AI Damage1999 Jaguar XJ8L: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Jaguar XJ8L filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 11% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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 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…
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.
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.
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. I made contact with jaguar and they have been non responsive.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XJ8L has 12 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Jaguar XJ8L?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (22%), warning lights, check engine (22%), airbags did not deploy (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Jaguar XJ8L?
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 1999 Jaguar XJ8L 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 1999 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.