Help wanted to fight warranty firm.
 

Hey guys.
i have an 08 plate XF 2.7 TD that's recently had a crank shaft failure. It's covered by the warranty firm but they're refusing to pay out because their inspector said it wasn't a sudden catastrophic failure. In his opinion it was caused by oil starvation some time before I had it. He said this caused excessive wear that only manifested as "sudden" because it only just reached the softer material underneath the hardening.
My issues with his diagnosis stem from the fact that only one of the six bearing surfaces show any kind of wear at all. Even their own engineers report says that. So the engine was starved of oil for a period of time and non of the other give surfaces were damaged in the slightest? Doesn't seem possible to me.

Now, a while ago I remember reading about a problem whereby the shells in the big end can somehow rotate around inside the big end and block the oil way thereby starving a single surface of oil. I can't seem to find this article again.

Firstly, does anyone have any insight or experience of this failure and, secondly, does anyone know of a link to a site that explains it?
Although having it explained properly on here will help I feel that the warranty firm will require more than just a forum post to take it as a known issue.
I need to be able to say "look at what this Jaguar engineer says" or "please speak to this guy, he's fully qualified to explain it to you"

Thank you everyone.

Just wondering what warranty company you used...just so others can stay away.

They're WMS Group but don't judge them just yet. They didn't quibble with the £410 alternator replacement last year so the policy has already paid for itself. If they change their minds on this I'll actually extend my cover with them.

strange...here in the states an "exclusionary warranty runs over $3200 (not sure what that is in quid) but even the lower priced inclusive policies are at least $1500 for these cars. I would say you got a deal with that policy you have. They replaced the alternator even though it could be argued that the alternator has gone through alot of pre-existing wear and tear as is the case with your crankshaft. That being said, I would be surprised if they put themselves out for you in regards to a crankshaft. Replacing the dam thing would mean a complete engine tear down and even if you go to an indy shop you are looking at thousands and thousands of pounds/dollars.

I've definitely read about crankshaft issues with the 2.7TD engine, so this is apparently at least a known problem with these engines. More info and links in this thread: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/d...kshaft-194436/

Also see this thread: https://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/crank...ce-111733.html

My opinion of our aftermarket warranties in the UK is that they are essentially cons, and this is reflected in their price. They are often hundreds of pounds, rather than the thousands charged for proper warranties in the US. They keep their costs down by refusing to pay out whenever possible.

For the OP's benefit, a quick google brought this thread up. Interesting that it's a JLR product too:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com....php?t=5465255
I've not read it all, but the initial report that suggested 'oil starvation' sounds like the same BS line you're being fed.

Good luck!

edit: I'm getting increasingly angry re-reading the original post. These guys are complete con artists and need to be taken down - that engineer's report is 100% BS and I don't think it absolves them of their responsibilities at all. What they're essentially saying is "it looks like the vehicle had some wear in its past, and now that it's failed we'll say it was down to the point when the wear started, not the point when the failure occurred". I wouldn't be surprised if the 'experts' providing these reports receive commission for every claim they can successfully turn down. ****s.

Have a read of the Diesel forum https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...splay.php?f=80 for other posts than already mentioned.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ailure-192261/

Essentially the same engine is in the XJ, S-Type etc.

So, such as https://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=111231 or http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f27/2-7...off-69260.html

Could be worth finding out if your insurer (car or house) would provide legal cover suitable for this. If not, a tech-oriented solicitor may well be needed.

So I'm a warranty inspector out here in California. If you paid for the warranty the company is covering the car for you. If damage was done prior to your ownership unbeknownst to you, they are still required to cover it as long as you can prove that you maintained the car properly in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. The warranty inspector is not supposed to draw conclusions as to who to blame the damage on unless the it is easily discernible that the car was abused or beat on. I would go back on the warranty company and tell them they have to pay or you will sue.