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Jaguar Deceleration Problems

Jaguar • Brakes • Deceleration problems • Multiple problems • Transmission • Other vexations

Daniel of Tampa writes (2/27/03):
Bought 2003 Jaguar S Type brand new. On the third day, I drove car into my garage slowly, the car wouldn't stop and damaged my garage drywall. Since then I have had at least 6 incidents that almost caused an accident. The problem is once the brake is applied, my foot also steps on the gas, causing the car to continue in a forward motion; it is not my foot that is the problem. At a stop light, with my foot on the brake, I tapped my foot toward the gas pedal ... the brake pedal is lower than the gas pedal. Check any other car and you will see the gas pedal is MUCH lower than the brake pedal. My bet is there have been many accidents as a result of this problem.

Yes and no. Car enthusiasts will tell you that most European cars are set up for "heel-and-toe" braking -- with the brake, accelerator and clutch (a vestigial device once used in shifting) all at the same height. Americans prefer the brake pedal much higher than the accelerator. Why, we have no idea. We personally find it clumsy and dangerous. You have to lift your foot too high to get to the brake.

Fred of Centreville VA (4/21/03):
Was reading Daniel's comment on Jaguar. I bought a 2003 Jaguar S Type on 4/4/03. The very next day I was driving locally and went over a speed bump in a parking lot. As soon as I went over the bump at very low speed, several messages and warning lights came on - engine malfunction, parking brake failure, and DSC failure-unable to engage. It took several minutes for me to restart car. When it restarted, no lights came on, and car ran fine. At dealer next day for something else, mentioned it to them, they told me they had never seen that before, but since it was running fine, they would look at it next time it came in for service.

Two weeks later, driving home from work, and exiting Route 66, at about 45 mph, stepped on the brake, warning lights came on, car went into same failures as before, barely able to stop the car - almost plowed into car in front of me at stop light. This time, could not restart and clear the problem - drove home in the "limp" mode. Called Jaguar, car was towed into Rosenthal Jaguar.

When repairing the car, they told me they had received 17 codes, which they thought was strange - and they replaced the throttle control. However the engine failure message and light still stayed on, so they called Jaguar (at least that is what they told me). Jaguar supposedly knew of this problem, they told Rosenthal that wires on the wiring harness passed over a certain sensor, and tend to fray and short out sensor and other systems. They were told to retape, separate and reroute wires.

While I appreciate Rosenthal's efforts to fix the car, and I believe they did the right thing, I am amazed that Jaguar would let dealers sell this model, without performing this simple modification first, when you consider I could have killed myself or someone else. I would have thought a company with Jaguar's reputation would have been a little more responsible.

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