Maybe You Don't Want That Euro Diesel Wagon After All

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Since editor Ed and big Bertel are in transit to Nashville right now, where they will be meeing me and my girls (Vodka McBigbra and Drama McHourglass) for dinner, there’s theoretically no way they could stop me from headlining this article Jalopnik-style, “THIS is the wagon that could kill you to DEATH.” Let’s just pretend I did. Because this really IS the wagon that could kill you to death.

Luckily, you can’t buy it in the United States.

ComputerWorld brings us the news that about 18,000 Jaguars were shipped with defective cruise-control programming. All of the affected cars were diesel X-Type wagons. That right there brings up the question: How the hell did Jaguar sell 18,000 diesel X-Type wagons?

If the fault occurs, cruise control can only be disabled by turning of the ignition while driving – which would mean a loss of some control and in many cars also disables power steering. Braking or pressing the cancel button will not work.

That’s like whoa. During my time as a car salesman in the Nineties, I remember dozens of customers expressing concern to me that “electronical cruise controls” would go out of control and shoot them down the freeway like rodeo riders on a particularly discontented bull. I patiently explained to them that under no circumstances would a major manufacturer permit such a situation to occur. Just for record, I never promised them that the cruise control stalk wouldn’t catch fire. That would have been rash. I just promised that it wouldn’t disregard the brake or “off” switch. Turns out it took Jaguar engineering to make my customers’ nightmares come true.

The fix Jaguar is offering, if I understand correctly, will disable the cruise control and warn the driver if certain conditions are met. Good idea. That’s much better than, you know, actually keeping the problem from occurring. In the meantime, those of you who are pining away for European diesel wagons can thank you stars that, although Jaguar wasn’t smart enough to engineer a cruise-control system, at least they were smart enough to avoid brining that car to the United States…

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • MrWhopee MrWhopee on Oct 25, 2011

    Um, why the defective cruise control programming is unique to the diesel wagon? Wouldn't they be the same for sedans with the same engine? How come the diesel sedans are not affected?

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    • Dolorean Dolorean on Oct 26, 2011

      @CJinSD If I remember correctly, the primary use of diesel wagons in Europe would be for Caravan (Trailer) hauling. Therefore the conditions for the electronic code would be different for the wagon vs. the sedan as would the braking system and transmission gearing.

  • Grzydj Grzydj on Oct 26, 2011

    Why don't you call "your girls" Douchy McBigdouche and Douch McDouchlass since you think everybody is such a douche?

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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