Jaguar recalls 18,000 cars to cap year of embarrassing problems for firms

The problem affects diesel X-type models from 2006 to 2010 and relates to the fact that “the cruise control may not respond to the normal inputs”.

Letters from customers say that in some circumstances the cruise control cannot be disengaged in the normal manner.

Turning the ignition off will cancel the cruise-control function, the letter said.

A total of 17,678 Jaguar cars in the UK are involved in the recall.

A Jaguar spokesman said: “This potential problem was spotted by one of our employees. No customer has been affected, and there had been no accidents or injuries.”

The move by Jaguar follows a series of embarrassing and costly recalls by several motor vehicle firms over the past 12 months.

In August, Honda asked for 1.5 million cars in the United States to be returned temporarily so the software that controls their automatic transmission could be updated. This included Accord, CR-V and Element models.

The Japanese car-maker also recalled 760,000 models sold in China to fix the same problem.

In June, Chrysler was ordered by the US Centre for Auto Safety to recall more than two million Jeep Gran Cherokee four-wheel-drives, because of a design fault they said could lead to the vehicle bursting into flames.

In April, Mercedes recalled 137,000 luxury M-class SUVs in the US over a braking fault that safety regulators say may have caused crashes.