Hi all,

I’ll try and make this brief!

Bought a Jag F Pace V6 3 litre, 67 plate with 68,000 on the clock. March 2025. 4 months later in July 2025 with no prior warning the engine seized on the M25. Car had no oil warnings or any prior issues and oil levels fine. Complete seizure and no fix.

Then had to argue with the finance company and dealer about liability, they then decided to send out an ”independent” inspector. The report came back as “inconclusive” and recommended a full engine strip at my expense. The same report came back saying that they were putting it down to “driver period failure”.

This took 3 months to get to this stage. By which time I had put a complaint into the financial ombudsman under the consumer credit act. My cousin works at Jag and located internal records that in the 6 months prior to my purchase it had 3 roadside assistance records each time with the same engine fault which I’m told can lead to engine failure. Two breakdowns were just 18 days apart.

After 7 months (and no car) the investigator from the ombudsman found in my favour and instructed the lender to pay back my £500 a month I’m still paying, and refund my hire car costs and put the car right with a recon engine. Happy days.

Apart from the finance company came back and disputed it. It then went up the food chain to the financial ombudsman himself. To my utter shock he disagreed with his own investigator. He said that there was a gap in the service history of 26000 miles (2 owners back) and he believes the engine seized because of previous oil degradation. However because I had travelled 8000 miles in the 4 months he felt the car was satisfactory when I bought it and has thrown my case out and awarded against my claim. I explained that the one owner who had the missed Jag service history may well have had it serviced at an independent garage so Jag would have no records. But still I lost the case. And despite paperwork from a senior engineer at Jag themselves confirming the three breakdowns and engine codes. In my opinion I bought a ticking time bomb.

I’m now left with a car stuck in a garage 120 miles away from me. Where it was towed to 9 months ago. I’ve also paid £500 a month for since July 2025 but not had it. Plus a bill of £7200 to get a recon engine in plus I’m out of pocket for hire cars to £4000+.

Ay advice hugely appreciated. A car of this quality and a V6 3 litre diesel should be able to last more than £80,000 miles.

 

Sorry to hear of your issues. Remind me - 67 plate means it's a 2017 car in the UK

Do you have a warranty from when you bought it - did they do an extended warranty or service plan? If so, you should pursue that vigorously as if they sold it with the warranty they can't then decline on prior issues before you bought the car!

If not, then I'm not really sure what you're expecting here. It's a 10 year old car far out of the Jag warranty. The fact you did 8000 miles of trouble free driving suggests the car seemed to be working fine as far as a reasonable seller could be expected to know

So - it's a real shame and I feel your pain. But without a warranty I don't see why the seller should have to cover it after such extensive use. Yes - if a week later it broke down and the issue seemed to be hidden from you then I get it. But that doesn't really seem like the case here

What's the argument for them paying for the issues?

 

The warranty was invalidated because the finance company took 2 months to get an investigator out. And the repair had to take place or be booked in within 2 weeks. But my hands were tied as the finance company held up any work until their investigator went in and took a look.
In the U.K. if you buy a car and anything goes wrong either it in the 1st 6 months you are protected under the consumer credit act. The car is deemed to have had a fault on sale unless the finance company can prove I caused it through negligence. This hasn’t taken place. A senior engineer at Jag has confirmed the engine fault codes recorded at the three breakdowns if not repaired as per Jag protocol can lead to catastrophic engine failure with often no prior warning. He also has suggested it looks like this wasn’t followed and it was a temporary fix before selling on.
Even if oil degradation was the issue I had a full service and oil change on purchase so the issue was clearly already in place when I bought the car and showed itself 4 months later.