XJ Disaster

essex · July 2, 2017

Hi all,

So bought my fist Jaguar in Dec 2015. I wanted an XJ and after searching found a lovely 5ltr V8 one with 45k miles. Full Jaguar service history and no expense spared. Immaculate.

So I kept up with the servicing and on the first service I had the guy recommended that I get the water pump changed. Apparently they are known to fail and then I will be in big trouble. So reluctantly I took his advise. I agreed to change a perfectly working part in an attempt to hold any major issues away. Even though it had only done 50k miles at this point.

10 months later I am at the side of the road with steam coming out of the bonnet. Got a recovery to Jaguar and it turns out a hose feeding the block from the water pump had corroded. What are the chances 10 months after a perfectly good water pump is changed that the hose attached to it fails after 10 months? So I again reluctantly agree to replace this part at £450 as there is no real way I can prove otherwise and I need the car back and running.

Then I get a call. The car is fine on cold but when at temperature there is smoke coming from the back and it sounds very bad. So I am now looking at replacing two head gaskets at a cost of around £4k and then not even guaranteeing that it will be fixed. It could be the two block heads (or something) that have warped and that will be another £2.5k to fix and even then there may be other things on top of this.

So I have a Jaguar that cost £80k seven years ago and has done 60k miles and been services by Jaguar when required and had all recommended works done and I am now looking at at least £7k worth of repairs with no guarantee that after this it will be road worthy. All this due to a rugger hose that was attached to a water pump that did not even need changing 10 months ago.....

Anyway I have opened a complaint case to Jaguar HQ to see if they will fund the repair but I am not holding on to my breath. Looks like my first and last Jaguar. Very sad.

Lazlo Woodbine · July 2, 2017

The way I would approach the corroded hose issue is to first get a good general consensus on their expected service life from various people who know the cars, specialists etc. If your findings indicate that either the corrosion should have been obvious at the time of the pump change / that it should be replaced with the pump / the pump should not have been changed / anything favourable etc. then see if someone with a bit of clout will back you up arguing the point to Jaguar.

If you can argue convincingly that there was specific negligence involved rather than just saying that you would hope it to last longer than it did and that you don't think the pump should have been changed then you will be in a much stronger position. Unfortunately ten months is a long time for bad workmanship to show up and far exceeds the limitation for mechanical faults following an MOT for example. Also a seven year old car is considered old by manufacturers. I know, I know, it is ridiculous.

Personally I don't have any experience arguing this sort of thing when the sale or servicing of goods are involved but I have put negligence cases together so know the value of a short, sharp and to the point argument (with plenty hidden up your sleeve).

To be honest I'm not optimistic of you getting too far with them but if you're really going for the throat then my lack of confidence should do nothing but spur you on!