Title should state Jag (XF irrelevant)
I purchased a 2010 XF Portfolio about a year ago. It had only 9k miles on it. It was like new. It now has about 12k on it (doesn't get driven much because it's a 4th vehicle for two drivers). Not a huge deal but during the past year, about 8 times, while the car was stopped but in gear, the RPM's would rev up without foot being on the gas. It wasn't transmission related because the car didn't lurch forward. Nonetheless, it was kinda scary because first instinct is to push hard on the brake as it felt as the car was going to move forward into the intersection. The dealer upgraded the engine management software today so I hope it fixed this issue. My main issue is the rear windshield. A few weeks ago I noticed spots (splotches), like a leopard has, all over the rear glass. At first I thought it was a shadow of some type. I live on a wooded lot so I was thinking it was the trees causing a reflection. I moved the car a few times, and the spots still there. I have never seen anything like it in my life. I'll cut to the chase. The dealer said it's some type of delamination and it's not covered under my select certified warranty. They also contacted Jaguar USA and were told that nothing could be done! I contacted Jaguar myself and they are going to look into it and get back to me next week. I certainly hope they take care of this or I am getting rid of the car and buying a second CTS-V or a new Vette. It'll be my first and last Jag. Has anyone had this problem or heard of it? Thanks. PS - I will try to post some pics later. Thanks.

 

Lawins, as for the idle issue, it maybe that your throttle body is sticking and what is happening is the butterfly valve (the silver disk blocking the air flow path) has a little bit of build up on the edge and it is dragging on the inside of the throttle body. So, what happens is the computer is going to open the butterfly valve ever so slightly to try and maintain the idle, but because it is sticking, it slowly is ramping up the signal to maintain the idle, when the butterfly valve will finally move, causing it to move too far. At that point, the computer has to correct for it, resulting in the lurch that you are feeling. If you go to your local auto parts store, pick up a can of "Throttle Body Cleaner" (not carb cleaner, you DO NOT!!!! want to use it on a car like you have as it can remove the protective layer that is supposed to be on the inside of your throttle body to minimize crud build up). From there you can remove the air inlet to the throttle body and using a finger or other device to push the throttle body valve open slightly, spray the disk and the internal bore of the throttle body to remove any brown residue that you may see. Make sure to get the edge of the disk as this is where there are fairly tight tolerances and if you are going to have an issue, it will be here. Worst case, you can spray some of the throttle body cleaner on to a rag and then wipe this edge. Once all the brown is gone, put the air tube back on and start the car. You may find that the car will not want to start right off the bat (you have essentially flooded the car). Do not worry. Depress the gas pedal to the floor and attempt to start the car. TRUST ME!!!!! Putting the pedal on the floor will actually cause the fuel injectors to not add any fuel (contrary to what you were probably thinking) and this will help clear the cleaner from the intake and once the car fires, ease off the gas and bring it to idle.

As for the spotting on the rear glass, this is actually a fact of how they make current laminated glass. I bet you were wearing sunglasses with a polarized lens in it. I notice a lot of vehicles with the spots across the windows. This is due to the polarization of the glasses affecting how the car glass reflects the light. Now, if you are seeing this without glasses on, then that is a problem. If you can take a picture of the glass with the spots in it, I would be interesting to see it. Based on what I have seen, you are looking at about 3/4" circles spaced about 1-1/4" on center from each other in a staggered pattern (ie, there are lines running straight side to side and the lines running up and down are at a 45).

 

My rear windshield has spots over it too, but only when I wear polarized sunglasses.

Do you leave your car outside? Maybe the sun caused the damage.

Have you priced out the cost of the rear window from a general glass replacement firm? I have had windshields replaced for less than $250, so maybe the rear window is not that expensive.

Does the CTS-V suffer from the chronic engine problems of the regular CTS's?

The new Vette and the XF are apples and oranges. Perhaps you're looking for a reason to hate the XF so you can get the Vette. If so, just be honest with yourself and sell it without bashing it.

 

Thanks for your opinions , suggestions.
I'll check the throttle body and clean if necessary . I personally think it's something with the software which may have been fixed with the upgrade the dealer did today . The spots on the rear window are seen without wearing sunglasses . The car is barely driven (3k miles in a year) and is garage kept . I don't care if it sits out in the sun all summer every day . It should not have the spots. I can go to a jaguar dealer now and look at rear window of every new and used Jag and I won't find one that has the same problem . I hope they take care of it . I'm not looking for a reason to get rid of it . I love the car but not off to a good start with the dealer and Jaguar USA. I'm looking for reasons to keep it . I'm joking about the vette. I hate the new body style . Plus I have a 4 door sedan that eats them for breakfast . I don't believe the Vs engines have problems like the CTS. Most guys with Vs push them and blow them up anyway ! Lol.
Mine is far from stock and I love it ! I'll let you know what Jaguar says next week. Cheers!!

 

My windshield delaminated and it was replaced under the original warranty. Glad I noticed it just before the factory warranty ran out. Good luck with the dealer. And is there another dealer you can go to?

 

I have some pics . It's very noticeable and my iphone was not wearing sunglasses . I'll post later .
Glad yours was covered under warranty. Taking it to another dealer won't matter as Jag USA is involved now. if they won't take care of it taking to another dealer won't help.

 

I would suggest driving the car more. Once a vehicle is put into service it is meant to be used. I would also suggest putting STABIL in your gas if it is going to sit. It keeps the gas from breaking down and this swill we get with ethanol in it needs all the help it can get. I am hopeful that Jag will do the right thing about the glass but if it was my car I would replace it and keep it. Trees, though do funny things to automotive finishes. I wash my wife's XF every week so that the finish is not damaged as it sits under a tree.

 

Have no idea if pic will show up.
The car does not sit in the drive due to the trees . This time of year acorns are falling like crazy. Don't need any dings .
Don't drive car often as there's two of us and four vehicles .
The XF will never see snow or salt. I'll take your advice regarding the fuel
Additive .

 

My friends Merc has these spots in the glass as well,, he thinks its the rear defrost heat that causes this, over time, although he's not overall bothered by it. I've been behind cars in traffic with this effect as well.
Up north here we see a few cars with this effect every week.

To sell a car over this? I guess if it bothers you that much, why not.

Lawrence

 

Lawins, something you may want to consider is to talk with your insurance company and explain to them that the rear window is getting hazy and it is becoming a safety concern due to not being able to see out of it. Most insurances have a very low deductible on glass repair/replacement and for say $100, you may be able to get new glass in there. But, this varies company to company. Give them a call and see what they say. what is the worst thing that they are going to say "Sorry, we will not cover that?".

 

The worst thing would be if the insurance covers $100 of the $250 and then marks you down for a "claim."

 

If you have a Jag and it costs you $250 to repair you would do it. If you are concerned about the price then you cannot afford the car

 

It sounds like the dealer took care of you on the engine issue (hopefully). That is odd regarding the glass but I have definitely seen that in cars before. Tinting it may or may not help hide the spots.

Having owned a second gen CTS, I can tell you that my Jaguar has been FAR more reliable and has had far less fit and finish issues than that car. I could write you a healthy list of the issues I had with it but I was glad to get rid of it at 60k miles.

 

I think you guys are missing the point. I am not looking to get rid of the car because of the rear window issue. It's all about Jaguar customer service. In hindsight I probably should not have posted anything until Jaguar looked into the matter and got back to me. It's not normal for ANY vehicle to have this problem. Period. I am not going to call my insurance company because I carry a high deductible, $1,000 I believe. It wouldn't be covered anyways.
I doubt that the window costs $250. But whether it costs $25 or $2,500 doesn't matter. I shouldn't have to pay for it. I bought a 2003 GMC Sierra Denali Quadrasteer several years ago (2006 I believe). It had big problems with the rear steering (bearing noise, grinding, etc.). GM took care of it, with no charge to me, even though the warranty had expired. It was a $3,200 job. This is GOOD customer service. If Jaguar won't cover the cost of a rear window which, in my opinion, is defective, then I'll wonder what else they won't take care of down the road (even under the select warranty that I purchased). These cars are known to have lots of reliabiity issues. I'll let you know what Jag says next week. Maybe they'll do the right thing. Cheers!

 

Well I think they had to update the software. I am not sure if it resolved the issue. Time will tell. Again, it's not a huge deal, as it's happened only 7 times in the past year. Sorry to hear about the issues with the CTS. Maybe you bought a lemon. I have had no issues whatsoever with mine (CTS-V though) and I've modded the hell out of it (660 to the wheels and I'm not finished).

 

You're absolutely right!! I can't afford it is why I paid cash for it. If I decide to get rid of it I am seriously thinking a Tesla, which I would pay cash for as well.
Thanks for your input though!

 

Nice, yeah I actually cross shopped the CTS-V with this car before I settled on the XFR. The only things that steered me away were the issues I had with my CTS and that the interior was basically the same and I was ready for something different. Great motor in that car though, it is a lot of car for the money. I didn't do a lot to my 3.6DI CTS other than a ported throttle body, IM spacer, intake resonator delete and a Trifecta tune.

I also looked at a 3.6DI ATS which was nice just too small for my taste.

 

Are you certain there isn't an aftermarket tint on the rear window that is deteriorating? I bought my 2010 XF SC from a dealer CPO a couple of years ago and they didn't realize it had rear tint. It v hard to tell on my car

 

Teslas are pretty sweet, we stopped by the Tesla store the last time I was home in Northern VA and checked them out. I would be really nervous about the drivetrain issues they are having, do some reading on the subject if you are serious about purchasing one. I don't even know what servicing one of those things is like, I don't think you can take one to just any mechanic to work on.

I have a lot of respect for Elon Musk and what he is doing for society / his shake up of industry norms so I like the fact you are thinking about supporting him though!

 

Being that car is a 2010 model it must be just barely out of the warranty period. At that point the manufacturer has no legal obligation to pay for anything that goes wrong. Period.

Many of us have been in that frustrating situation of having something break right after the warranty expires. Expecting an OEM to keep on paying in all cases after the contract terminates is unrealistic as it suggests that the expiry date doesn't mean much. I don't know of any OEM that operates that way.

In my case I had a nagging intermittent problem with the climate control system that was first diagnosed during the warranty period but not properly fixed till 6 months after it expired. Jag was reasonable about covering the costs.

You got lucky with your GM vehicle as the problem you describe was common and probably covered by a goodwill policy developed at corporate level.

The rear glass in your car sounds like a one off, so no special support exists.

I've always taken the attitude that special consideration offered after the warranty period was a bonus and not a right.

Selling the car because of this one fault sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face.