1979 Jaguar XJS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
0 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1979 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
No owner complaints are recorded for this selection. A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Pattern summary
There is not enough complaint evidence to summarize patterns.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
0 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1998 | 2001 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 114.3%ODI 10353049 · 42,002 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 JAGUAR XJS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH HE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. HE STATED THAT THE SMELL WAS SO STRONG THAT IT GAVE HIM A HEADACHE. HE ADDED FUEL TO THE VEHICLE AND THOUGHT THAT HE HAD SPILLED SOME FUEL ON HIM. HE REFERENCED RECALL 90V123000,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THEY NO LONGER CARRY THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN AUGUST 2010. THE FAILURE MILEAGE W… | 17.1%ODI 564169AFTER THE RECALL WAS FIXED THE FUEL TANK DEVELOPED A BREAK AND CONSEQUENT SERIOUS FUEL LEAK, REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK AT A COST OF $1,791.46. CONSUMER STATED THAT, THIS WAS AN ACKNOWLEDGED DEFECT IN THE TANK THAT WAS ON GOING OR NOT PROPERLY FIXED. THEREFORE, CONSUMER IS SEEKING A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF REPLACEMENT OF TANK (RECALL #90V123000). *YD | 320.0%ODI 741685FUEL TANK DEVELOPED LEAK. WEB SEARCH REVEALED THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. CAUSE IS EITHER TANK PUNCTURE BY CONTACT WITH RIVET OVER TIME OR A REAR WINDOW LEAK ALLOWING WATER INTRUSION. WATER SATURATES FOAM ON WHICH TANK RESTS AND CORRODES METAL FROM OUTSIDE. PASSENGER CABIN IS CONTAMINATED WITH FUMES UNLESS WINDOWS ARE CLOSED AND FAN IS ON. TRUNC CONTAINS BOTH LIQUID AND FUMES IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seat Belts | 342.9%ODI 10288542THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT MECHANISM (AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS) ON MY 1988 JAGUAR XJ6 COUPE ARE NOT WORKING. JAGUAR CLAIMS A LIFETIME WARRANTY. HOWEVER THE PARTS ARE ON "NATIONAL BACK ORDER" ACCORDING TO MY DEALER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF I CHOOSE TO DRIVE MY CAR, POSSIBLY A TRAFFIC VIOLATION AS WELL. JAGUAR SEEMS UNABLE/UNWILLING TO HONOR ITS WARRANTY, GIVING IN THE WORDS OF A FELLOW JAGUAR OWNER "A SONG AND DANCE". *TR | 321.4%ODI 10033717EMAIL FWD FM ROGER W. JOHNSON (TX) RE DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS IN HIS 1989 JAGUAR XJS, REQUESTS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION FOR POSSIBLE RECALL.*MR THE VEHICLES AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS HAVE FAILED SIX TIMES SINCE THE CONSUMER OWNED THE VEHICLE. EACH TIME THE MANUFACTURER REPAIRED OR REPLACED THE MECHANISM. THE LAST FAILURE OCCURRED OVER A YEAR AGO AND IS NOT REPAIRABLE DUE TO NON-AVAILABILITY OF PARTS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A BACKLOG OF CONSUMERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *PH *NLM | 16.7%ODI 10355715 · 152,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JAGUAR XJS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LOCKING INTO PLACE. THE CONTACT STATED PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SEAT BELTS FOR HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT AND THAT IS ON BACKORDER WITH NO ESTIMATED TIME. THERE HAD BEEN NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157000. UPDATED 03/02/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT HAS DEVELOPED … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7%ODI 10439268DRIVER/PASSENGER SEAT BELTS REMAIN FULLY DEPLOYED POST USE, WILL PARTIALLY RETRACT WITH PUSHING AND PULLING SEVERAL TIMES. NEVER COMPLETELY RETRACT, THIS IS A US LEFT SIDE DRIVE 2+2 CONVERTIBLE. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1%ODI 701102THIS FORM SUCKS! I CAN'T MANAGE TO GET ANYTHING TO FIT! I GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO FORGET ABOUT IT. | 213.3%ODI 731619THE JAGUAR XJS V12 FROM MID 1989-ON, EQUIPPED WITH MARELLI IGNITION HAS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR THAT RESULTS IN LOSS OF IGNITION ON THE RIGHT BANK OF CYLINDERS. THE MOTOR CONTINUES TO RUN ON THE 6 LEFT BANK CYLINDERS, AND UNBURNED FUEL PASSES THROUGH THE RIGHT HAND CYLINDERS, AND IGNITES IN THE HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER, RESULTING IN A FIRE THAT LEADS TO THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE CAR. THIS PHENOMENON HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN DEPTH ON THE FORUM "[email removed]" AND DETAILS CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM THE SEARCHABLE XJ-S ARCHIVES AT WWW.JAG… | 112.5%ODI 531740DESIGN/LOCATION OF IGNITION COIL COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE COIL TO MOVE CLOSE TO FUEL INJECTOR HOSE, RESULTING IN FIRE. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 756503ENGINE DIES WHEN SLOWING DOWN IN TRAFFIC. HAS DIED OUT IN TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THREE TIMES. DEALER CANNOT FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG.- HAS BEEN SERVICED THREE TIMES (TOTAL OF 26 DAYS) SINCE AUGUST, AND TODAY IS BEING FLATBEDDED BACK FOR FOURTH TIME BECAUSE OF SAME PROBLEM. MILEAGE IN AUGUST 49099 AND NOW 50963. FIRST SERVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS AT THOMAS JAGUAR IN HARTFORD, LAST TWO TIMES CHECKERED FLAGG LYNNHAVEN IN VA. BEACH, VA, TELEPHONE [phone removed]. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1% | 213.3% | 112.5%ODI 526468VEHICLEPULLS STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 16.7% | 112.5%ODI 554475WHEN BRAKING AT LOW SPEED, A LOUD THUNK IS HEARD FROM THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION, INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE TOP OF THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER HAD BROKEN AWAY, THE INNER END OF THE CONTROL ARM WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE CAR. NLM | 125.0%ODI 759420WHILE DRIVING MY 1992 JAGUAR XJS THE FRONT STEERING SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF PLAY. GOING OVER BUMPS OR DIPS IN THE ROAD MADE THE CAR DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. I INTIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE POWER STEERING AS THAT PART WENT BAD GIVING ME THE SAME CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVING. AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN THE GARAGEOVER NIGHT I WENT TO BACK OUT WHEN I HERD A SNAP. THE POWER STERING WENT OUT. I DID BACK THE CAR UP AND LEFT IT ON THE DRIVEWAY SO THAT IT COULD BE TOWED TO GREAT BRITTANS (JAG DEALOR/REPAIR SHOP). THATS WHEN … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7%ODI 812002CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 55MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Unknown Or Other | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1% | 16.7%ODI 10079907CONSUMER SEEKING CONFIRMATION FOR THREE RECALLS INVOLVING THE 1990 XJS.*MR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 735391THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT OTHER VEHICLES OF SIMILAR TYPE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SURE IS HAVING A PROBLEM AT LOW MILEAGE AND AGE WHICH IS VERY SUSPICIOUS. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 862501WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD, INDICATING SYSTEM AND ENGINE FAILURE. CONSUMER SAID THERE WAS LOSS OF POWER WHEN SHE APPLIED GAS PEDAL. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 250.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1%ODI 784707WHEN THE IGNITION CUTS OUT ON THE LEFT SIDE, THE FUEL INJECTORS CONTINUED TO DUMP FUEL, WHICH WENT INTO THE PREHEATED CONVERTERD AND BURNED, HIGH HEAT CAUSED THE CATALYST TO MELT AND SAG IN BOTH CONVERTERS. NLM | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 704632JAGUAR HAS BEEN AWEAR OF FREQUENT ENGINE FIRES IN THE V12 MODEL CARS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAS RUN OUT OF REPLACEMENT IGNITION HARNESSS WORLD WIDE B/C OF THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE A FAULTY DESIGNED LIGHT DISTRIBUTOR CAPS WHICH HAVE LEAD TO THE FIRES ALL THE DEALS AND EXPERT MECHANICS ARE AWEAR OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY WIL NOT ADMIT OR CORRECT IT! I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON OTHER REPORTS TO START A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGANST THEM!! | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2001: 1 complaints · 2002: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component |
|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.