Jaguar · Known Issues
2004-2019 Jaguar XJ Problems: 29 Known Issues
2004-2019 model years · 6,020+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
2004-2019 model years · 6,020+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
According to Au7o's analysis of 6,020+ owner reports, the 2004-2019 Jaguar XJ has 29 documented known issues, with 10 rated critical. The most serious are Front passenger airbag may not deploy — recall J080 / 16V943, Instrument cluster intermittently goes blank — recall H056 / 17V678, 3.0 V6 diesel: crankshaft and main bearing failure (owner reports), AJ133 5.0 V8 Timing Chain Tensioner Ratchet and Plastic Guide Rail Wear ($3,500-$9,000 repair), Plastic Thermostat Housing and Water Pump Impeller Failure on the 4.2 AJ34 V8 ($600-$1,800 repair), Underfloor and Rear Crossmember Brake Pipe Corrosion (Recall 09V144 / Jaguar J012) ($0-$900 repair), Restraints Control Module Miscalibration — Airbags Deploy at Wrong Thresholds (Recall 20V-557 / Jaguar H294) ($0-$0 repair), Electronic Parking Brake Module Failure and Stuck-On Park Brake ($300-$1,500 repair), 276DT 2.7 TDV6 Oil Pump Housing Fracture at the Tensioner Mount and Crankshaft Failure from Oil Starvation (X350 XJ Diesel) ($4,000-$9,000 repair) and Crankshaft Pulley Centre Bolt Hydrogen Embrittlement Fracture — Safety Recall 19V039 / Jaguar H181 (2019 XJ V6 and V8 Petrol) ($0-$0 repair). The most commonly reported issue is Air suspension fault or overworked compressor (owner reports) with 2,200 owner reports. Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $150 to $9,000. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2019 Jaguar F-Pace, F-Type, and XJ vehicles equipped with V6 or V8 gasoline engines. The crankshaft pulley retaining bolt may have been improperly manufactured, possibly causing the crankshaft pulley bolt to fracture, potentially resulting in engine failure.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 and 2017 XJ vehicles. The Restraint Control Module (RCM) software may cause the frontal air bags to deploy improperly in the event of a frontal impact crash.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Jaguar XJ vehicles manufactured September 12, 2016, to October 26, 2016. The affected vehicles have a front passenger air bag inflator initiator that may fail to ignite during a crash, preventing the air bag from deploying.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jaguar XF and F-Pace, 2016-2017 Jaguar XJ and 2018 Jaguar XE vehicles. The instrument cluster (IC) may intermittently go blank.
AIR BAGS
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jaguar XJ vehicles manufactured July 2, 2014, to December 4, 2014. The affected vehicles may have an incorrect description of the operation of Occupant Sensor System (OSS) in the owner's manual. Since the manual does not correspond with the actual Air Bag Status Indicator Lamp, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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According to Au7o's analysis of 6,020+ owner reports, the 2004-2019 Jaguar XJ has 29 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Front passenger airbag may not deploy — recall J080 / 16V943, Instrument cluster intermittently goes blank — recall H056 / 17V678, 3.0 V6 diesel: crankshaft and main bearing failure (owner reports). Of these, 10 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 2004-2019 Jaguar XJ has 29 known issues documented across 6,020+ owner reports. 10 issues are rated critical: Front passenger airbag may not deploy — recall J080 / 16V943 and Instrument cluster intermittently goes blank — recall H056 / 17V678 and 3.0 V6 diesel: crankshaft and main bearing failure (owner reports) and AJ133 5.0 V8 Timing Chain Tensioner Ratchet and Plastic Guide Rail Wear and Plastic Thermostat Housing and Water Pump Impeller Failure on the 4.2 AJ34 V8 and Underfloor and Rear Crossmember Brake Pipe Corrosion (Recall 09V144 / Jaguar J012) and Restraints Control Module Miscalibration — Airbags Deploy at Wrong Thresholds (Recall 20V-557 / Jaguar H294) and Electronic Parking Brake Module Failure and Stuck-On Park Brake and 276DT 2.7 TDV6 Oil Pump Housing Fracture at the Tensioner Mount and Crankshaft Failure from Oil Starvation (X350 XJ Diesel) and Crankshaft Pulley Centre Bolt Hydrogen Embrittlement Fracture — Safety Recall 19V039 / Jaguar H181 (2019 XJ V6 and V8 Petrol). Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
Repair costs for known Jaguar XJ issues range from $0 to $9,000, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
Reliability varies across model years of the Jaguar XJ. Based on documented issues, problems are most commonly reported in earlier model years. Au7o recommends checking the specific known issues for your target year before purchasing, and having a pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified mechanic. Our known issues database covers the 2004-2019 Jaguar XJ with 29 documented issues documented across 6,020+ owner reports.
In certain XJ vehicles, the front passenger airbag initiator may fail to ignite. The airbag may then fail to deploy when required in a crash, increasing injury risk. Applies to: Certain 2016–2017 Jaguar XJ vehicles built September 12 through October 26, 2016, covered by recall 16… Severity: high.
The virtual instrument cluster can intermittently go blank, removing displayed information and increasing crash risk. Applies to: North American 2016–2017 Jaguar XJ (X351) built at Castle Bromwich with VIN suffixes W03265–W12691, covered by recall 17V678 (Jaguar H056). A Jaguar d… Severity: high.
Owners of XJ 3.0D models describe sudden bottom-end failures: the oil pressure warning comes on, a knocking noise starts and the car goes into limp mode. In the reported cases a main or rod bearing had spun, or the crankshaft had snapped. Diesel engine rebuild specialists describ… Severity: high.
The 5.0-litre AJ133 V8 fitted to the X351 has a widely documented timing drive weakness that has nothing to do with the earlier 4.2 AJ34's plastic tensioner story — the X350's 4.2 already ran metal tensioners and Morse chains, and merging the two engines' histories is the standar… Repairs typically run $3,500-$9,000. Severity: high.
The naturally aspirated and supercharged 4.2-litre AJ34 V8 in the X350/X358 carries an unusually large amount of load-bearing plastic in the cooling system. The thermostat housing is plastic and its internal support fractures, which lets coolant recirculate through the engine whi… Repairs typically run $600-$1,800. Severity: high.
An NVH pad fitted to the underfloor undertray of early X350 XJ sedans traps road salt and moisture against the steel brake pipes running under the floor and over the rear crossmember. The pipes corrode from the outside in and eventually lose mechanical integrity. Because the X350… Repairs typically run $0-$900. Severity: high.
A safety recall covering certain 2010-2011 and 2017 model year Jaguar XJ (X351) vehicles. When the car was connected to Jaguar Land Rover approved diagnostic equipment and a software update to the Restraints Control Module did not complete successfully, the RCM calibration could… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
The X350/X358 replaced the mechanical handbrake with an electric park brake driven by a module mounted in the boot, behind the right-hand trim panel ahead of the wheel arch. Two failure paths dominate. The module itself is in a location that sees moisture from the well-documented… Repairs typically run $300-$1,500. Severity: high.
The 2.7-litre twin-turbo TDV6 (Ford/PSA-derived 276DT) fitted to the 2005-2009 X350/X358 XJ diesel has two linked bottom-end weaknesses distinct from the later 3.0 306DT story. The oil pump housing has a thin section where the rear timing-belt tensioner mounts; it cracks under lo… Repairs typically run $4,000-$9,000. Severity: high.
2019 model-year XJs with the 3.0 supercharged V6 or 5.0 V8 petrol engines received crankshaft pulley retaining bolts manufactured out of specification; hydrogen embrittlement lets the bolt crack and fracture. If it lets go the front pulley and accessory drive are lost, the engine… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
Owners on XJ (X351) forums describe 'Air Suspension Fault' messages, a compressor that runs frequently or gets hot, and the car sitting low. Owners say the compressor itself is often not the root cause: a leaking air spring makes it run constantly until it wears out, and a sticki… Severity: medium.
The XJ suffers from cascading electrical faults caused by body control module (BCM) software glitches and CAN bus communication errors. Phantom warning lights, inoperative features, and intermittent failures across multiple systems are common, especially after battery disconnecti… Repairs typically run $200-$1,500. Severity: medium.
This page previously presented one 2004-2009 electronic-throttle-body failure pattern as established fact. The audited official material does not verify that broad cause or model-year scope. It does show a direct safety conflict: NHTSA manufacturer-communication record 10017595 i… Severity: medium.
The rear crankshaft main seal on AJ-V8 engines in the XJ develops a slow oil leak over time. The leak worsens as the seal hardens and the crankshaft seal surface develops minor wear grooves. Oil drips onto the transmission bellhousing. Repairs typically run $800-$2,000. Severity: medium.
Owners of 5.0 supercharged V8 cars describe a whine or grinding noise from the supercharger that rises with engine speed, sounding like a worn wheel bearing, and in some cases play in the supercharger pulley. They trace it to worn bearings in the supercharger snout (nose), which… Severity: medium.
The 2004-2009 X350/X358 uses a saddle-shaped fuel tank straddling the driveshaft, with a lift pump on one side and a venturi jet pump transferring fuel from the other. When the jet pump or the lift pump module degrades, the engine side of the tank runs dry even though the gauge s… Repairs typically run $400-$1,500. Severity: medium.
X350/X358 cars leak water into the cabin and boot by two separate and frequently confused routes. In the boot, water runs down the boot aperture and gets behind the black plastic strips at each rear lamp cluster; the rear vent seals behind the rear bumper below the lamps also fai… Repairs typically run $150-$900. Severity: medium.
A separate component and a separate failure from supercharger nose cone bearing wear: the AJ133 supercharger drive uses a spring-loaded torsional isolator on the blower's nose pulley to damp driveline shock. The end of the original spring bears directly against plastic, and over… Repairs typically run $900-$2,800. Severity: medium.
Owners on XJ (X351) forums with the 3.0 supercharged V6 describe coolant loss traced to the water pump (at its weep hole or the seal behind the pulley) or to plastic coolant pipes, including a crossover pipe, that sit underneath the supercharger. Owners note that the engine under… Severity: medium.
The X350/X358 uses aluminium front lower control arms with pressed-in rubber bushings that were not originally available as a separate service part. The rubber delaminates from its inner sleeve and the arm develops fore-aft play, producing a clunk over bumps and when the suspensi… Repairs typically run $400-$1,400. Severity: medium.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.
