SACRAMENTO – Jaguar has agreed to pay a $30,000 penalty for selling 1,637 vehicles in California that had defective emission control systems, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced today.

        "We are pleased to see that Jaguar quickly accepted responsibility for this problem and has agreed where possible to correct it at no expense to the consumer," said ARB Chairman Alan Lloyd.

        Factors used to determine the $30,000 penalty included Jaguar's cooperative attitude and willingness to deal with the problem and the fact that the small number of vehicles involved would mean minimal impact on California's air quality.

        The 1995 through 1997 vehicles have defective on-board computer systems that do not properly detect engine misfires.  ARB regulations require misfire detection because engine misfire can cause excess air emissions.

        The problem was found in 160 V-12 model XJ12 vehicles from 1995 and 1996 and in 1,477 V-8 model XK8 vehicles from 1997.

         The computers in the XJ12 vehicles cannot be reprogrammed so Jaguar has agreed to extend the warranty on these vehicles so they can be checked for possible misfire problems over an extended time period.  The exact length of the warranty extension has not been decided but will mirror a warranty extension currently being negotiated by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in a separate action against Jaguar for the same misfire detection problem.

        Jaguar has agreed to reprogram the computers in the XK8 model vehicles.  This is being done at no cost to consumers when the cars are brought to dealers for maintenance or service.

        Any owner who does not bring his vehicle in for service by the beginning of the year 2000 will receive a letter from Jaguar asking that the car be brought in so the computer problem can be corrected.