1998 Jaguar XJ8 problems & reliability
83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Jaguar XJ8. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 35 | 42% |
| Power Train | 14 | 17% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 11 | 13% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 5% |
| Engine | 3 | 4% |
| Seats | 3 | 4% |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 69,000 miles (middle 50% between 54,500 and 100,000 miles), based on 47 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 jaguar xj8. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or at a stand still, the gears failed to engaged properly wit the fuel injector, power train, transmission warning lights illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to brown's jaguar (10505 midlothian…”
Power Train · filed Sep 17, 2020
“Takata recall transmission fault light lights is on instrument lights go blank transmission goes clunk in and either reverse or drive”
Electrical System · filed Jan 30, 2016
“Operating my vehicle, the engine starting running poor. Jaguar dealership explained poorly designed timing chain tensioners and arms have failed because jaguar made the components out of a cheap plastic, that is known to crack and cause the valves to contact the pistons. Jaguar updated the tensioners to metal , but…”
Engine · filed Sep 23, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Jaguar XJ8. The 10 most recent:
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2021
A customer may report "Hood Open" message displays on IP with hood closed.
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
18C - New face of InControl Touch Pro and 18C software improvements
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
SIM card activation issues
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
InControl Touch Pro phase 4 customer letter
SFCC_09AUG18_REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2018
Jaguar Land Rover Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC_08MAR18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 8, 2018
Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC_14DEC17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2017
Mongoose Update.
SSM62038Attachme · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2012
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Jaguar XJ8 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Jaguar XJ8?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 69,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.