RoadVitals

1998 Jaguar XJ8L Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jan 14, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
53%
of 15 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Jaguar XJ8L submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jan 14, 2013

ABOUT 2-3 TIMES A MONTH, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (AND ONLY ON FREEWAYS, NEVER HAS THIS HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS), ALWAYS ABOUT 10 MINUTES ON THE ROAD FROM A COLD START, MY ACCELERATOR WILL SUDDENLY FAIL TO RESPOND WHILE I'VE HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS DURING STEADY DRIVING OF 55-75 MPH. NO INDICATOR COMES ON AT THE TIME. I'M FORCED TO MERGE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON THE MOMENTUM PROVIDED BY THE CAR AS I AM UNABLE TO GET ACCELERATION FROM THE PEDDLE. ONCE I BRAKE TO A STOP & PUT THE CAR IN PARK I GET AN "ENGINE FAILED" INDICATOR AND THE RED ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. SO FAR, WHEN I'VE TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED IT, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN WITHOUT PROBLEM AND CONTINUE ON MY WAY. HOWEVER, THESE INCIDENTS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS GIVEN THAT OUR FREEWAYS OFTEN HAVE NO EMERGENCY LANE TO PULL OFF TO WHEN THEY ARE UNDER REPAIR. THERE ARE VARIOUS PLACES ON OUR FREEWAYS WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO STOP IN A MOVING LANE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO GO AGAIN. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED FROM A DEALER IN 2001. IT WAS OFF A 3-YR LEASE BY ANOTHER OWNER. I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE EARLY YEARS OF OWNERSHIP (AROUND 2002 @ 65,000) UNDER A 6 YEAR WARRANTY AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY REBUILT AND THEN ULTIMATELY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT THAT TIME TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DIDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN UNTIL 2012 BUT HAVE SINCE EXPERIENCED IT ABOUT 6 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR (AT 160,000). I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER TO CHECK ON RECALL INFO AND WAS TOLD THERE'S NOTHING CURRENTLY, BUT THAT IN 1999 MY CAR HAD HAD A THROTTLE CABLE ADJUSTER MODIFICATION UNDER WARRANTY. MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE TELLS ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE THROTTLE BODY BEING DIRTY BUT THAT THE ONLY GOOD SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE IT. THE DEALER IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM BUT CAN'T TELL ME HOW LONG A REPLACEMENT WILL LAST ME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10492906
Incident
Oct 1, 2002
Mileage
60,000 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 13, 2007

MY 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L KEEPS STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VERY VERY DANGEROUS. I AM ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT ON 95 EVERYTIME THIS HAPPENS. THE DEALER HAS SAID IT IS A DIRTY THROTTLE THAT MAY BE CAUSING THIS, BUT EVEN AFTER SERVICING IT JUST STARTS UP AGAIN...AFTER INVESTIGATING HERE ON THE WEB I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BACK ON SEPTEMBER 2004, WHEN MY ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY FROZE UP ON 95 AND HAD TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $15,874.00. THIS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE POSTED FOR THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I HAVE A SNEAKY FEELING THAT THIS IS STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN WITH THE ENGINE STALLING AND NOW I ONLY HAVE 13,000 MILES ON MY NEW ENGINE. PLEASE HELP! *TR

NHTSA ID
10211798
Incident
Dec 13, 2007
Mileage
60,895 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 8, 2005

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS FOR MY 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L HAVE DISINTEGRATED IN THE ENGINE. LUCKILY WE FOUND THE PIECES IN THE OIL CHANGE BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. BUT THIS IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REBUILD THIS AREA OF THE ENGINE. JAGUAR HAS ALL BUT ADMITTED INSTALLING FAULTY PARTS BY REVISING THIS PART TWICE, ONCE WITH A REINFORCED PLASTIC TENSIONER WITH A SPRING, AND FINALLY WITH A METAL TENSIONER THAT WILL NOT BREAK OR CRACK UNDER THE STRESS OF TENSIONING THE TIMING CHAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID
10116597
Incident
Apr 4, 2005
Mileage
105,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jun 24, 2004

THE VEHICLES ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A 4-LANE LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAY READ ENGINE STALLED. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO A SAFE STOP. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THE ENGINE RESTARTED ONCE THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR INTERMITTENT STALLING OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, BUT NEVER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. LAST JULY (2003) A LOCAL JAGUAR DEALER REPLACED THREE (3) ENGINE RELAYS AND DECLARED THE PROBLEM FIXED, BUT IT STARTED RE-OCCURRING AGAIN WITHIN A FEW MONTHS. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP HAVING THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT AGAIN. THE INITIAL RESPONSE FROM THE TECHNICIAN WAS THAT THE SAME THREE ENGINE RELAYS ARE BAD AGAIN, BUT I ASK FOR A MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM TO BE PERFORMED& WHY ARE THE RELAYS GOING BAD? OUR EXPERIENCE SOUNDS SIMILAR TO NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS (SEE LIST OF IDS BELOW) LOGGED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE FOR OUR MAKE, YEAR AND MODEL (AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS). THERE ARE ALSO MANY, MANY OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR EXPERIENCES ON JAGUAR-RELATED BULLETIN BOARDS ALL OVER THE WEB. THERE ARE EVEN INDICATIONS THAT A RECALL MIGHT BE PENDING, BUT I COULDNT FIND ANY DEFINITIVE INFORMATION TO VERIFY THAT. THE DEALER SERVICE TEAM DOESNT HAVE, OR ISNT WILLING TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANY PENDING ACTIONS. UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITION, THIS FAILURE COULD LEAD TO DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA: ODI ID NUMBER : 548127. *AK ODI ID NUMBER : 10014366 ODI ID NUMBER : 10038465 ODI ID NUMBER : 10040883 ODI ID NUMBER : 10057140 ODI ID NUMBER : 10065259 ODI ID NUMBER : 10074913 ODI ID NUMBER : 10001379 ODI ID NUMBER : 10070414 ODI ID NUMBER : 10024745 ODI ID NUMBER : 10031410 ODI ID NUMBER : 10072764 ODI ID NUMBER : 890973 ODI ID NUMBER : 895022 ODI ID NUMBER : 10042999

NHTSA ID
10078731
Incident
Jun 13, 2004
Mileage
67,800 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 13, 2004

MY 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L CONTINUALLY STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEED...JAGUAR KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND USES IT AS A SOURCE OF CASH FLOW, CHARGING SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH 10,000 MILES TO REMEDY THE SITUATION THROUGH REPLACEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BODY OR CLEANING OF THE BREATHER PORTS...THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10057140
Incident
Feb 12, 2004
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 12, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLED AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. *AK *PH *NLM

NHTSA ID
10038465
Incident
Aug 1, 2003
Mileage
60,160 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 29, 2003

MY 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L STALLED AT HIGH SPEED (70 MPH) ON THE FREEWAY FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE LAST SIX MONTH WITH NO WARNING. THIS CAUSE ME TO HAVE VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND RESTART WITH NO PROBLEM. I CHECKED AN INTERNET SITE WHICH HAS A FORUM DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THE FREEWAY. VERY SCARY.

NHTSA ID
10040883
Incident
Sep 19, 2003
Mileage
66,800 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 14, 2003

MY VEHICLE WILL OCCASIONALLY STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AFTER ACCELERATING. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10014366
Incident
Apr 14, 2003
Mileage
32,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .