Jaguar X-Type: 18,000 X-Types recalled in the UK

Jaguar has issued a recall for 18,000 X-Type Diesel-engined cars made between 2006 and 2009 over cruise control problems.

The Jaguar X-Type, ‘Ford’ Jaguar’s stab at mopping up sales from BMW’s 3 Series and Mercedes’ C Class, is back in the headlines, with Jaguar issuing a recall for 18,000 X-Types in the UK – around 5 per cent of the total X-Type production.

The cars affected are diesel-engined X-Type models made between 2006 and the end of X-Type production in late 2009, and the recall concerns the cruise control, which may not respond under certain circumstances.

To be fair to Jaguar, the issue with the cruise control failing to respond has not come to light through any complaints from owners, but from an employee of Jaguar.

The employee, driving one of Jaguar’s own cars, reported that they’d been unable to disengage the cruise control. We assume that means manually or by touching the brake pedal.

Jaguar investigated and decided – especially as any issues not the subject of an immediate recall after the Toyota debacle last year would garner huge criticism – that the best solution was an immediate recall of the 17,678 X-Types possibly affected.

We don’t know whether the issue means the complete replacement of the cruise control system, or whether just the control switch is affected. But owners should already have received a letter asking them to contact their dealer to book an appointment for a fix, which is free of charge.

Owners have also been advised that, if necessary, the cruise control can be deactivated by turning the ignition off. Which means, in the hugely unlikely event it happens, you just need to turn the ignition off and back on again – sharpish.  Just turning it off is not exactly advisable.

Not a cheap exercise for Jaguar, but good PR for acting quickly and responsibly.