2008 Jaguar XJ Problems: 15 Known Issues

On the 2005-2009 Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDV6 (276DT), the 2.7-litre twin-turbo TDV6 (Ford/PSA-derived 276DT) fitted to the 2005-2009 X350/X358 XJ diesel has two linked bottom-end weaknesses distinct from the later 3.0 306DT story. The oil pump housing has a thin section where the front timing-belt tensioner mounts; it cracks under load (owners most often report it after a timing belt change), the pump loses drive or pressure, and the engine is starved of oil. Separately, the crankshaft itself has weak sections between the rod journals and counterweights and can snap, usually after spun main/big-end bearings; forum threads document failures at 45-65k miles on otherwise maintained cars. Diesel dilution of the oil (the engine even carries an oil-dilution warning), extended oil-change intervals, and the rear-mounted belt that often never gets changed all contribute. Failure is usually terminal: a bare replacement engine is the normal repair.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners of AJ-V8 XJs report oil at the joint between the engine and the transmission and discuss whether the rear crankshaft (rear main) seal is the source. Owners also point out that other leaks above the joint, such as a weeping oil gallery plug above the rear crank seal, can run down to the same place and mimic a rear main seal leak. This applies to 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation) with the 4.2 V8, naturally aspirated or supercharged; one linked report is from an earlier 2000 XJ8 with the related 4.0 V8. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2006-2009 Jaguar XJ 4.2L naturally aspirated V8, on cars with the 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8, the engine may start roughly or stall after a hot soak of 15-20 minutes. Jaguar says the cause may be a fueling calibration that is not robust for winter-blend 10% ethanol fuel. Applies to: 2006-2009 model year XJ (X350) with the 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8, VIN range G49701-H30057, North American market (Jaguar bulletin JTB00268, current issue JTB00268NAS3). The bulletin applies to the naturally aspirated 4.2 only, so supercharged cars (XJR, Super V8) are not covered.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, jaguar warns that cleaning this throttle body can carry contamination into its bearings and remove necessary lubricant. Oils, grease or sealants on its electrical connectors can also cause damage. This service warning does not establish a common failure, a diagnosis or a need for replacement.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners of 4.2 V8 XJs report the plastic thermostat housing cracking and leaking coolant, with the low-coolant warning or overheating as the first sign. Owners also name the expansion (overflow) tank and its small pipe connections as a leak point; Jaguar service message SSM51717 confirms the expansion tank stub pipe can split on XJ (X350) up to the end of the 2009 model year. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation) with the 4.2 V8; owner reports include a 2004 Vanden Plas, a 2005 XJ8L and a 2006 Super V8. The expansion tank stub pipe message (SSM51717) covers all X350 XJs up to the end of 2009 MY. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause. Mileage when it happened, as stated in the linked owner reports: 20,000 miles on a 2004 and 108,000 miles on a 2005.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report warning messages and unrelated electrical faults on the X350. Causes owners report or suspect include a weak battery (one owner's warning message was cured by a new battery), corroded or loose ground (earth) points such as the studs at the front of the engine bay, and, in one case, the fuse box in the boot. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation); owner reports include a 2003 XJ6, a 2006 Super V8 and a diesel XJ. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2005-2009 Jaguar XJ, on a small number of XJs that had already had the instrument cluster replaced, the replacement cluster has a fault: the air suspension unit "spikes" every 99 minutes, the cluster stays awake for about 30 minutes each time, and this may drain the battery. Applies to: Only specific 2005-2009 model year XJ (X350) cars in VIN range G45258-H31488 that are on Jaguar's affected-VIN list for service action K134: 67 US cars (service bulletin 6-202USA) and 5 Canadian cars (technical bulletin K134NAS1). Other cars in that VIN range are not affected.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report water getting into the boot, leaving the carpet damp and water standing in the floor channels. In the linked 2003 X350 thread, owners traced it to water running off the boot lid when it is opened in the rain, and hosepipe tests found the seals watertight. Other entry points worth checking on any boot leak include the rear lamp cluster seals and the boot-lid seal. This applies to 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation); the openable owner reports are from 2003 X350s. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report corrosion bubbling under the paint of the aluminium body, most often along the front edge of the boot lid by the rear window, at the bottom corners of the doors and at the pillars. Owners describe it as cosmetic but unsightly if ignored. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation); owner reports include 2003 cars and a 2007 XJR. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners of the X350-family XJ report the "Air suspension fault" message, a corner of the car sitting low, and in one case air audibly escaping from a rear strut. Owners traced it to leaking air struts (shocks); one owner's message came and went while driving. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 family) with the factory air suspension; owner reports include a 2006 XJ8L, a 2006 Vanden Plas, a 2005 Super V8 and a 2008 XJ8. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report a clunking or knocking noise from the front suspension traced to worn bushings in the front suspension arms (wishbones), upper or lower, or in the lower shock-absorber mounts. One owner was first quoted complete lower arms; the dealer later found worn, leaking upper arms instead. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation); owner reports include a 2004 XJ8 at 35,000 miles (worn front upper arms after an initial lower-arm diagnosis) and a 2004 XJR with worn lower shock bushes and a leaking front arm bushing. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause. Mileage when it happened, as stated in the linked owner reports: 35,000 miles on a 2004.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report the fuel gauge reading erratically on the X350, dropping fast, reading empty or reading past full, then recovering. The fuel level senders are mounted on the in-tank pump modules. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation); owner reports include X350 sedans and a 2004 XJR. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause. Mileage when it happened, as stated in the linked owner reports: 196,000 miles on a 2004.

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, jaguar says the park brake warning lamps may light and the electric park brake may fail to operate correctly if it is not re-calibrated after work on the park brake actuator, park brake cables or rear brake calipers, including a rear brake pad change. Codes C1129-39 or C1129-3A may be stored. Applies to: XJ (X350) 2003-2009 model years, VIN G00001-H30057, North American market (bulletin JTB00208NAS2, which also covers the XF, X351 XJ, XK and S-TYPE).

On the 2004-2009 Jaguar XJ, owners report transmission fluid leaking from the ZF six-speed automatic, most often at the plastic electrical connector sleeve at the rear of the case and at the plastic sump (pan), which has the filter built in. Applies to: 2004-2009 XJ (X350 generation) with the ZF 6HP26 automatic; owner reports include 2005 XJ8L and Vanden Plas models. Summarized from the owner reports linked here; not a manufacturer finding. Your vehicle's equipment and history may differ; a technician must confirm the cause.

On the 2005-2009 Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDV6 (276DT), on the 2005-2009 X350 XJ 2.7 diesel the twin EGR valves and the plastic inlet 'Y-piece' clog with soot. A valve stuck open feeds carbon back into the intake, restricts airflow and triggers 'Restricted Performance' limp mode; a valve stuck or leaking oil has been linked by owners and specialists to turbocharger bearing failure, and a replacement turbo will fail again if the EGR is not fixed at the same time. Threads on the XJ, XF and Discovery 3/Range Rover Sport (same engine) all document the same pattern.