Home · 2012 · Jaguar

2012 Jaguar Xf

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

37 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Why caution?

5 recall campaigns (4 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Fuel system problems dominate (38% of complaints).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)100
Severity (30%)94
Recall load (20%)58
Trend (10%)100

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20122022

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2012 Jaguar Xf, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Fuel system (14) · Engine (13) · Airbags (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Fuel system

38%

14 complaints

Fuel tank is leaking fuel from the top of the tank. Fuel is visibly leaking, I must exit the vehicle to air out and breathe. I’ve had multiple medical visits for heada…

Engine

35%

13 complaints

CAR STARTED SMELLING LIKE GAS AND GARAGE HAD SMELL. TODAY 4/15/2021 NOTICED FUEL DRIPPING UNDER THE FUEL TANK AREA.

Airbags

14%

5 complaints

TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONTACTED BY JAGUAR, EVEN THOUGH YOUR SITE STATES "JAGUAR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG…

Speed control

5%

2 complaints

I was driving my 2012 Jaguar XF on Highway 75 my car began to go from drive to neutral and changing gears on his own and I almost got hit by a semi-truck with the vehi…

Recalls (5)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Air Bags · 18V010000

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Jaguar XF vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Unless included in "Zone A" above, Jaguar is also recalling certain 2011-2015 Jaguar XF vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Unless included in Zone A and Zone B above, Jaguar is also recalling certain 2010-2015 Jaguar XF vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2018. Owners may contact 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is J072.

Air Bags · 17V027000

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2012 Jaguar XF vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Unless included in "Zone A" above, Jaguar is recalling certain 2009 Jaguar XF vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Vehicles not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is J070.

Air Bags · 16V229000

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain model year 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 XF vehicles manufactured February 6, 2008 to October 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver frontal air bags may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage deployment, resulting in the second stage deploying improperly in certain crashes.

Risk: An air bag that inflates improperly increases the risk of injury.

Fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2016. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is J065.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 12V521000

Jaguar is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 XF vehicles equipped with a 5.0L gasoline engine. The affected vehicles may have a fuel tank fuel outlet flange that may crack.

Risk: The cracked flange may result in fuel leakage onto the ground. This leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a vehicle fire.

Fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected fuel tank fuel outlet flanges, free of charge. The recall began on December 20, 2012. Owners may contact Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827.

Equipment · 11V604000

JAGUAR IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 XF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 7, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 24, 2011, FOR AN INCORRECT CERTIFICATION LABEL. SINCE THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR) IS STATED INCORRECTLY, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF PART 567, “CERTIFICATION.”

Risk: CUSTOMERS MAY UNKNOWINGLY EXCEED THE GVWR. EXCEEDING THE GVWR OF THE VEHICLE, CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE STABILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Fix: JAGUAR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LABEL. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 23, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT JAGUAR AT 1-800-452-4827.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Jaguar XF beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2012? See how every Xf model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Jaguar Xf against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2012 Jaguar Xf as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.