Problems · by component

1998 Jaguar XJ8 engine and engine cooling problems

35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Jaguar XJ8 cite engine and engine cooling, 42% of all 83 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
35
42% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ENGINE STALL AT HIGH SPEED ON HIGHWAY, NOTICE THERE HAS BEEN RECALL ON THIS BEFORE. JUST PURCHASE THE CAR AND CHECK IT OUT CARFAX AND NO MENTION THIS CAR WAS TAKING IN FOR THIS RECALL CAN I STILL RESPOND TO THIS RECALL AND HOW? [XXX] *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 6, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10424002
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XJ8. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, HE HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING TENSIONER WAS FAILING. THE COST FOR REPAIR WOULD BE $1,500. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,050.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 10, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10261447
“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. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10207283
“TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JAGUAR XJ8, AND STATED THAT THE TIMING TENSIONER FAILED AND CAUSED THE VALVES TO STAY OPEN ,WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 66,000.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 4, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10187046
“TL*THE 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. *AK THE CONSUMER PROVIDED REPAIR INVOICES FOR VEHICLE AND VARIOUS INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT WEBSITES PERTAINING TO THE SAME DEFECT. UPDATED 06/26/07 *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10186535
“I HAVE A 1998 JAGUAR XJ8. THE VEHICLE STALLS AT HIGH SPEEDS, GENERALLY AFTER I ACCELERATE OVER 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND CAN ONLY BE RESTARTED IF YOU BRING IT TO A STOP. I HAD THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN CA. I WAS ALMOST KILLED WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. JAGUAR DEALER, SANTA MONICA,REPAIRED AS CYL BURN OUT. MECHANIC TOLD ME STALLING HAPPENED FREQUENTLY WITH THIS MODEL. A FEW YEARS LATER,SAN ANTONIO TX ON THE 183 HIGHWAY RUSH HOUR. CAR STALLED CAUSING ME TO SWERVE NEXT TO CENTER MEDIAN RIPPING OFF THE ENGINE COVER ON DEBRIS. JAGUAR FIXED THROTTLE BODY NOT ENGINE COVER.SERVICE BULLETIN, DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. CAR RAN POORLY THEREAFTER. STALLED AGAIN YEAR LATER. DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR. $3,000 TO FIX.. RECENTLY DISCOVERED CONSUMERS WORLD WIDE HAVE SAME PROBLEM. SERVICE BULLETIN REPAIR ONLY SHORT TERM FIX. JAGUAR BLOG IN THE UK -CONSUMER DISCOVERED FROM A JAGUAR MECHANIC , MOST THROTTLE BODIES NEEDED TO BE CLEANED PERIODICALLY AS THE LINING BAD AND BUILD UP OR DEPOSITS WOULD FORM ON THE WALLS OF THE THROTTLE BODY AND CAUSE IT TO MALFUNCTION. MY MECHANIC HAD HEARD OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I CALLED SEVERAL JAGUAR DEALERSHIPS. I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2007Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasolineODI 10185249

Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.