Problems · NHTSA complaints
2005 Jaguar XK8 problems
Owners filed 30 complaints about the 2005 Jaguar XK8 with NHTSA between Jan 2005 and Mar 2024. The most-cited component is exterior lighting (5).
Complaints
30
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Exterior lighting5
- Air bags3
- Tires3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Engine2
- Power train2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Seats2
- Suspension1
- Structure1
- Wheels1
- Seat belts1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Electrical system1
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 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
4
1
2
2
1
3
3
2
2
3
1
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Exterior lighting
5 reports
“HEADLIGHT ADJUSTERS BROKEN. THIS CAUSES THE HEADLIGHTS TO POINT DOWNWARD AT THE ROAD AND REDUCED VISIBILITY FOR NIGHT DRIVING. IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE LINES ON THE ROAD AND OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL JAGUAR DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THESE PLASTIC ADJUSTERS ARE PRONE TO BREAKING IF ADJUSTED AND REFUSED TO WORK ON THE LIGHTS OR PROVIDE A VIABLE SOLUTION. THEIR FIRST CLAIM WAS THAT THESE LIGHTS COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED AND SENT ME AWAY TWICE WITHOUT SERVICING THE VEHICLE. THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO TELL ME TO SEARCH THE INTERNET. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY BRITTLE PLASTIC THAT HOLDS/ADJUSTS THE LIGHTS AND IF BROKEN DO NOT ALLOW FOR SAFE DRIVING.”
Air bags
3 reports2 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JAGUAR X-TYPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR INADVERTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON AND OFF. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.”
Tires
3 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JAGUAR X-TYPE WITH YOKOHAMA P225/45/R17 TIRES AND DOT CCH8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING 10 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE FRONT LEFT AND FRONT RIGHT TIRES BECAUSE OF THE BLISTERS ON THEM. THE TIRES WERE DISCONTINUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE SHE WAS DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED, A FATAL CRASH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF HOW MANY MILES WERE ON THE TIRES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 64,814.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
3 reports
“I WAS DRIVING FOR ABOUT 1.5 MILES WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC UNTIL I SLOWED AND THEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AT THE CORNER OF HIGHWAY 29 (LAWRENCEVILLE HIGHWAY) AND OAKLAND IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT THE FIRST AT THE LIGHT, AS I WAS UNABLE TO TURN RIGHT UNTIL THE LIGHT CHANGED AT LEAST 3 MINUTES LATER. WHEN THE LIGHT FINALLY CHANGED, I WAITED AND THEN TURNED RIGHT, INTO THE LEFT OF THE TWO EASTBOUND LANES (BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING TO TURN LEFT WITHIN ONE BLOCK ONTO HUFF ROAD). AS I COMPLETED THE TURN AND WAS STRAIGHTENING MY WHEEL I SAW A RED SIGNAL ON THE DASH WHICH STATED 'CRUISE CONTROL UNAVAILABLE'. I THOUGHT THAT ODD BECAUSE CRUISE WAS NOT ON AND HAD NOT BEEN ENGAGED THIS JOURNEY. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THE MESSAGE CHANGED TO 'DCS SYSTEM FAILURE' (NOT SURE OF THOSE THREE LETTERS BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT IT SAID). I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I NOTICED THE RED WARNINGS AND THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING FAST, MAYBE 5-10 MPH. AT THAT POINT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DCS FAILURE MESSAGE, THE BRAKES ENGAGED, LURCHING ME FORWARD. THE BRAKES DISENGAGED AND I IMMEDIATELY SAW A THIRD MESSAGE WHICH STATED 'POWER SYSTEMS FAILURE'. THE CAR WAS NOT AT A…”
Engine
2 reports
“WE WERE DRIVING DOWN INTER=STATE 101 WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ENGINE BEGAN SPUDDERING AND STOPPED RIGHT BY AN EXIT. WE PUSHED THE CAR IN FRONT OF AN MC DONALDS..ALL OF THE OIL POURED OUT OF THE ENGINE.WE HAD IT TOWED BENEDETTI BROS REPAIR ON SEBASTOPOL CALIF..THEY STATED THE MAIN OIL HOSE EXPLODED AND RUINED THE ENGINE..THEY DID STATE THAT THIS VERY SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR HAD A RECALL FOR THIS VERY REASON..I RETURNED MY CAR TO JAQUAR OF MARIN IN CORTE MADERO CALIF WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND TO NO AVAIL COULD I GET IT REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL..I WROTE TO WASH DC AND TO NEW JERSEY AND WAS TURNED DOWN BY BOTH AGENCY,S..EVEN THOUGH THIS VIN NUMBER WASN'T COVERED I THINK IT IS DEPLORABLE THAT THE VERY SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY CAR WHICH WAS THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR THAT JAQUAR RECALLED..PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY? THANK YOU (XXXXX) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”
Power train
2 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JAGUAR X-TYPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PLACING THE GEAR INTO REVERSE, SHE NOTICED A KNOCKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.