JAGUAR XJ6 · model year

1989 JAGUAR XJ6

20 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989JAGUARXJ6 carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 XJ6 is seat belts with 6 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3) and vehicle speed control (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1989 XJ6. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

20
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

20 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT1

Recent Complaints

20130301SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MECHANISM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSIVE BELT SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY NO LONGER MANUFACTURED THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 148,000. UPDATED 04-05-13 *BF

Mileage: 125,000

20101025SEAT BELTS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN RECALL 93V179000 (SEAT BELTS) BUT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE MANUFACTURER NO LONGER MANUFACTURED THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 157,000.

Mileage: 157,000

20100914SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT MOTOR FAILED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE LIFETIME WARRANTY YET THE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPAIRS WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT'S PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20091202SEAT BELTS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH OF THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS IN THE FRONT SEAT FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE MOTOR WOULD NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH AS IT SHOULD HAVE WHEN THE DOORS WERE OPEN AND CLOSED. RECALL 93V179000, SEAT BELTS IS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS IN STOCK. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE DIFFICULT TO GET DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY, THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE BUT NOT THE DRIVER SIDE. HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 163,572 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000 UPDATED 02/18/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT DOES HOT HOLD. UPDATED 09/16/10

Mileage: 135,000

20080124SEAT BELTS:FRONT

WE OWN A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6 AND THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT EVERYTIME THE DOOR IS CLOSED. SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE BELTS WERE REPLACED BY OUR LOCAL DEALER BUT NOW THE PROBLEM IS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE DEAL STATED HE CANNOT GET PARTS ANY LONGER. WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? I'M SURE SOMEONE MAKES AFTER MARKET LAP BELTS THAT ARE NOT MOTORIZED. *TR

Mileage: 195,000

20070718SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 JAGUAR XJ6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW FLUID INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE ALSO LEARNED FROM A MECHANIC THAT THE BRAKE ACCUMULATOR SWITCH WAS LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID, WHICH ACTIVATES THE POWER BRAKES. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE LOW FLUID INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER FOR $600, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME FAILURE AS NOTED IN RECALL # 90V023000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: FOUNDATION COMPONENTS: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). HOWEVER, THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR FREE PERIOD HAS EXPIRED FOR HIS VEHICLE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 92,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 08/09/07. *JB

Mileage: 85,000

20010919SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN GETTING IN VEHICLE SEAT BELT WILL GET STRUCK. WHILE SITTING IN VEHICLE IT WILL SOMETIMES START WORKING, AND SOMETIMES MAY NOT WORK FOR A WHILE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER STATED CAN'T FIX WHEN SEAT BELT IS WORKING.

20010713SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEATBELT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1993 WITH A LIFETIME GUARANTEE. DEALER AND JAGUAR COMPANY REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY.*AK CONSUMER PAID FOR JAGUAR TO CLEAN THE MODULE, HOWEVER THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, JAGUAR STILL REFUSES ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *SLC

20010125SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES-ABS SYSTEM REPEATEDLY AND DISC BRAKES SEEM TO HAVE NO HYDRAULICS-PEDAL HARD AS A ROCK. ABS SENSOR COMES ON INTERMITTANTLY EVEN WHEN NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM W/ABS, YET ABS FAILS OFTEN-ESPECIALLY UNDER HEAVY BRAKING. ELECTRICAL: CAR WOULD DIE WHILE IN OPERATION YET ALTERNATOR TESTS FINE. CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER SITTING-SOMETIMES HOURS-SOMETIMES DAYS. CAR SEEMS TO HAVE ELEC DRAIN FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE. CAR BEEN TO FOUR DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS W/ OVER $3K SPENT. CAR BEEN UNDRIVEABLE FOR OVER 18 MONTHS. CAR HAS HAD THREE NEW BATTERIES INSTALLED AS IT CONTINUES TO RUIN BATTERIES AS A RESULT OF PROBLEM. SEAT BELTS-PASSENGER SIDE AUTO SLIDING CHEST BELT WOULD OFTEN GET STUCK AND NOT CLOSE OR OPEN-THIS WAS INTERMITTANT UNTIL IT FINALLY STAYED STUCK IN MIDDLE OF TRACK. REAR SEAT BELT HAS NEVER OPERATED PROPERLY. HEATING/COOLING-ORIG ENTIRE MODULE WAS REPLACED AND 2ND ONE FAILED (OVER $2K). SWITCH DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN ON ANY FLOW AND MAKES CLICKIN

20010125POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES-ABS SYSTEM REPEATEDLY AND DISC BRAKES SEEM TO HAVE NO HYDRAULICS-PEDAL HARD AS A ROCK. ABS SENSOR COMES ON INTERMITTANTLY EVEN WHEN NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM W/ABS, YET ABS FAILS OFTEN-ESPECIALLY UNDER HEAVY BRAKING. ELECTRICAL: CAR WOULD DIE WHILE IN OPERATION YET ALTERNATOR TESTS FINE. CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER SITTING-SOMETIMES HOURS-SOMETIMES DAYS. CAR SEEMS TO HAVE ELEC DRAIN FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE. CAR BEEN TO FOUR DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS W/ OVER $3K SPENT. CAR BEEN UNDRIVEABLE FOR OVER 18 MONTHS. CAR HAS HAD THREE NEW BATTERIES INSTALLED AS IT CONTINUES TO RUIN BATTERIES AS A RESULT OF PROBLEM. SEAT BELTS-PASSENGER SIDE AUTO SLIDING CHEST BELT WOULD OFTEN GET STUCK AND NOT CLOSE OR OPEN-THIS WAS INTERMITTANT UNTIL IT FINALLY STAYED STUCK IN MIDDLE OF TRACK. REAR SEAT BELT HAS NEVER OPERATED PROPERLY. HEATING/COOLING-ORIG ENTIRE MODULE WAS REPLACED AND 2ND ONE FAILED (OVER $2K). SWITCH DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN ON ANY FLOW AND MAKES CLICKIN

20000823STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES HAVE FAILED ON ALL FOUR DOORS AT LEAST TWICE AND THREE TIMES ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOORS. THE DOOR HANDLE WHEN ENGAGED WILL NOT OPEN THEREBY CREATING A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IF A PERSON OR PERSONS BECOME TRAPPED AND SOMEONE TRIES TO OPEN THE DOORS VIA THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. SEVERAL REPAIR PERSONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS HAVE ALL INDICATED TO ME THAT JAGUAR IS AWARE OF THIS SAFETY PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT TRIED TO CORRECT IT. SERVICE DIRECTOR - ROBBY HARRISON AT OVERSEAS MOTORS SAYS THAT THEY CAN ONLY CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE DOOR HANDLES BUT THEY HAVE NO WAY OF CORRECTING THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE I WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH JAGUAR AT 1-800-452-4827, EXT. 8088 WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP HAD CORRECTED IT ONCE.*AK

20000727CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

WHEN MOVIN TRANSMISSION PAWL TO REVERSE VEHICLE TOOK OFF, MAKING CONSUMER LOSE CONTROL. CONSUMEER COULD NOT STOP AND CRASHED. *AK

19990319SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE CHARGE SWITCH KEEPS GOING OUT, CAUSING THE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO FLOW OUT OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE BRAKES. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THEY BECOME VERY HARD, AND DO NOT STOP VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE CONSUMER HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. *AK

19990319SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE CHARGE SWITCH KEEPS GOING OUT, CAUSING THE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO FLOW OUT OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE BRAKES. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THEY BECOME VERY HARD, AND DO NOT STOP VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE CONSUMER HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. *AK

19990111SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTI LOCK BRAKES CONTINUALLY FAIL.

19971028SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

RIGHT FRONT ABS BRAKES FAILED.

19970717LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

DOOR LATCHES FAILED SO THAT DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE.

19960827EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

RECALL #90V024000 CONSUMER IS SECOND OWNER, HAD IT FIX UNDER THE FIRST OWNER BUT STILL HAVING THE PROBLEM .*AK CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE SWITCH TWICE IN TWO YEARS, WHEN IT FAILS IT CAUSES CONSUMER TO LOSE BRAKE PRESSURE, ALSO LEAKS FLUID. *SLC

19960124CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE ACCELERATOR PEDEL STICKS WHILE THE CAR IS IN REVERSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

19960124CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE ACCELERATOR PEDEL STICKS WHILE THE CAR IS IN REVERSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Compare 1989JAGUARXJ6 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 JAGUAR XJ6 have?
The 1989 JAGUAR XJ6 has 20 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 JAGUAR XJ6?
The most-complained component for the 1989 JAGUAR XJ6 is SEAT BELTS with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1989 JAGUAR XJ6 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.