[F-Paceless]

I went to get mine on September 1st... first thing I saw when they took the red satin sheet (!) off it was a pretty bad bonnet shut line. Why are these getting through quality control? Are the mouldings at the factory wrong? They've tried to realign it but it's still not right. It is a bit better. Should I just let it go and move on? How easily can it be sorted. Just not great on a £60k car.... It does make a good noise though and I already prefer it to my Macan S which is a relief.

 

[JLRnumber5]

I went to get mine on September 1st... first thing I saw when they took the red satin sheet (!) off it was a pretty bad bonnet shut line. Why are these getting through quality control? Are the mouldings at the factory wrong? They've tried to realign it but it's still not right. It is a bit better. Should I just let it go and move on? How easily can it be sorted. Just not great on a £60k car.... It does make a good noise though and I already prefer it to my Macan S which is a relief.

I have the same. It's not the bonnet it's the front bumper. Make sure they are adjusting the right thing. And demand perfection. Don't settle for anything other than perfect.

 

[The Gman]

I went to get mine on September 1st... first thing I saw when they took the red satin sheet (!) off it was a pretty bad bonnet shut line. Why are these getting through quality control? Are the mouldings at the factory wrong? They've tried to realign it but it's still not right. It is a bit better. Should I just let it go and move on? How easily can it be sorted. Just not great on a £60k car.... It does make a good noise though and I already prefer it to my Macan S which is a relief.

I have the same. It's not the bonnet it's the front bumper. Make sure they are adjusting the right thing. And demand perfection. Don't settle for anything other than perfect.

yes when I look at the bolts on mine under the bonnet one side of the front panel is 3-4 mm tighter on the adjustment than the other side, but mine does look even, I would nag until they fix it.....

 

[Jagfpacejk]

It amazes me the amount of cars that are coming off the production line with fitment issues, mine also had fitment issues, makes you wonder how strict there standards are.

If your not happy I would get them to adjust it until your happy, we pay a lot for these cars and should get better in my eyes.

 

[RV6pilot]

Mine had a problem when first delivered. I looked at other cars that had been delivered and some were OK , others weren't. Mentioned it to salesman . Looked a week before delivery and it was still out. Told it was going to body shop next day. Picked up on September 1st rectified. Must be difficult to mount body spot on as they are flexibly mounted on base chassis/body shell. Dealer HA Fox in Preston sorted mine anyway.

 

[corriescar66]

I heard an interesting take on this...

Far more Evoques are having misalignment problems than F Paces

Taligates are going out of alignment as the powered struts are too 'powerfull' and yanking the 'flimsy' panels out of alignment at the hinges.

Cars that have been adjusted have also had to go back and be re-corrected after a while & hinge bolts 'thread locked'

They actually often leave the factory aligned but subsequently move so perhaps the end of line checkers aren't completely blind

I could tell you who told me, but I'd have to shoot you......

 

[CarlFRZ434]

My old RRE went in for tailgate realignment and body repair as it had pulled so far out the top of the tailgate was rubbing paint on the roof!

 

[Jagfpacejk]

I heard an interesting take on this...

Far more Evoques are having misalignment problems than F Paces

Taligates are going out of alignment as the powered struts are too 'powerfull' and yanking the 'flimsy' panels out of alignment at the hinges.

Cars that have been adjusted have also had to go back and be re-corrected after a while & hinge bolts 'thread locked'

They actually often leave the factory aligned but subsequently move so perhaps the end of line checkers aren't completely blind

I could tell you who told me, but I'd have to shoot you......

I had n Evoque for 3 years from new and not one panel was out of alignment or went out of alignment so I am not so sure, when I went looking at them I also did not see one that was out of alignment but I bet it would not take much to find an Fpace out of alignment so I am not sure on your source.

 

[CarlFRZ434]

Clam shell bonnet a lot more forgiving than the complex FP bonnet shuts.

 

[corriescar66]

I can't say who it is, I was told in confidence, & I'm not costing anyone their job... Suffice to say it would be someone who should know.

Personally I'd prefer a manual lifting tailgate as the powered ones are more trouble than they are worth in my experience....

 

[Saintsman]

My car is due in 3 weeks, I went to have a pre-delivery chat with my dealer (Ridgeway/Marshall Oxford) to cover this and ICTP issues that I wanted to be looked at before I even collected the car. Their take on the shut line problem is that it's no better or worse than any other Jaguar model of recent times - a % of cars reach the delaer mis-aligned (and that % hasn't significantly changed), and they just fix it before the customer collection. They even showed my the history of my current Sportbrake which shows a panel misalignment that they corrected as PDI and recorded on their systems before I collected. What has changed is that most dealers are now selling 2-3x the number of cars that they used to

So if dealers aren't sorting this then I would guess it's because they're struggling to deal with the increased volumes of sales (and all the changes to the model ranges) with the F-type, XE, XF, and F-Pace. Most Jaguar dealerships have simply not seen this rate of model turnover or all the new tech that's coming into Jaguars and a lot I think are struggling to cope.

You only have to go back a couple of years to find they only sold 3 models (XF, XJ, and XK) that were frankly at least half a generation behind the latest cars of the day - now it's the XE, new XF, XJ revision, F-Pace, F-Type, and an XK in desperate need of a facelift. 5 of these models are basically new inside the last 3 years and use basic manufacturing and build technology that is light years ahead of what they used to be.

That's not an excuse for failing to deal with this sort of thing, but more an observation that picking your dealer at the moment is probably more important than it has ever been for Jaguar, and more important than it is for a brand like BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, where this sort of model and technology turnover is old hat to them. You only need to look at the number of Jaguar dealerships that are currently in the process of building new showrooms (such as mine) or redeveloping (such as Guy Salmon in reading) to realise the upheaval that;' going on as the level investment involved in Jaguar dealerships changes drastically.

 

[Jagfpacejk]

My car is due in 3 weeks, I went to have a pre-delivery chat with my dealer (Ridgeway/Marshall Oxford) to cover this and ICTP issues that I wanted to be looked at before I even collected the car. Their take on the shut line problem is that it's no better or worse than any other Jaguar model of recent times - a % of cars reach the delaer mis-aligned (and that % hasn't significantly changed), and they just fix it before the customer collection. They even showed my the history of my current Sportbrake which shows a panel misalignment that they corrected as PDI and recorded on their systems before I collected. What has changed is that most dealers are now selling 2-3x the number of cars that they used to

So if dealers aren't sorting this then I would guess it's because they're struggling to deal with the increased volumes of sales (and all the changes to the model ranges) with the F-type, XE, XF, and F-Pace. Most Jaguar dealerships have simply not seen this rate of model turnover or all the new tech that's coming into Jaguars and a lot I think are struggling to cope.

You only have to go back a couple of years to find they only sold 3 models (XF, XJ, and XK) that were frankly at least half a generation behind the latest cars of the day - now it's the XE, new XF, XJ revision, F-Pace, F-Type, and an XK in desperate need of a facelift. 5 of these models are basically new inside the last 3 years and use basic manufacturing and build technology that is light years ahead of what they used to be.

That's not an excuse for failing to deal with this sort of thing, but more an observation that picking your dealer at the moment is probably more important than it has ever been for Jaguar, and more important than it is for a brand like BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, where this sort of model and technology turnover is old hat to them. You only need to look at the number of Jaguar dealerships that are currently in the process of building new showrooms (such as mine) or redeveloping (such as Guy Salmon in reading) to realise the upheaval that;' going on as the level investment involved in Jaguar dealerships changes drastically.

A great post thank you and your right picking your dealer is important but i am sure if you were to go into the worst dealer around and no i do not know one before you ask and drop over 40K on the table they will be treating you with massive respect, its only when you have issues that you find out just how good that dealer is and not two persons experiences would be the same.

We can not start a here's a really bad dealer thread and avoid as that sort of action leads to all sort of issues that you do not want to go down.

The worrying part is as your dealer has mentioned the panel issues are not new, this either means Jaguar do not care or they do not listen to dealers as if your being told that cars are coming off the production line so badly that they need correcting then why are they leaving the factory or more to the point being built this way.

 

[Arianne]

But we buyers have to deal with the reality and not what is supposed to happen. The OP makes valid points and, if we want the product, we will need to find a workaround. And one of the most important workarounds is to choose your dealer wisely. Buying a car is like taking a meal in a restaurant, except many times more expensive - it's more than just about th food that they put in front of you. It's about the whole experience including the surroundings, the interaction with the staff etc. The F-Pace is an excellent car but, as is clear from many posts on this forum, it can be completely ruined by a lacklustre dealership.

As with the OP, I have had an extensive discussion with my dealer about the quality assurance buffer that I need the dealer to provide between me and Solihull. I will be deploying the US pre-delivery letter and my dealer has agreed that they will use the letter as a list in support of an enhanced PDI. I will pop down about two weeks before collection to inspect the car with them and then they will rectify anything we all spot. They have agreed to procure the car in good time so that there is no rush for the PDI.

It is what it is. £40k - £60k or not, the fact is that the factory to dealer part of the supply chain is crucial if we want to all enjoy our new cars from the very beginning.

Regards

Arianne

PS. Heading off the Bowness on Windermere this morning for a steamer to Lakeside, then the steam train on the Hatherwaite railway before visiting the motor museum. Sunny day here in the Lake District. All that's missing is my F-Pace!

 

[Saintsman]

My car is due in 3 weeks, I went to have a pre-delivery chat with my dealer (Ridgeway/Marshall Oxford) to cover this and ICTP issues that I wanted to be looked at before I even collected the car. Their take on the shut line problem is that it's no better or worse than any other Jaguar model of recent times - a % of cars reach the delaer mis-aligned (and that % hasn't significantly changed), and they just fix it before the customer collection. They even showed my the history of my current Sportbrake which shows a panel misalignment that they corrected as PDI and recorded on their systems before I collected. What has changed is that most dealers are now selling 2-3x the number of cars that they used to

So if dealers aren't sorting this then I would guess it's because they're struggling to deal with the increased volumes of sales (and all the changes to the model ranges) with the F-type, XE, XF, and F-Pace. Most Jaguar dealerships have simply not seen this rate of model turnover or all the new tech that's coming into Jaguars and a lot I think are struggling to cope.

You only have to go back a couple of years to find they only sold 3 models (XF, XJ, and XK) that were frankly at least half a generation behind the latest cars of the day - now it's the XE, new XF, XJ revision, F-Pace, F-Type, and an XK in desperate need of a facelift. 5 of these models are basically new inside the last 3 years and use basic manufacturing and build technology that is light years ahead of what they used to be.

That's not an excuse for failing to deal with this sort of thing, but more an observation that picking your dealer at the moment is probably more important than it has ever been for Jaguar, and more important than it is for a brand like BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, where this sort of model and technology turnover is old hat to them. You only need to look at the number of Jaguar dealerships that are currently in the process of building new showrooms (such as mine) or redeveloping (such as Guy Salmon in reading) to realise the upheaval that;' going on as the level investment involved in Jaguar dealerships changes drastically.

A great post thank you and your right picking your dealer is important but i am sure if you were to go into the worst dealer around and no i do not know one before you ask and drop over 40K on the table they will be treating you with massive respect, its only when you have issues that you find out just how good that dealer is and not two persons experiences would be the same.

We can not start a here's a really bad dealer thread and avoid as that sort of action leads to all sort of issues that you do not want to go down.

The worrying part is as your dealer has mentioned the panel issues are not new, this either means Jaguar do not care or they do not listen to dealers as if your being told that cars are coming off the production line so badly that they need correcting then why are they leaving the factory or more to the point being built this way.

I don't believe that Jaguar are particularly better or worse than other manufacturers when it comes to delivering cars with shut line issues - the only reason why it's being observed as a problem now is because some dealers aren't doing their job properly

 

[Jagfpacejk]

I don't believe that Jaguar are particularly better or worse than other manufacturers when it comes to delivering cars with shut line issues - the only reason why it's being observed as a problem now is because some dealers aren't doing their job properly

This is a fair point and possibly true, maybe other manufactures dealers are doing this without us the customers knowing.

Having had new Audi's, Range Rover, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Ford, Seat, Kia and Volkswagen the only one i have had delivery issues with is the Jaguar and yet the Jaguar is 15K more then i have spent on any previous car.

 

[Jim]

I took a look around all the F-Paces in my dealers yesterday, demonstrators and those having been prepared awaiting collection (for some reason they were shuffling cars around in their compound and had a line of F-Paces out the front), about 8 in total including mine and all looked fine with no shut line issues. In the many hours I have spent hanging around in my dealers over the last 11 days I have mentioned the shut line issues and shown the sales guys the pictures on the forum and their reaction is that the customer should never see cars in this condition, irrespective of who is at fault.

 

[catwoman]

Jim, he's absolutely right, your dealer, I like the sound of what he's saying . . it's just a shame not all dealers seem to feel the same way, not to mention an even bigger shame that Jag themselves don't see it the same way.

Whoever your dealer is, he sounds like a good one

 

[FPTrevor]

Just been in my dealers to discuss the issues with my car and looked at 5 other Fpaces all where perfect.

 

[JLRnumber5]

Just been in my dealers to discuss the issues with my car and looked at 5 other Fpaces all where perfect.

At risk of hijacking the thread .. what's the outcome Trevor?

 

[FPTrevor]

Talking to work out a solution but I have to say the positive attitude of the head guy at the dealership was first class.
I should have more news by the end of the week.