The plastic liners inside 3 of the 4 wheel compartments of my 08 S-type have either cracked or completely failed. This has allowed mud and salt to get inside the body at the front and the wiring connections back to the battery have become badly corroded. Jag says they have never seen this before and will not cover it under warranty. Anyone else had issues with these liners - they seem pretty flimsy to me.

 

When I bought my 06 with 24,000 miles showing, both fronts were cracked. And when we had a heavy snow/slush winter they packed up with ice and the little miniature mud flap things in front of the front wheels broke off with the melting ice. (No one has ever been able to explain to me why those little hanging flaps are there.) Local dealer said don't bother replacing the liners. But too many holes and cracks for me. The Atlanta area dealer with the monthly forum specials sells the liners for a pretty reasonable price and they're not hard to replace. I have heard that it doesn't take much of parking lot nudge to crack the liners. There are some hard plastic brackets behind the fronts that can also crack.

My back ones are fine so far.

 

If there is no damage from stones/rocks tell them that they are not fit for purpose and that you demand to have everything fixed !!! If they still say no, complain very loudly in front of customers in the showroom. They are flimsy but they're no different to what other manufacturers use. It also doesn't make a blind bit of difference that they haven't seen this before. If this happened in the UK I would go crazy with them !!!

 

OK, this is unusual. I've not heard of it being an issue. My 05 has spent it's life in freezing winters with tons of salt and all the wheel well liners are still fine. That said, I understand their reluctance to fix it under warranty since warranties don't cover user damage.. Now before you freak, there still may be a solution...

First of all, you stated that Jag won't fix it. Did that come from the dealer or did you speak with Jaguar corporate? Also, have you gotten into arguments with the dealer over this or anything else? How is your relationship with the dealer? So please, before you start fighting over it, answer these few questions. I, and others here, may be able to help you in your quest to get the car sorted out.

 

I strongly agree with Jeff (above), I haven't read anything about the ENTIRE inner wheel well cracking and breaking. I do know the little mud flap up front do tend to break off, I for one have that problem. I also think those break off due to driver error and hitting parking curbs.

 

Guys, this is a 2008 model for cryin' out loud! As long as the damage has been caused by normal use of the vehicle and not by driving 75 mph down gravel roads, this issue should be covered under the factory warranty. There is no excuse for these liners cracking and splitting in this short period of time as long as the car was operated under what we all would define as normal road conditions.

So, prez33 - have you had your car off-road? Do you frequently drive on gravel roads? Are you driving it in Arctic temperatures where that plastic would indeed crack and split? As pointed out previously, we need more details so we can offer suggestions to help you....

 

Thanks for your input on this issue. JOsworth- I have talked to my dealer as well as customer relations north america, both have denied coverage. Our relationship with the dealer has been very good and we have had quite a few problems including replacing the rear end. Jon89- Your concerns are valid - we are near Calgary, Canada and live in the country so the conditions we operate under could be considered a bit extreme.

 

Well, what on earth was their reason to deny the claim? I wouldn't put it to rest just yet..I openly admit on here that if the other fans and users here saw what I put my "beater" through they would string me up. Yet, I haven't seen an issue like that.

 

Those small plastic tabs in front of the wheels are called "Areo Tabs". Their purpose is to prevent more air from pushing against the rotating front tires as you drive. Helps a VERY small amount for gas mileage and wind resistance. They are now very common even on cheap economy cars. Take a look in a parking lot sometime.

There is a nice write up on the Lincoln LS site to add those to the LS. I doubt if you can tell any difference with or without them. As I have posted before my 2005 STR has both front tabs broken off. I guess from me scraping them on parking curbs. I have the front park sensors and just love them with a low car!!! I had one side broken when I purchased the car and then broke the other side myself. Considered replacing the wheel well liner but they are about $120 each.

The design should have been different. If the two bolts holding the fender liner in on the bottom had a separate small piece of plastic for the Areo tab it would be simple to replace them as they get broken off. Plus it would limit the damage to the wheel liner itself.
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Or not.
You may be surprised to see the price for these from the Nalley (dealer)folks who post specials on this forum.

 

Tried to search Nalley, but their site didn't offer a parts search. My dealer, Jaguar Cleveland, has them listed on the web for anyone at $87.13 each. Funny thing is they have a listing for 03-04 and 05-07, but put in 08 and you get nothing..I'm real sure it is the same part from 07 to 08..