1999 Jaguar XJ8LRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

“MY 99 XJ8L JAGUAR WOULDN'T START AND I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC--HE SAID 4 OF MY 8 CYLINDERS STOPPED WORKING AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I DID A VEHICLE SEARCH FOR MY CAR AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS ENGINE PROBLEMS FROM THE MANUFACTURER ITS CALLED THE NIKASIL PROBLEM - DOCUMENT NUMBERS ARE S491V6 OR V5. I NEED TO KNOW IF MY CAR FALL UNDER THIS PROBLEM. I KEPT UP WITH ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE SUGGESTIONS( OIL CHANGE,MILEAGE CHECKUPS)., AND MY ENGINE STILL FAILED AT 87715 MILES. *TR”

“WAS ON US I-280 NORTHBOUND AT ABOUT 8 P.M., GOING PREVAILING SPEED, GOING TO A SOCIAL MEETING, BUT WITH AN ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTOR. HEARD LOUD POP AND CAR LURCHED FORWARD ABRUPTLY, THEN ENGINE BEGAN TO RATTLE, SMOKE AND BURNT RUBBER/OIL SMELL BEGAN TO INVADE CABIN. HUSBAND TURNED OFF ENGINE AND COASTED TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND UP EXIT RAMP SHOULDER. TOOK THE CAR TO DELONG'S AUTO REPAIR, THE ONLY KNOWN AUTHORIZED JAGUAR SERVICE CENTER FOR AT LEAST 50 MILES IN ANY DIRECTION. OWNER, CHIEF MECHANIC, [XXX] SAID WE HAD AN ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE TEMPERATURE GAUGE THAT GIVES FALSE READINGS AND CAR HAD OVERHEATED WITHOUT SHOWING IT ON GAUGE AND THE HEADGASKET BLEW CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE--ON THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE TOLD THAT JAGUAR HAS A COOLING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND RATHER THAN FIX IT, THEY PUT IN GAUGES THAT DELIBERATELY DECEIVE THE OWNER INTO BELIEVING HIS/HER VEHICLE IS RUNNING AT A NORMAL TEMPERATURE WHEN IT IS NOT. PREVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT GOING ON AND TOOK CAR TO JAGUAR AND OTHERS. NOTHING SEEMED OUT OF PLACE, DAMAGED, ETC.--MECHANICS REPEATEDLY TOLD US THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING INDICATOR LIGHT.…”

“THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHICH HAS A DIMMING FEATURE FAILED. BLACK FLUID CAME SPILLING OUT ONTO THE CENTER CONSOLE AND THE RADIO CONTROLS. THE MIRROR BE CAME NON FUNCTIONAL, THERE BY HAVING DIFFICULTY IN VIEWING TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. *TR I MADE CONTACT WITH JAGUAR AND THEY HAVE BEEN NON RESPONSIVE.”