Hi, I'm new to this forum and I currently own a Jaguar XJL 2011 model, which has an issue with the plastic melting on the keys and on the trim around the display. It makes an unsightly mess. However although I have an extended warranty and this item is covered under Technical Service Bulletin No.JTB00447, which states this is a manufacturing fault and they will be replaced free of charge, Jaguar Middle East says this does apply to the Middle East region so I will have to pay under normal wear and tear.

Has anyone else had this problem? Why would a warranty for a manufacturing fault only apply in certain regions of the world and not others? I feel discriminated against by Jaguar, despite something they admit is their fault!

Below is some of the correspondence from Jaguar MENA after I complained to the Head Office in the UK

Dear Mr. Matthews,

Greetings from Jaguar Land Rover.


Please note that your below e-mail has been directed to us by the Customer Relations in the UK as we represent the manufacturer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Kindly note that the technical bulletin No.JTB00447 is not related to the Middle East and North Africa region. MENA vehicles have a different reference bulletin which confirms that the impacted vehicles are repaired free of cost when the vehicle is under the 3 years manufacturer warranty.

Our Extended warranty in the region does not cover this repair since it is considered wear and tear items. Therefore, the retailer initially was considering assisting you with covering a percentage of the repair cost as a Goodwill gesture and offered you to extend the vehicle warranty for the 6th &/or 7th year.

As explained in my previous email since this case has been raised to consumer protection in Qatar, Al Fardan Premier Motors has referred this case to their legal team to proceed with the legal process. In addition, unfortunately, we will not be able to further assist in case.

Thank you for the time you have taken to contact us.

Regards,

Rinad Saifi | Customer Relationship Executive
Jaguar Land Rover MENAP Region
E-mails: crcmena@jaguar.com and crcmena@landrover.com
Telephones: +971 4 309 8900 – Jaguar and +971 4 309 8901 - Land Rover





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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: 5 September 2016 at 14:45
Subject: FW: COMPLAINT - Jaguar Service Bulletin - switch issue - JAGUAR MENA/AL FARDAN
To: globalcr@jaguarlandrover.com



Original Text
From: >

To: jagcrc@jaguarlandrover.com

CC:
Sent: 04.09.16 10:28:00
Subject: COMPLAINT - Jaguar Service Bulletin - switch issue - JAGUAR MENA/AL FARDAN

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am having severe problems with Jaguar Middle East and Jaguar’s authorised dealer in Qatar. (The only one as it’s a monopoly). There is a fault on my car which is acknowledge in one of the Technical Service Bulletins issued by Jaguar on my make and model of car. (2011 XJ). Despite raising this will Al Fardan Jaguar’s authorised dealer and Jaguar MENA I am told the only way they will replace the switches and trim panel parts is if I take out another extended warranty for approximately £3100. This business approach is extortion.

I have had many interactions with Jaguar MENA and Al Fardan Qatar over the last few months regarding this issue without satisfaction and I have now had to lodge an official complaint with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Qatar in which I am petitioning for the completion of the work under the existing warranty of the car and damages for the amount of my time that has been wasted on this issue and the duplicitous nature of my dealings on this issue.

To clarify below is the Technical Service Bulletin and a direct quote the very clear statements within.

Technical Service Bulletin No.JTB00447

Corrective action: Dealers will replace all affected interior switches and trim panel parts.
Warranty info: This service bulletin is being performed free of charge under the new vehicle or extended warranty, whichever applies.

Please investigate this matter and if a satisfactory conclusion is reached then I will withdraw my action against the parties involved. I am not the only person to have received such poor service and this affects the Land Rover and Jaguar brand in the Middle East.

I can also forward the correspondence from Al Fardan Premier Motors Jaguar’s authorised dealer in Qatar if you need it.

 

Hi Bob,

Sadly a TSB being issued does not change that it would only be covered under the normal vehicle warranty, which varies by region but in the email you received suggests yours is 3 years. That is why it is very important to keep an eye on the TSBs when they are issued so you can preemptively take action if needed.

Ironcally, the sticky surface issue occurs more in hotter climates than cooler ones, so it is more likely to be an issue in Qatar than the UK, not that that helps you. It can be made worse by cleaning with solvents (only ever use water on internal plastic surfaces), but even finger acids can cause it to fail. It is not a Jaguar-specific issue and has affected a number of manufacturers who used the same finishing methods.

Since about 2013 Jaguar stopped using the soft feel painted plastics and adopted an actual plastic finish instead which does not go sticky with heat.

Your country's consumer laws may or may not offer you additional protection against the retailer over the warranty, but if not you'll either need to accept a good will offer towards part of the cost of source them yourself.

It sounds like the AC/radio panel buttons are also affected, which is unfortunately an expensive part (around £300-£500 depending on the variant). The replacement will suffer the same way unless cared for (keep religiously clean with damp cloths), however you can replace with a newer version if you don't mind some of the buttons changing position/function? No later than 2013MY though or you'll crash the MS CAN network as the hardware changed. I can help you find the part number if you want to do that.

You may want to consider replacing the gear surround trim too as your 2011 will likely have blueing of the black gloss trims from the sun and replacing any one of the three (screen surround, ac panel or gear surround) will draw attention to the colour difference. It is more noticable if there is a difference between the two surrounds because they touch - the AC panel is bordered by chromed plastic which masks it slightly unless in direct sunlight. You don't need to replace the cup holder because for some reason that plastic doesn't seem to fade as much.

I recently replaced the two surrounds on mine to remove years of minor swirl marks from cleaning. Nothing I'd call a scratch as such, and no stickyness, but I wanted a flawless finish again. They are both slightly blued when viewed againt a new black finish, but not noticably when kept together. If you would like them to limit your replacement to just the AC panel let me know and you can have them for the shipping cost. LHD/RHD are identical. Part no's C2D6645 and C2D15698.

I also have the original 2010 MY AC panel which is C2D16106 again with just surface swirling (dual view, heated windscreen). It is drop-in compatible with yours if yours is less than VIN39426 which it should be, but may not match if you have a different spec so, for example, the heated windscreen button may do nothing if not fitted to your car. Same deal if you want it, but you may want to send me a photo of your current one and VIN first so I can check.