2004 Jaguar XJ Recall: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The defect

JAGUAR IS RECALLING 14,551 MY 2004 XJ VEHICLES. A POTENTIAL CONCERN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A NOISE VIBRATION AND HARSHNESS (NVH) PAD FITTED TO THE UNDER TRAY AND ITS INTERACTION WITH THE REAR UNDER FLOOR BRAKE PIPES, REAR CROSS MEMBER BRAKE PIPES, AND THEIR UNIONS. A REVIEW OF VEHICLE BUILD CONDITIONS PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT A TOUCH CONDITION CAN EXIST BETWEEN THE UNDER FLOOR AND CROSS MEMBER BRAKE PIPES AND THE NVH PAD AT THE REAR OF THE UNDER FLOOR UNDER TRAY. WHERE THE TOUCH CONDITION EXISTS, WATER AND DIRT CAN COLLECT AND BE HELD IN CONTACT WITH THE PIPES AND THEIR UNIONS, ABRADE THE CORROSION PROTECTION AND REDUCE THE CORROSION LIFE OF THE PIPES ACCORDINGLY.

The risk

CORROSION OF THE BRAKE PIPES CAN LEAD TO A LOSS OF MECHANICAL INTEGRITY OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS CAN RESULT IN EXTENDED BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL COMBINED WITH REDUCED BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN THE CORRESPONDING BRAKE CIRCUIT. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MAY DISPLAY THE WARNING MESSAGE 'FLUID LEVEL LOW', ALONG WITH THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IN THE EVENT OF BOTH BRAKING CIRCUITS LOSING INTEGRITY AT THE SAME TIME, COMPLETE LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES WILL OCCUR, THEREBY POTENTIALLY CAUSING A VEHICLE CRASH.

The fix — what to do

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE UNDER TRAY AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND REMOVE AND DISCARD THE NVH PAD FITTED TO THE REAR OF THE UNDER TRAY. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR UNDER FLOOR AND REAR CROSS MEMBER BRAKE PIPES AND UNIONS FOR RED RUST. IF RED RUST IS PRESENT ON THE PIPES OR ON THE UNION, THE BRAKE PIPES AND UNION WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW COMPONENTS OF THE SAME DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT JAGUAR AT 1-800-452-4827.

JAGUAR RECALL NO. J012.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .