Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Jaguar XK8 problems

Owners filed 25 complaints about the 1999 Jaguar XK8 with NHTSA between May 2000 and Nov 2010. The most-cited component is power train (6).

Complaints
25
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train6
  2. Engine and engine cooling5
  3. Vehicle speed control3
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic3
  5. Structure3
  6. Electrical system2
  7. Suspension2
  8. Fuel system, gasoline1
  9. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  10. Latches/locks/linkages1
  11. Steering1
  12. Fuel system, other1
  13. Tires1
  14. Air bags1

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20001
20011
20020
20032
20043
20056
20062
20075
20081
20092
20102

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

6 reports1 related recall
“TRANSMISSION LOCKS UP OR HARD DOWNSHIFTS AT SPEEDS OF FIFTEEN MILES OR BELOW ON DECELLATERATION. FOUND RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 99V138000, DATED JUNE 02, 1999, HOWEVER WAS TOLD MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ON RECALL LIST. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF BLOGS OF COMPLAINTS INVOLVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IF THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED WHY NOT TO SOME VEHICLES AND NOT TO ALL TRANSMISSIONS THAT WERE AFFECTED. THE JAGUAR PERSON I SPOKE TO WAS VERY DEFENSIVE AND WOULD NOT LET ME GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE, KEPT REPEATING THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ASSOCIATED TO THAT PARTICULAR RECALL. THIS IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT HUNDREDS OF OWNERS ARE FACING AND SHOULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED TO A PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE XJ8 HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2007Power trainODI 10192299

Engine and engine cooling

5 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 JAGUAR XK8. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY MODULE, ELECTRICAL WIRING, AND SPARK PLUGS. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A LYMPH MODE. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 28, 2009Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10267107

Vehicle speed control

3 reports
“TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 JAGUAR XK8. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT INTO LIMP HOME MODE AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FASTER THAN 5 MPH. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE COMPUTER MODULE WOULD INDICATE THAT THERE WAS AN ANTI SLIP DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO REPLACED AGAIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 18, 2010Vehicle speed controlODI 10366704

Service brakes, hydraulic

3 reports
“I REMOVED FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR AND APPLIED BRAKE. CAR SURGED FORWARD. I SHIFTED FOOT FARTHER TO LEFT AND CONTINUED BRAKE APPLICATION AND CAR STOPPED. I DISCOVERED THAT BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS TOO CLOSE TOGETHER SO THAT, WHEN FOOT APPLIED TO BRAKE, RIGHT SIDE OF FOOT CAN INADVERTENTLY PRESS DOWN ON ACCELERATOR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 21, 2010Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10312538

Structure

3 reports
“I OWN A 1999 JAGUAR XK8. ON AUGUST 8TH I WAS RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN HYDRAULIC FLUID STARTED TO POUR FROM THE OVERHEAD NEAR THE INTERNAL LIGHTS. THE HYDRAULIC LINES WHICH FEED THE CONVERTIBLE TOP RUPTURED; MY CAR HAS ONLY 62,000 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED JAGUAR TO LODGE A COMPLAINT. THEY INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUCH EVENTS OCCURRING IN THE XK8 MODEL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER SERVICE THEY HAD A READY PRICE TO FIX THE ITEM. ACCORDINGLY IN THE BAY AT THE TIME WERE 3 OTHER OWNERS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COST TO REPAIR WAS WELL OF 2500 DOLLARS NOT INCLUDING REPLACING SEATS AND ELECTRONICS OR MY CLOTHES AS THE HYDRAULIC FLUID SPRAYED ALL OVER ME. JAGUAR TAKES NO CULPABILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE TOP WERE DOWN THE HYDRAULIC SPRAY COULD HAVE BLOWN IN TO MY EYES AND CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT DUE TO MY INABILITY TO SEE. THUS AFTER NUMEROUS LETTERS JAGUAR HAS NOT ACCEPTED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT IS OBVIOUS AS A DESIGN DEFECT. I HAVE RETAINED THE RUPTURED HYDRAULIC LINES AND THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THIS IS A RECALL ITEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 6, 2007Structure, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10202119

Electrical system

2 reports
“CONVERTIBLE ROOF MOTOR CEASED TO OPERATE. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 7, 2004Electrical systemODI 10080488
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026

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