WHILE ACCELERATING TO CHANGE LANES MY VEHICLE WENT INTO WIDE OPEN THROTTLE. DESPITE REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES THE CAR COULD ONLY BE SLOWED TO 40 MPH. HIT THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN INCLUDING LIGHTS. APPEARED I WOULD BE REAR ENDED THEREFORE HIT IGNITION AND VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH CAR STILL STUCK IN WOT WITH FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR. WITH ENGINE SCREAMING AND RIGHT FOOT FULLY ON BRAKE ONLY ABLE TO HOLD CAR DOWN TO 40 MPH. HIT IGNITION AGAIN WHICH SHUT CAR DOWN BUT ONCE AGAIN FOLLOWING CAR ABOUT TO REAR END ME AND THEREFORE ONCE AGAIN HIT THE IGNITION WITH SAME RESULT WITH CAR RACING FORWARD AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE DESPITE NO ENGAGEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR. THIS TIME AFTER HOLDING THE VEHICLE TO ABOUT 40 MPH WITH FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT, AND THE ENGINE AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE, ALL CARS HAD CLEARED OUT OF THE WAY. I THEREFORE HIT THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE. THIS TIME I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A FULL STOP. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL (UP UNTIL THIS TIME IT HAD BEEN IN DRIVE) AND PUSHED THE IGNITION ON THE CAR AND IT STARTED AT NORMAL RPM. I THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE ENGINE REMAINED AT IDLE SPEED. I THEN , AT IDLE SPEED, TRAVELED TWO BLOCKS TO MY HOUSE. THE SMELL OF THE BURNING BRAKE PADS WAS TERRIBLE. THE NEXT MORNING I HAD THE VEHICLE TRANSPORTED ON A FLAT BED TRUCK TO THE LOCAL JAGUAR DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE REMAINS TO THIS DATE. THIS ALL TRANSPIRED OVER APPROXIMATELY 300-400 YARDS OVER A NUMBER OF SECONDS. THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE FLOOR OR IN THE DRIVING COMPARTMENT THAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE. *TR
2014
STEERING
I BOUGHT A NEW XK IN AUGUST. I HAVE TO QUESTION THE RATIONALE FOR EQUIPPING IT WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES (VIRTUAL RACING SLICKS) IN MINNESOTA. ON A WARM SUMMER DAY WITH ONLY A LITTLE RAIN, THE TIRES LOSE TRACTION FREQUENTLY. IN WINTER THEY ARE DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. EVEN WITH ONLY AN INCH OF SNOW, THE FRONT WHEELS LOSE TRACTION IN GOING AROUND A CORNER AT ONLY FIVE MILES AN HOUR. THE REAL WHEELS HAVE SO LITTLE TRACTION THAT EVEN WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL AND STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS TURNED ON, THE REAR END FISHTAILS WHEN TURNING. OUR STREET IS FLAT AND YET, WITH ONLY A LITTLE SNOW ON THE ROAD, THE CAR CAN NOT MOVE OVER 2 -3 MPH WITHOUT LOSING TRACTION SO IT INCHES ALONG, IF IT MOVES AT ALL. IT SEEMS TO BE THE HEIGHT OF STUPIDITY TO ASSUME THAT MOST DRIVERS WOULD DRIVE OVER 120 MILES AND HOUR MORE OFTEN THAN THEY DRIVE IN RAIN OR SNOW. WHAT ARE THE JAGUAR MARKETING PEOPLE (AND NHTSA) THINKING? PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD TO PAY $90,000 FOR A CAR WANT SOMETHING THAT IS SAFE AND THEY DON'T DRIVE OVER 120 MPH SO DON'T NEED OR WANT HIGH PERFORMANCE RACING TIRES THAT ARE SUITABLE ONLY FOR DRY PAVEMENT. WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO TO REQUIRE CARS TO COME EQUIPPED WITH REACTION CONTROL AND STABILITY CONTROL WHEN THEY ARE ALLOWED TO EQUIP A CAR WITH TIRES THAT TOTALLY DEFEAT THOSE SYSTEMS? YOU REQUIRE AIR BAGS, CENTER TAIL LIGHTS, ETC, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, BUT ALLOW CARS TO BE SOLD WITH DANGEROUS TIRES UNSUITABLE FOR THE CLIMATE THEY ARE TO BE DRIVEN IN. SHOULDN'T NHTSA REQUIRE CARS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SAFE TIRES WHEN THEY ARE SOLD? IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BUY UNSAFE TIRES AFTER THAT, OK; BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT A CAR TO BE SAFE UNDER TYPICAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WHEN I BUY IT. RAIN AND SNOW ARE TYPICAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR