AI Damage2005 Jaguar XJ Sedan: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Jaguar XJ Sedan filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 23% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
- 8 Parking brake 8% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The zenon headlights flicker and sometimes go out. Restarting the car solves the problem but it recurs after a few minutes. Several inspections by dealer resulted in no repair as they said they could not make the problem occur.
I lost power as the engine went to idle speed and an "engine fault" message alerted me that there was a problem. Fortunately, I was able to make it to the shoulder and creep down an exit, where I was able to find a service station.
Driving on the highway going about 70mph, not accelerating nor coasting, just maintaining speed. The engine basically shut down, and I had to pull onto the shoulder, it was very dangerous and frankly, it scared me.
2005 jaguar xj8l you can be driving the vehicle and loose all mobility from the engine to drive axle. You would receive a park brake fault failure, however the engine would still be running all accessories would still be running perfectly however when you would press the accelerator it would just rev the engine but…
2005 jaguar xjr goes into limp home mode (reduced performance mode) every once a while and be able to drive 10mph max. Car in the rear might crash for sudden loss of speed. Dealer tried to read obd code but nothing was detected so no way to fix it. There are many xj owner experiencing same issue.
Was driving and it started raining and water started leaking into the cabin of the car. It occurs every time it rains. Nothing has been done to repair as local body shop said its not repairable.
My vehicle experiences very frequent failure of the speedometer. While driving down the road at varying speeds the needle will just graudually got to zero. In town traffic and highway speeds, it doesn't matter which. Jaguar refused to fix it. I sued under the lemon law.
Repeated instances in dec. 2008 and jan. 2009 of vehicle going into "limp" mode, virtually inoperable. Car service department analyzed the vehicle diagnostics on two occasions, finally claiming that a defective throttle body assembly was the problem. Cost to me for repair - approx. $1,300.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XJ Sedan has 5 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 13, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Jaguar XJ Sedan?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (8%), loss of power / limp mode (8%), unintended acceleration (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Jaguar XJ Sedan?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2005 Jaguar XJ Sedan from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2005 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.