JAGUAR XJ8L · model year

1999 JAGUAR XJ8L

10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999JAGUARXJ8L carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 4 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 1999 XJ8L is vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and exterior lighting:fog lights (1). 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 1999 XJ8L. 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.

10
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20131003ENGINE

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"

Mileage: 143,000

20090211ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

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

Mileage: 87,815

20080510VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

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.

Mileage: 94,000

20061208POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS, A NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE GEARS SHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED IF A TRANSMISSION CLEANING DOES NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.

Mileage: 86,000

20051128CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

I WAS THE THIRD CAR IN A FIVE-CAR ACCIDENT. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND ABOUT 0.5 CAR LENGTH FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN CAR NUMBER 2, A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP, HIT ME FROM BEHIND. MY CAR, A 1999 XJ8L, SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE REAR, BUT ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT SECTION, NO DAMAGE TO BODY SHEET METAL; ONLY ONE BUMPER SHOCK NEEDS REPLACED. THE DRIVER?????S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE DRIVER?????S SEAT COLLAPSE INTO THE REAR BENCH SEAT. THE POSITION OF MY SEAT WHEN I DRIVE IS; THE BACK ADJUSTMENT IS SET AT OR VERY CLOSE TO STRAIGHT UP (90 DEGREES), THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT IS SET ALMOST ALL THE WAY UP, AND THE SEAT DISTANCE FROM THE PEDALS IS VERY CLOSE TO ALL THE WAY BACK. AS A RESULT OF BEING HIT FROM BEHIND, MY BODY WAS THROWN FORWARD ABOUT 10 DEGREES AND WAS WHIPPED BACKWARDS TO A FULL-RECLINED POSITION (ABOUT 175DEGREES). THE ACCIDENT CAUSED MY SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE BACK REAR BENCH SEAT AND AS A RESULT, I WAS IN A FULLY RECLINED POSITIO

Mileage: 90,000

20050601SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM 50 TO 60 MPH UP AN ONRAMP MY AMBER LIGHT COMES ON SHOWING "RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE". IT NOW OCCURRS ANY TIME I ACCELERATE TO 65.

Mileage: 24,000

20041019ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING ,THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER WA ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS. *JB

20030512FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMERS SUNROOF AUTOMATICALLY OPENED AND A BURNING SMELL PERMEATED THE COCKPIT. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY CUT THE ENGINE OFF AND PULLED ALL THE FUSES OUT, HOWEVER A FEW MINUTES LATER THE SMOKE TURNED INTO FIRE. IT SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE SUNROOF BUTTON CLUSTER. THE FORENSIC SPECIALIST SAID THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS THE SUNROOF CONTROL MODULE. THE CONSUMER INFORMED JAGUAR OF NORTH AMERICA, HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED AND WOULD NOT FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE FAILED MODULE. *CB A FIRE REPORT IS ENCLOSED. ALSO THE RIGHT FOG LAMP WAS REPLACED. *JB

Mileage: 57,000

20030512FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMERS SUNROOF AUTOMATICALLY OPENED AND A BURNING SMELL PERMEATED THE COCKPIT. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY CUT THE ENGINE OFF AND PULLED ALL THE FUSES OUT, HOWEVER A FEW MINUTES LATER THE SMOKE TURNED INTO FIRE. IT SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE SUNROOF BUTTON CLUSTER. THE FORENSIC SPECIALIST SAID THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS THE SUNROOF CONTROL MODULE. THE CONSUMER INFORMED JAGUAR OF NORTH AMERICA, HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED AND WOULD NOT FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE FAILED MODULE. *CB A FIRE REPORT IS ENCLOSED. ALSO THE RIGHT FOG LAMP WAS REPLACED. *JB

Mileage: 57,000

20020723VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK, INCREASING THE SPEED TO 90 MPH. CONSUMER SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. DEALER DETERMINED THAT PIN OF METAL CLIP UNDER ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD WEDGED ITSELF INTO THE RUBBER, CAUSING ACCELERATION.*AK

Compare 1999JAGUARXJ8L to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L have?
The 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L?
The most-complained component for the 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS.
Is the 1999 JAGUAR XJ8L 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.