2018 Jaguar F-PACE Steering Problems

Lost power steering during heavy rain. Power steering rack in 2018 Jaguar Fpace has crack that has caused water ingest.

2018 Jaguar F-pace power steering rack failure: Driving in heavy rain [XXX] on [XXX] entered a flooded roadway. The entire 4 lane roadway was flooded at the underpass. Thousands of cars in all 4 lanes passed through the flooded roadway at 10 MPH. The highway was backed up for miles. The water did not appear to be too deep (3 to 4 inches deep); however, water entered the steering rack and shorted out the electric steering and power steering failed, and warning came on that said “OK to drive with caution Power steering assistance reduced”, we then pulled off the road to see what had happened. My wife who was driving at the time could barely control the car as we exited the highway. Steering was difficult but I managed to make it home and parked the car. Since then, we brought it to our mechanic and he confirmed that electric power steering rack has failed due to water ingress and he could not do the repair. He provided a picture of the crack in the corroded aluminum casting. The car has not been repair so part is available for inspection at this time. After doing an internet search for similar problems we found that this is a known safety issue on F-Pace and Land Rover Valar since they share the same steering rack. There have been hundreds of these failures in US and Great Briton. There is a facebook page dedicated to this failure with over 1,300 members, all of which have reported this failure. “JLR Power Steering Alliance Group (Jaguar F-Pace & Range Rover Velar)” The car is not safe to drive, I had it towed to dealer. The steering is so heavy it would be very difficult to respond to and emergency with out power steering, which can fail at any moment if it gets wet. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving my car and all of a sudden my steering wheel became extremely hard to turn, and a warning appeared on my dash saying “power steering assistance reduced”. It took all my strength to get around the next turn. Luckily I was near my home and was only a few turns from my driveway. My husband looked under my car and the steering rack was cracked. After investigating online, it appears to be a common defect among Jaguar F Paces, and the cracks occur in the same two places, one of which matched the crack on my vehicle.

For a few years there has been many repairs and complaints about the power steering in the Jaguar F Pace. I was driving home Friday in the rain when out of nowhere the power steering quit working and I almost wrecked in a turn. I looked at the fluid which is full and check to see any loose wires and see nothing. I tried to call Jaguar Customer service and they told me to reach out to the service department then call back if there is any issues. Right now I am down without a car and I don’t feel like I should be at fault and pay for a failed power steering system. In the turn the car said Power Steering Assistance Reduced. There are reports of the failed steering in thousands of their cars from the years of 2017 to 2020. Some say the box starts to designate and some say it allows water to get in and damages the electrical components. I know that the milage on my vehicle is 95,000 but highway driving doesn’t cause that to happen.