1998 Jaguar XK8

Recalls

2 recalls name the 1998 Jaguar XK8. Newest first.

• Fuel system, gasoline

  May 19, 2006NHTSA 06E04300088,303 vehiclesEquipment

  Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes…

  Risk and remedy

  Risk

  This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.

  Remedy

  Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. the recall began on october 18, 2006. owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1).

  Full recall details →

• Vehicle speed control

  Feb 12, 1998NHTSA 98V0220005,379 vehicles

  Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the cable adjuster bracket nut on the outer sleeve of the throttle cable can become displaced fromthe cable abutment bracket on the engine.

  Risk and remedy

  Risk

  Should this occur, limited opening of the throttle will occur, even with the accelerator pedal fully depressed to the floor.

  Remedy

  Dealers will inspect these vehicles and modify the throttle cable system.

  Full recall details →

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Engine and engine cooling11
2. Power train7
3. Electrical system4
4. Visibility4
5. Fuel system, other3
6. Vehicle speed control3
7. Suspension2
8. Exterior lighting2
9. Service brakes, hydraulic1
10. Unknown or other1

Latest complaints

• Apr 29, 2018FL110,572 mi
  Electrical system · Exterior lighting · Power train

  Would not start, battery run down in less than one week. Stationary

• Oct 24, 2014VA38,500 mi
  Engine

  Why hasn't jaguar been ordered to recall the 1997 through 2002 1/2 models for the timing belt tensioner plastic guide issue? it has been reported here in the past, and IS widely known across the internet. I would just like to know why nhtsa hasn't considered this design defect to be eligible for a recall when it IS clearly a major safety issue. *tr

• Sep 23, 2011SC50,600 mi
  Power train
  TL* the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. The contact stated that when driving between 35-50 mph, there was a growling noise coming from the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitant when accelerating and the noise does would not stop until the vehicle reached 50 mph and above.…

  TL* the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. The contact stated that when driving between 35-50 mph, there was a growling noise coming from the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitant when accelerating and the noise does would not stop until the vehicle reached 50 mph and above. The contact stated that the failure would also occur when decelerating. The dealer inspected the vehicle and assumed that the planetary gears were failing and that the transmission should be replaced. the failure mileage was 50,600 and the current mileage was 50,700.

• May 23, 2010WA72,000 mi
  Fuel system, other

  1998 XK8 stalled at freeway speeds. Third incident. dealer unable to duplicate; no repair suggestions. *Tr

• Mar 19, 2010WA60,000 mi
  Fuel system, gasoline
  In two separate instances, my 1998 jaguar XK8 has stalled while driving at highway speeds. in both cases, I had started the engine from cold at about 50 degrees ambient temperature, driven about three miles in city traffic, and then entered the freeway. within about 1 1/2 miles, at a speed near…

  In two separate instances, my 1998 jaguar XK8 has stalled while driving at highway speeds. in both cases, I had started the engine from cold at about 50 degrees ambient temperature, driven about three miles in city traffic, and then entered the freeway. within about 1 1/2 miles, at a speed near 60mph, the car stalled. an engine monitoring system message read: 'engine stalled" and "check engine". these messages were not present previous to the incidents, nor after I restarted the vehicle. I was able to pull off the freeway. in both cases, I turned the ignition switch to off, and was able to immediately restart the car. no further incidents occurred in the minutes/days following the events. I use premium unleaded fuel from chevron or union 66. these two incidents were separated in time by about 2 months. I am now very concerned about driving the vehicle, as these incidents exposed me to possibly dangerous situations. the local dealer has offered to 'diagnose the problem' at my cost, while also indicating that they have had some similar complaints that they are linking to high concentrations of ethanol in the fuel. their advice IS to wait a couple of weeks from now when ethanol levels will be reduced and/or switch to regular gasoline! after some research, I now find that this situation has occurred frequently among jaguar owners, and possibly others. to me, this seems to be an engine management issue that would be controlled by the car's computerized efi system. *tr

• Jun 11, 2009CA84,000 mi
  Visibility

  My rear vision mirror failed. it fogged up and began leaking an oily substance. I couldn't see; it was raining and I had a perilous journey home. *Tr

• Jun 10, 2009CA85,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling · Fuel system, other
  1998 jaguar XK8 has a history of stalling on the freeway at speeds of 55-60mph. this occurred twice (prior owner - 38,246 miles) - prior owner told by jaguar that automobile had been repaired by replacing throttle. Same incident occurred at later. on-line information shows that several other…

  1998 jaguar XK8 has a history of stalling on the freeway at speeds of 55-60mph. this occurred twice (prior owner - 38,246 miles) - prior owner told by jaguar that automobile had been repaired by replacing throttle. Same incident occurred at later. on-line information shows that several other 1998 XK8 owners have the same issue that engine turns off without warning - the car has a design flaw. there has been recalls regarding the throttle. I do not understand why the nhtsb has not forced jaguar to repair this 1998 XK8. The model, 1998 jaguar XK8, has a design flaw and IS a safety risk. *Tr

• Mar 17, 2009IL65,000 mi
  Power train › Automatic transmission

  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. the contact stated that the transmission IS failing and IS not shifting gears correctly. the vehicle will be towed to the dealer. the manufacturer stated that they were not aware of nhtsa campaign ID number 99v138000 (power train: automatic transmission). the current and failure mileages were 65,000.

• Aug 26, 2008UT110,000 mi
  Power train › Automatic transmission
  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact heard a loud sound underneath the vehicle. he was unable to shift into any gear. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and it was discovered that there was a…

  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact heard a loud sound underneath the vehicle. he was unable to shift into any gear. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and it was discovered that there was a lock-up in the automatic gear box. in addition, the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle currently IS not operable. the authorized dealer ordered the replacement transmission. the failure and current mileages were 110,000.

• Aug 1, 2008CA40,000 mi
  Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling
  The vehicle, without any warning and instantaneously at speed limit in a freeway travel lane, ceased to operate. this happened on numerous occasions since first acquired with less than 4,000 miles use. each time this caused the driver (my wife) to conduct an emergency procedure - hit the…

  The vehicle, without any warning and instantaneously at speed limit in a freeway travel lane, ceased to operate. this happened on numerous occasions since first acquired with less than 4,000 miles use. each time this caused the driver (my wife) to conduct an emergency procedure - hit the emergency flashers, shift to neutral, and restart the car while it was decelerating. the last time was on july 14, 2008. The power steering, power brakes, safety handling systems, and engine were inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an authorized jaguar dealership where the problem was acknowledged, diagnosed, and ostensibly repaired. the repair was ineffective and within a few days of the first repair the vehicle failed in the same way again. the vehicle was taken a second time to the authorized jaguar dealer where another repair was conducted. Following this repair the incident did not reoccur until july 14, 2008. that day, while at freeway speeds in a travel lane, the vehicle ceased operation with no warning once again. this time however it would not restart as stated above and the vehicle coasted to a small gore-point between two concrete toll booths while traffic avoided the vehicle to each side. the vehicle would not start from neutral, but had to be placed in park in order to restart. for the third time, the vehicle was taken to an authorized jaguar dealership where the service technical attempted the jaguar "service action". the procedure failed, the vehicle was totally disabled, and the car could not be started for two weeks. a jaguar factory field employee and a mechanic from out of the area worked on it and now report that "everything IS fine". they have reinstalled the defective electronic control unit and report that they are confident that this time there will be no more trouble of this nature. I do not share their confidence. I ask that nhtsa investigate this problem and assess the safety risk of the jaguar cars "service action" procedure. *tr

• Nov 29, 2007OH
  Vehicle speed control
  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. the contact discovered nhtsa campaign ID number 98v022000 (vehicle speed control) online and was never notified by the manufacturer. the dealer stated that they could not service the vehicle because they did not have time. he also took his vehicle to a…

  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 jaguar XK8. the contact discovered nhtsa campaign ID number 98v022000 (vehicle speed control) online and was never notified by the manufacturer. the dealer stated that they could not service the vehicle because they did not have time. he also took his vehicle to a jaguar dealer in darian, ct from 1998-2004 for service and they never performed a repair or informed him of the recall. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 61,000.

• May 8, 2007TX50,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
  Timing tensioner defect- 1998 jaguar XK8 with 50000 miles. Engine failed to start after loud popping noise. No previous issues prior. Cause-plastic timing tensioners failed, causing timing chain to break and damage pistons. Solution new engine. Dealer quoted $14,000. This car was regularly…

  Timing tensioner defect- 1998 jaguar XK8 with 50000 miles. Engine failed to start after loud popping noise. No previous issues prior. Cause-plastic timing tensioners failed, causing timing chain to break and damage pistons. Solution new engine. Dealer quoted $14,000. This car was regularly maintained. My mechanic stated he was aware of a problem with tensioners, and jaguar had redesigned them for later models. This was a known defect on low mileage vehicles! There were many documented cases. Jaguar refused to acknowledge and offered no assistance. *Ak

• Apr 5, 2007HI37,300 mi
  Vehicle speed control
  I have a 1998 jaguar XK8 convertible. current mileage 37,334. twice, while driving at 60 mph, the engine just cut out. After pulling to the side of the road and waiting several minutes I was able to restart the engine. the first time this happened, I attributed to possible a bad tank of gas on…

  I have a 1998 jaguar XK8 convertible. current mileage 37,334. twice, while driving at 60 mph, the engine just cut out. After pulling to the side of the road and waiting several minutes I was able to restart the engine. the first time this happened, I attributed to possible a bad tank of gas on march 2006. after the second time on march 2007. I feared it had another cause. just about that time I received from jaguar a "service action" S-514 stating that there was a problem with closed throttle operation, and it sounded like my problem. I e-mailed them several times to ask about an authorized service facility to have it repaired. they referred me to customer service. A rep called to say I could only have it fixed on the mainland! that of course, would cost me few thousand dollars. I asked if it could be fixed by someone here locally at my cost. she said "we can't recommend that". not helpful at all. my complaint, however, has more to do with how this problem IS classified. this should be a "safety recall" not simply a service action. both incidents put me and others in a very dangerous situation. once I was fortunate enough to have no one directly behind me. the second time I caused several cars behind me to swerve off the road or skid into oncoming traffic. I was just lucky that no one was seriously injured or killed. I checked your site for complaints. this problem has been going on for years!!! apparently, I'm not the only one forced into a dangerous situation how IS it possible that this IS not considered a safety recall? by being a "service action" jaguar can just ignore me. I believe they should make more of an effort to fix my car or help in finding someone who will...at their cost. can they do this legally? *ak

• Sep 12, 2006CA54,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine
  Jaguar XK8. vehicle with 54K miles always dealer services. Timing chain broke while driving, was able to get car out of traffic without incident. contacted jaguar and they did not even acknowledge there was a problem. jaguar has known the plastic timing chain guides to be defective. the have…

  Jaguar XK8. vehicle with 54K miles always dealer services. Timing chain broke while driving, was able to get car out of traffic without incident. contacted jaguar and they did not even acknowledge there was a problem. jaguar has known the plastic timing chain guides to be defective. the have had two design revisions and now put a metal guide in the cars since 2002. jaguar does not advise owners or dealers to replace the guides which even without their assistance I would have had done at $800. the defective guide causes the chain to break and valve damage, a $7K repair. the dealer and independent repair shops tell me they are repairing these all the time in low mileage engines 45-70k and the internet IS littered with the same. hard to believe jaguar has not been forced in to a recall or some type of voluntary repair program. bottom line - engine part with known, documented defect, that causes catastrophic engine failure, with no action by the manufacturer. *jb

• Feb 27, 2006TX90,000 mi
  Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer

  Windshield wipers suddenly stopped working in the middle of rain storm causing me to lose visibility. no warning - the wipers just stop as the nut holding the wiper arm has become loosened/stripped. Two previous times this has been repaired. This IS a design defect. *nm

• Dec 30, 2004IN49,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
  My 1998 XK8 jaguar timing chain broke and ruined the engine requiring a new one for $11,000 with only 49,000 miles on it. I had taken it to the dealer for service the entire time. this IS a very common problem occuring within the jaguar line. jaguar refuses to help and tries to keep it under…

  My 1998 XK8 jaguar timing chain broke and ruined the engine requiring a new one for $11,000 with only 49,000 miles on it. I had taken it to the dealer for service the entire time. this IS a very common problem occuring within the jaguar line. jaguar refuses to help and tries to keep it under wrap until the warranty expires. it IS a well known design flaw that has cost tons of people thousands. my car also stalled without warning on the highway and this too IS a common problem. both of these could have caused me serious injury.*ak

• Oct 26, 2004FL56,950 mi
  Vehicle speed control

  Consume received recall 99v138000 for the throttle body. Consumer took the vehicle to dealer, and the vehicle was taken for a test after installation of the throttle body, and the thermostat went out. Vehicle was destroyed, and the consumer was charged for the new parts. dealer was instructed to replace the vehicle prior to making repairs to the throttle body. *Ak

• Aug 19, 2004AR40,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline · Fuel system, other
  I purchased a used 1998 jaguar XK8 with 40000 miles in nov 2004. It immediately started stalling at highway speeds. I took it to a local dealer in little rock arkansas, and thay told me that they could find nothing wrong with the car but charged me $1,600.00 for service that was not necessary.…

  I purchased a used 1998 jaguar XK8 with 40000 miles in nov 2004. It immediately started stalling at highway speeds. I took it to a local dealer in little rock arkansas, and thay told me that they could find nothing wrong with the car but charged me $1,600.00 for service that was not necessary. Within weeks it again began dying at highway speeds and would not re-start without pulling off the road, which IS at times impossible due to I-30 being under construction and having no shoulder or exits, only 6-foot concrete barriers on either side of the two lane highway. I was at the mercy of every driver behind me. This IS a life threatening situation that jaguar denies having any knowlege of. I have recently found hundreds of complaints on this issue with jag owners who have had the same problem. Ford has issued a field action that admits that the throttle-body IS defective, but they're not fixing the cars in the u.s., only in other countries. Please do something before someone IS killed.*ak

• Jun 12, 2004CO66,000 mi
  Exterior lighting › Headlights

  Headlights suddenly failed for no apparent reason-electrical. *ak

• Oct 27, 2003MA
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine

  While driving approximately 60 mph on the highway, the vehicle stalled without any warning. dealer replaced the throttle box, and the oxygen sensors, but the stalling continued. *Ak *tt *jb

• Aug 29, 2003MI
  Power train › Automatic transmission

  Problems with vehicle's transmission. On numerous occasions upon reversing out of the driveway into traffic the car will not go into drive from reverse. The consumer had to sit and go back into drive until it works. Twice while on the highway (70) mph the car had just stopped for no apparent reason. after getting it off the lane and numerous tries it started again. *mr *cb *jb

• Jun 16, 2003MI12,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system · Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Equipment · Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift · Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior

  The vehicle stalled intermittently without warning.*ak the gear shift failed to come out of park. *ts also the antenna and power mirror switch was replaced and the coolant light illuminated. *jb

• Jun 16, 2003MI12,000 mi
  Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)

  When driving in reverse, consumer IS not able to place gear in drive unless moves to park first. dealer has replaced shifter 5 times, but problem continues to occur. vehicle IS a 1998 jaguar XK8. *ak *cb

• Apr 22, 2003AZ107,065 mi
  Seats

  While driving at 45 mph drivers seat broke away from track putting me into the back seat causing temporary loss of control and running off side of road ripping front spoiler off car. Went into dealer who called jaguar about problem. Mfg. Decline to pay for repairs stating car out of warranty. *nlm

• Jun 11, 2002MO
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline

  Cruise control set at 65 mph, engine stalled and completely shut down...restarted and has ran fine since....just worried it may happen again in traffic!

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 10228531DVD software update
• 10212857Mongoose Update.
• 10212845Attachment.
• 10212844Attachment.
• 10212843Attachment.
• 10212838Image.
• 10212837Image.
• 10146032A customer may report "Hood Open" message displays on IP with hood closed.
• 1014603118C - New face of InControl Touch Pro and 18C software improvements
• 10146030SIM card activation issues
• 10146029InControl Touch Pro phase 4 customer letter
• 10134968Jaguar Land Rover Shop Foreman Conference Call
• 10127619Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
• 10012441Installation of child seat tether mounting eyes - dimensions - USA vehicles.
• 10012440Front seat cushion - sagging. Modify seat.
• 10012338Key transponder module - synchronization procedure - key programming.
• 10012200A uv-fluorescent leak detection system, manufactured by tracer products, has been approved for use in the air conditioning systems of jaguar cars.
• 10012197Erratic operation. Needle erratic/wavering. Gauge needle in an unusual position - instruments - repair procedure.
• 10012183Operation of throttle while in closed position. Service action S514. Supersedes bulletin 303-s514, dated 08/04.
• 10011748Operation of throttle while in closed position.
• 10011521Aigbag seat restraint system malfunction indicator lamp diagnostic trouble code b1944 or b1945 poor grounding repair procedure.
• 10011507Front seat fuses blowing chafed seat harness repair procedure.
• 10011370Limited throttle opening - secure throttle cable adjusting nut - recall R466.
• 10011367Noise during start up - install revised timing chain tensioners.
• 10011365Replacement cylinder heads - preparation for normally aspirated engines with vvt feature - procedure.
• 10011316Long cranking - difficult warm/hot start - diagnosis procedure - aj 26 normally aspirated engines. This bulletin replaced bulletin 303-39, dated 03/00. This IS the original bulletin 303-39, dated 03/00.
• 10011288Rear suspension hub carrier fulcrum bolts - revised specification - replace - service action S468.
• 629943Customers may complain of no-start or idle/driveability issues due to the throttle body bore and throttle blade becoming coated with a soft sticky carbon deposit.
• 626881Hesitation, surging, detonation, poor throttle reponse/acceleration.*jb
• 625472Service action S474 regarding routine cleaning procedures for vehicles experiencing partial blockage of the restricter in the engine part-load breather.
• 619991Various engine drivability concerns.
• 619989Customers may complain of difficulty in starting the engine, from cold, on vehicles within certain vin ranges, under certain running conditions.
• 618510Subject regarding carbon canister adapter for vehicles within vin range 001001 - 042775.
• 615848Some vehicles within vin ranges 001001 - 025903 may experience the seat squab cover working loose from its anchorage in the back panel.
• 615847Some vehicles with vin ranges 024687 - 026557 may experience water entering the front footwell.
• 615842Some vehicles may experience a condition where the throttle body bore and throttle blade become coated with a soft sticky carbon deposit.
• 614955Jaguar administration bulletin regarding the release of workshop manual information on cd-rom.
• 613931Information regarding the part number for the link for the door latch which IS missing from the fiche frame on vehicles within vin 001001 - 042775.
• 613494On a customer complaint basis only, in the event of a concern of poor performance of seat heater pads, it IS possible to fit to certain earlier vehicles the seat heater pads as fitted from the commencement of 2000 modelyear production.
• 613493Some vehicles may exhibit an engine non-start or unsatisfactory idle / driveability condition as well as a condtion where the throttle body bore and throttle blade become coated with a soft sticky carbon deposit.

Every Jaguar XK8 model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.