 years. I paid $5,500 for it and have not had any problems except routine maintenance (plugs, wires, etc). Of course there are people out that that DO NOT take care of their cars and you may have bought one of them. Doesn't matter if it is a Jag or Jeep, if it didn't receive minimal maintenance you will need to do the maintenance that they did not do for you.

    We just picked up (drove it across the country) a 1995 DeVille Concours. 40,000 miles ago the PO spent $917 (at the dealer) for plug wires and coil paks. For simplicity coil paks have taken over the rotor/rotor cap/single coil job. The dealer told him that the car was good to go for another 100,000 miles (and the PO believed them). Well half way across the country the car begin to mis. When arriving in North Platt for our evening stay, in the dark I opened the hood to check on the plu wires. It looked like DIsney Land, arcing and carbon tracing.....the wires were shot. I could have gone to the dealer and paid the $917. Instead I am spending $126 on new Magnecor 8MM wires and bought the 4 coil paks for $80 retail. That is a lot less than the dealer.

    Maintenance and cost of ownership also comes down to ....how much do you know about cars?
  • jagtroublejagtrouble Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 1998 Jaguar VDP with 56K miles from a reputable dealer approx. 53 days ago. The thirty day warranty is now expired and I didn't buy the extended warranty.

    Now (surprise) the transmission went out and the dealer says that it needs to be replaced.

    I drove the car only about 350 miles total during the 53 days, so obviously I complained that this must have been a pre-existing condition that they either missed or failed to tell me about. I'm not mechanically inclined, but if the fluid was new when I picked the car up and is now reportedly black and "burnt", then something seems fishy after such a short time.

    The dealer, to their credit, has initially offered to eat the cost of a "salvaged" transmission from a car with 36K miles. They indicate this is approximately $3,500. They are requesting that I pay for the labor to install the salvaged transmission ($567 + tax)

    Questions:
    - does this seem like a good deal considering I'm out of warranty and they probably don't legally have to do anything??

    - what are the implications of a salvaged transmission? I don't know the circumstances related to this transmission and only have the dealer's word that it is from a car with 36k miles. Is there any way to check this? I don't want some rusty piece of crap that's been sitting out in a junk yard for four years.

    - if I agree to the deal (as my wife wants me to) can I get them to provide some warranty relative to the salvaged part?

    I would really appreciate any help or information. The service manager is waiting for a call back with my decision. Thanks again.

    p.s. I'm in Florida if that has any bearing on the situation...
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well it's either a salvage transmission or you have to go to court about it, so......

    The salvage transmission should have a parts warranty from the wrecking yard, but you might ask the dealer to give you a labor guarantee, that is, if the trans fails or doesn't work right, the dealer will swap in another used trans for free. If he doesn't guarantee the labor end and if the salvage yard doesn't guarantee the parts end, then there's only one person left that's going to be stuck for everything...can you guess who?

    So I'd advise to either get the guarantees from both parties assured (and the labor part in writing on the RO) or call an attorney.
  • mikeclarkusamikeclarkusa Member Posts: 1
    We have a 1998 XJ8. Purchased used a few years ago. The trans has been replaced twice. $2k plus each time because they were out of 1 yr warranty. $600 for a used tranny sounds like worth a chance if you don't mind the hassle of replacing it again if it fails. I wouldn't expect any warranty but maybe your shop will be generous and offer something in case it fails. I understand these particular 1998 trannys are problematic. Don't know if a later model (hopefully better) model would fit. Good luck.
  • jkinphxjkinphx Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if you ever got into your trunk.... I have a 96 XJS and just got locked out of the trunk tonight. It has gym bags in it with wet towels etc... (fortunately no laptop).
    Did you ever hear back from anyone with any tips on how to open it? I have exactly the same problem you mentioned, it will lock but when unlocked it is as if the latch is not attached to anything. (very frustrating)
    Let me know..........
    Thanks
    Jeff
  • princessalleyprincessalley Member Posts: 1
    Hi. My son just bought a 1991 Vanden Plas in August. We have a set of problems too. One that we had, but had no clue about was that the car failed to start. He had been driving it and came to pick me up at work. He had to wait a few mins so he turned the car off. When he went to start it again the car would not start. He turned the key and nothing! Now the radio worked, the windows worked etc so we knew it had power. We called the tow truck here at work and the guy was very nice, he knew what it was right away. The car has a safety device on the floor board by the pedals, if you hit it it will disable the car. The guy flipped the switch and lo and behold the car started. No problems since then, other than not being able to get the trunk open. So you might want to have your dad check this switch. I hope your mechanics have been honest.
  • ydrydr Member Posts: 1
    Just bought a 2002 X-Type, 2.5 from a small dealership of high-line used cars. It has 48,500 miles and they supplied a Carfax for the vehicle. It has a navigation system. The stereo "blinks out" every 3-5 minutes. Anybody else ever have this problem? Can it be covered under the 1500 miles left on our Jaguar warranty?

    We just bought the car last night and picked it up as the dealership was closing. The problems started as we drove it home. Hopefully, this is not an indication of the future.

    Thanks!
  • gshocksvgshocksv Member Posts: 77
    Of course, I suggest you take it back to a Jaguar dealership and do a 50,000 tune-up early, and get rid of all the bugs.
  • jmcmahonjmcmahon Member Posts: 9
    I own a 03 X Type with the AJ-V6 and it has 44600 miles. The engine has failed and Jag's area rep will not honor the warranty. He claims the engine is neglected and slugded up. In fact I have been very careful about getting the oil and filter changed. Now I am left with a $8,000 bill for the repair. I would never have expected this failure. Rest assure I do not have or share the same thoughts about the car as others do. My campagin is to defame the name Jaguar at every corner. If I felt I was in the wrong I would back down and accept this as a problem I caused. In my heart of hearts I know I am not. The car might look pretty but that is all it will do now is sit there and look pretty. Is this Jaguars method of cost reduction? Well we will see how this plays out. Buyer be aware, the car is only as good as the warranty and the warranty is the worse. The only thing less impressive then the car is the warranty.
  • mechrad1mechrad1 Member Posts: 26
    I dont understand how they cannot fix the problem. Did you have the services performed at Jaguar dealers? Is it that the service performed elsewhere voids the warranty in some way? Please let us know. I am very sorry to here about your problem. Maybe we can all learn something.

    Bill
  • jmcmahonjmcmahon Member Posts: 9
    I did have the services performed at other then the Jag dealer. Those services were oil and filter changes, a light bulb or two and state inspections. This same service station services all of my companies’ cars. In addition I have a degree in Automotive Technology from a local Long Island university. Aside for the services being performed at the service station, I changed the oil and filter in my garage myself. I certainly think my AAS Degree qualifies me to do so. Besides, lets face it, is an oil and filter change all that hard? There was a precedence set in the courts in the late 90's that the vehicle did not have to be returned to the dealer for this type of maintenance to maintain the warranty. The case was won and awarded to the consumer. That case was also a sludge condition in the engine. I faxed the articles to the dealer ands to Jaguar North America concern the precedence and the Car & Driver reports on engine sludge. The service director, a fancy name for a guy who we all know as a service manger at any other dealership, claims he was shocked at reading the articles, the precedence and are rep, Bill MacKiegans, decision. The lesson to be learned here folks is that Jaguar is not the consumer friendly corporation they let you believe. I fully intend to get my pound of flesh out of them. Saturday I have arranged to picket the dealer and will be doing so for the next few Saturdays. I intend to make sure that as many people know about the underhanded practices of Jaguar. Further, I am going to do a press release on the same matter. Jaguar is not going to get away with disallowing the warranty on this car. I am also working with a web designer to put up a rather attractive site about Jaguars Bill MacKiegan, the area rep. Here is a guy who does not talk to the public according to the dealer staff. Yet, he is making the decision on my car not being covered by the terms of the warranty. The warranty is a joke. The attorney general office has also been contacted as I have filed a complaint with them. You can be certain that when it is all said and done, Jaguar will have spent much more money then they would have spent to simply repair my vehicle. I would like to think, that their legal department will recognize that and advise that the vehicle be repaired. Often decisions are made by the likes of this guy MacKiegan and overturned because they have no legal basis. Again as far as the lesson to be learned, well think about the fact that Jaguar put out a car that the engine failed in 44,600 miles, their area rep, who does not talk to the general public, disallowed the warranty claim, will be responsible for the picketers at the dealership on Saturdays their most busy sales day, and they will be dragged through the courts and more then likely wind up fixing my car anyway. I have learned that their warranty is worthless. I have learned that their quality is considerably less then my wives 1993 Plymoth Sundance with 192,454 miles on it, which is still running as strong as can be with the same engine and transmission. (Serviced by myself and the same service station I have been taking my Jag to) There was something inherently wrong with my vehicle for it to ha sludge in the engine and I will not be held responsible for the premature failure. It may look pretty, in fact sitting there now with a blown engine it looks pretty. But that is it. It is worthless just like the warranty it was sold with. DO NOT BUY A JAGUAR unless you enjoy being raped.
  • clipper2112clipper2112 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 03 x-type sport package, I get a humming noise when I turn the steering wheel and accelerate. Mostly when I'm starting out. It's not very loud but I hear it. Anyone experience this problem?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sounds like you need to consult an attorney. I don't think the forum here can help you further as the only solution seems to be legal.
  • jmcmahonjmcmahon Member Posts: 9
    You might be right about the only solution being a legal one. This "Forum" provides a place to freely voice my experience with my Jag and Jaguar NA. Be it negative or positive conversation, it should be known just how people get treated when faced with these type of problems while trying to deal with Jaguar. If the shoe was reversed and on your foot I think we could all bet on you wanting your voice to be heard. What harm does it do for me to voice this information in this "Forum"? What is the worse thing that can occur, someone who thought highly of the name Jaguar might change their mind? Maybe someone could be save from making the dreaded mistake of buying a Jaguar based on my expression of truth. This is considered a breach of warranty and it would seem pretty important to me to make sure at every turn I let that be known. I can understand that this "Forum" cannot solve this. I think you should understand that for some people my voicing the truth is looked upon as a voice of reason. The Jag, Jaguar NA, and the warranty, (or alleged warranty) are nowhere near the quality that people think. In fact, it is a mockery of the word quality. If the tables were turned I think it a safe bet that you would feel the same. DON'T BUY A JAGUAR is the message. You might not agree with my expression of this but but the principle must have some meaning to you. If it does not then your life is bound to be filled with disappointment.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes fine but you already voiced your opinion repeated times for which there is no remedy here for you. The forum is for Jaguar Problems and Solutions. It's not the Complaint Station for declaring war on Jaguar. That's what the NHTSA board and legal help is for.

    Please don't interpret it as unsympathetic, but we need to reserve the forum for an exchange of ideas and constructive comments. I'm sure some others have found your comments interesting and be assured they will remain in this forum and later on in archives.

    But I'd like to move on with discussions about solvable problems and information sharing.

    Mrshiftright
    Host
This discussion has been closed.