Yep; first world problems.....

 

The reality is the modern day car is mostly a crapshoot. If you get the one bad Corolla made, you're going to have a hell of a time with it. The other 9,999 are going to be just fine (ratio approximate).

I only have 16K miles and a year and change with my V8S and have never been stranded or needed a tow. I have even been able to fill my gas tank almost every time. A baseball sized rock went through the front grill at 85 mph and the car kept going and didn't require a single mechanical repair.

 

Your battery is obviously not fine...repeated flat battery cycles destroy a battery! And you do know that you can easily reset the window function ? ( check the owner's manual).
I would start with a new battery and a quiescent draw test to see how much current draw there is 30 minutes after the engine is shut off and the doors locked ( if this is not done you will not get an accurate reading; there are systems that remain in operation for some time after shut-down.).
Finally, you do lock the car whenever it is not being used? And the fob is not left in or near the car?

 

I bought a 2014 V8S certified pre-owned with 2K miles (former dealer demo / loaner). In my first five months of ownership here are the issues I've encountered:

- buzzing interior panels from stereo (known issues / TSB and has been corrected)
- clunking sound from the suspension (known issue / TSB on strut insulation sleeves)
- more clunking sounds from suspension (collapsed internal cylinder on the right rear strut)
- passenger side window not staying up with "one touch" (convertible top mechanism was adjusted and works fine now)
- "Gearbox fault" message light and temporarily unable to engage transmission (known issue fixed with software update)
- paint chipping on door seam caused by metal swell on very hot days (not yet reported to dealership)

So, no, I've never been stranded on the side of the road, but that list it a lot longer than it should be.

Some other things to consider if you are contemplating making the F-Type your daily driver as I have done:

1) The ride is HARSH. It is great in the canyons or twisty back roads but it is pretty terrible on freeways or city streets

2) The seats are UNCOMFORTABLE. See #1 above. This is not a good combination.

3) The startups are LOUD, especially when the engine is cold. Your neighbors will hate hearing the howl from your morning start-up , and your co-workers will know exactly when you leave the office if the parking lot is anywhere near your building.

4) The GPS / Infotainment system, in a word, sucks. It is slow, clunky and unintuitive. The 2017 models with the InControl Touch Pro upgrade are better (ridiculous that this is an option and not standard by the way), but having tested it in a Range Rover that I had as a loaner on one of the repairs above I can confirm is still "meh". Mercedes, Audi and BMW all have vastly better systems, all of which have a control wheel.

5). The DEPRECIATION is truly eye-watering. My 2014 car had a sticker price at $102K. I bought it in April 2016 with 2K miles for $69.5. I can currently get about $58K for trade-in or sell private party at about $61K. Brutal.

6) The chassis is LOW. You will need to be constantly vigilant about turning the wheels hard at every driveway, but you will still definitely scrape the front lip a few times a week if you live in a major city with less than pristine roads.

The F-Type is a fun sports car. It sounds great and has endless power, but if I had it to do over again I wouldn't buy it as my primary car. I have resigned myself to live with it for a year to at least amortize the 9% California sales tax over 12 months and hope that I have entered the gentler side of the depreciation curve. My consideration set for a sporty everyday car to replace it is as follows: Mercedes AMG C63S, BMW M3, BMW M2, Cadillac ATS-V. I'm not ruling out the F-Type Coupe in the hopes that the ride and seats may improve with the latest model, but the longer I live with my convertible the more I think that the F-Type really isn't ever going to be a great commuter car.

As Dennis Miller used to say: Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

And it's very interesting the difference in individual perceptions;

I also have a 2014 certified pre-owned V8S. I purchased it at the same time you did and (our dollar is different) paid around 70% of original MSRP with 6800 miles on the car.

The only issues I've had were related to a dead/dying battery from the car sitting on the lot too long. I haven't had the fuel fill problem and I have no issue with the stereo or infotainment/Nav system though I don't use it much. Car feels tight with very few squeeks and rattles IMO.....that said I can hear my exhaust valves open and close.

1) The ride: I actually found the ride to be very comfortable. I remain amazed that the car can be so composed on normal roads and yet handle so well at the same time.....given the extremely low profile tires on 20" rims, the car feels very smooth and civilized to me.

2) Seats; LOVE the seats, I found them to be very comfortable much better than our SLK.

3) Yep, startups are loud. Not a huge deal for me

4) Again, I don't use the infotainment system alot but I like it better than the system in our new Mercedes.

5) Depreciation; sure.....but I didn't buy new or pay MSRP, so I didn't take the big hit nor do I feel the car will depreciate worse than other similar cars from this point on. On the flip side, the F-Type is WAY more car than you can buy from Mercedes, BMW or Porsche for the same coin IMO.

6) I've scrapped my front lower guard once getting onto a ferry......other than that, it's been fine. I applaud JLR for making the lower pce cheap and easy to remove.....unlike our Mercedes.


....we are all built differently and have different uses and expectations; I don't use my F type as a daily driver but rather as a fun weekend car for road trips, etc. So far I love the car and it has exceeded my expectations.

Cheers,
Dave

 

I love the car but it is in the shop with a shifting problem (I have the manual transmission). Almost left me stranded last night when refused to shift out of neutral. I got it working but shifts like an old truck. The mechanic tried to shift once and pronounced it in need of repair (no surprise there). I now await their diagnostics with a brand new loaner (alas, not an F type)
I have also had it looked at for a sensitive oil level gauge and needing a software update. I am hopeful but worried that I might have the lemon. Though everything else feels right, the problem is that I haven't had it long enough to have a sense for the innate build of the car.

2016 F Type S, manual

 

I suspect your car was built prior to November 2015. The clutch mechanism is coming apart. They have since come out with an upgraded clutch, but the dealer will no doubt also replace the dual-mass flywheel and the cylindrical throw-out bearing. You will have a much better feeling clutch after they make the repair. After just 800 miles my first clutch failed completely, leaving me stranded.

 

For a car that MSRP's for 70-100K; are these issues really acceptable? I can understand these occurring on a Camaro or Mustang, but those cost MUCH less.

Kindof rubs salt into the wound...

 

I guess you've never owned a true exotic.

 

Our second (replacement) F-Type was built in May of 2015.
As far as the OP question regarding reliability, based on our experience (First Jag, First 'exotic' etc) the car has been 100% reliable.

I think that the quality of the 'early' cars may have been unreliable, and it is just a matter of luck whether you got a good one, or not so good'un!

Early buyers of course, will be subject to the normal 'guinea pig' test pilot problems as issues are ironed out and modifications/enhancements made over the subsequent years.

I know of one chap who has over 40K miles on an early V6S, and has had an issue with his centre vent....pretty good going IMO.

 

There is a detailed thread around here with invoices, explanation.

Pioneers were shot in the back with arrows. I love that expression. Early adopters get to pioneer hardware and software issues, etc. It is a choice. With cars, tech, whatever.

In this situation, it was the best choice ever, and warranty issues are just that. To be handled by the warranty.

First production year of 2016 had some Volvo parts because stuff hadn't been properly fabricated as it was so new.... (I think that is right) 👌👍🤘

 

Thanks - this is really helpful information. I have forwarded it to the dealerships and will see how they respond - I am assuming positively but will follow up as I am also slightly cynical by nature😎

 

Follow up - looks like unhingd defined the problem. The clutch is reportedly being rebuilt, it's been in the shop 4 days now and they are saying another week - great that it is being fixed but I really want my car back.
p.s. the silver lining (if one can call it that), a useless USB port turns out to be the result of an incorrectly put together electrical panel that is getting replaced at the same time.

 

The clutch job will take less than a day, but the parts will ship in from England.

 

That was my fear, though the dealership says Jaguar stockpiles in Pennsylvania, I think there are still very few manual drives here so I was pessimistic

 

If true not surprised. We in PA have become the warehouse to the world given how many mega distribution centres are constantly under construction here.