AI Damage2004 Jaguar XJ8: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Jaguar XJ8 filed 54 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 54
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 31% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 7% of all complaints
- Suspension: 17 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (22% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (15% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 54 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 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.
While proceeding to park in the driveway, the vehicle experienced a sudden acceleration and forcibly struck another vehicle that was parked in the garage. During this incident the driver had no control of braking or steering.
I was making a left turn at 15 mph when the car suddenly accelerated for a few moments and then settled down. I then took 2 right turns at 10 mph and was attempting to apply the brake in a parking spot when the car suddenly accelerated running over a bush, 10 ft tree, and in to a ditch on east side of highway 41 in…
After washing the headlights,the lamps developed a thick film. While driving at night he crashed into another vehicle because the headlights were poorly lit. He was in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer to have the headlights cleaned with special chemicals.
The electronic parking brake automatically applied, which brought the vehicle to a complete halt. As a result, the vehicle was rear ended at speeds between 60-65 mph. The contacts vehicle spun around into four lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed into a guard rail. The vehicle was destroyed.
Tl contact owns a 2004 jaguar xj8. While driving 5 mph the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were applied this caused him to crash into another vehicle. The road conditions were dry. The contact stated that there was damage to her bumper.
While traveling from st louis to tulsa on highway 44, shortly after the toll plaza and about 40 miles from tulsa, the right rear tire separated from the wheel suddenly and without any indication of prior trouble.
Was waiting for a light change, when suddenly my car lurched forward whilse my foot was still on brake, bumping the two cars in front of me. The dsc fault light was on after this happened.stating ``dsc not available``had vechical towed to heritage jaguar in freeport, they replaced the fault brake pressure switch.
On two separate occasions when brakes were applied vehicle failed to stop and continued to roll. The first time this occurred vehicle stopped before hitting the motorist bumper. The second time the bumper was hit. Dealership nor insurance company could not find the cause of the failure.
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 5,128 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XJ8 has 22 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 54, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Jaguar XJ8?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, vehicle speed control, powertrain. Total complaints: 54. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (17%), unintended acceleration (9%), headlights and tail lights (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Jaguar XJ8?
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 2004 Jaguar XJ8 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 2004 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.