Hello to all my fellow Jag lovers! My name is Dee and I'm new to the forum and I look forward to conversing with you. I am looking to buy my first 2004 XK8. As I search, it appears that there are a lot of high mileage cars out there (that's encouraging because I plan to keep mine for a very long time-my X-Type was retired at 355,000 miles). Any suggestions on what mileage I should not go above with this purchase? I'm eyeing one that has 69,000 miles on it and can't figure out if buying that one would be a wise bet It also had been rear-ended in 2011 so I will request the repair records. Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

Hello, Dee,
69,000 miles is just well loosened up. As you were able to get 355,000 miles out of your previous car, you doubtless take care of engines; long drives as opposed to short hops to the mail box, never really warming the fluids, which is Really hard on them.

I can tell you from my own experience, if the collision damage was too great the insurance would have totaled the car because it's cheaper that way. Since they chose to have it repaired, either damage wasn't that great or someone shined on the previous owner. Having record documentation in hand will certainly help you determine if you want to take a chance on that car. And of course, a test drive, in the manner you normally drive if that's possible. If it drives well you may have fallen upon a good deal. If it doesn't, you're no worse off than you are now; looking for another Jag.

Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

Welcome to the Forums.

 

Thanks Daf11e and LnrB!
just saw a 2003 with 24,000 miles, but I'm suspicious because its been for sale for 8 months. If the car has been mostly idle, would that cause big problems, I would definitely have a PPI, but not sure if that would cover all potential issues. I know that no one has a crystal ball, but I won't pull the trigger unless i have done a thorough due diligence.

 

Thanks Grant!

 

Thanks Grant! Forgive me if this is a duplicate, I have not figured out how to navigate this forum.

 

Welcome to the forums Dee,

(I've deleted your other duplicate Intro thread)

We have a few members with X-Types over 200K so 355K miles is a very impressive mileage. I can only think of one so far taken an XK8 over 200K miles but that is more because they tend to be used as a second or third vehicle. I've had two (2001 and 2005 Coupes) and they were great cars. Although not in the service schedules, experience shows that a transmission fluid and filter change at around 70K miles greatly increases the life of these apparently "sealed for life" units. Earlier models had issues with failing plastic timing chain tensioners but this was resolved in the final years of production. Front suspension bushes last around 30K miles so you will find the XK8 does require more attention over and above scheduled maintenance than the X-Type.

Follow this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xk8-xkr-x100-17/ to the XK8/XKR forum for help, advice and information. The 'HOW TO' thread at the top is a good place to start for information on regular issues. You can also use the US Lower Atlantic Region forum by following this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/u...r-atlantic-66/ to find other members in your region.

Enjoy the forums and the search for your XK8.

Graham

 

Welcome aboard Dee.

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome all-I love you all already! Thanks Elinor and Graham for the great feedback. I need to get out a notepad at this point. Is there a place on the forum where owners are selling their vehicles? I'd love to buy a 2003 or 2004 XK8 from someone who has doted on their cat. It will be my daily driver and I will probably put 10,000 miles or less per year on her. Also, I am a DIY kind of gal, but working on the inside of the car, and MAYBE under the hood with some gloves on will be as far as I go. My girly girl side will prevent me from going underneath the car, so finding someone trustworthy and qualified, other than the dealer, will be a must. Is budgeting about $3,500 a year for maintenance, barring unusually high unexpected repairs, a reasonable amount?

 

I almost wish that you all didn't post a picture of your Jags, it makes me want EVERY single one of them!! Beautiful works of art-just beautiful!

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums Dee,
Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.
If you need help with getting around and using the forum follow this link for some help Forum Help

 

Thanks Norri! I definitely need a tutorial on how to navigate this forum.

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Thanks Clarke! Nice art collection!

 

Any thoughts on the 2003 XK8 with 23,900 miles on it, been at the dealer for 8 months? Records show strut mounts and windows needed calibration since dealer has had it. Before then, just oil changes and regular maintenance.

 

1. Have a look at MARKETPLACE forum:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/marketplace-104/

2. Elinor will be horrified when she reads that. She can tear her XJ apart and put it back together again.
Your £3500 a year should easily cover maintenance and repairs unless there's a big powertrain issue.

These vehicles are very sensitive to battery condition and charge. Window calibration loss is a regular when they aren't kept on a battery tender but very easy to fix. The dealer will be keen to move a vehicle that's been on the lot for eeight months so you will have some good leverage on price. Even with low miles, rubber parts deteriorate simply with age. There's a lot of bushes on the front and rear suspension which should be checked.

XK8/XKR is service on a Mileage OR time basis. Either 12K miles OR 12 Months - whichever comes first so check the service history for gaps. At only approaching 24K miles, there should have been a lot of services with very few miles between them.

Graham

 

THANK YOU GRAHAM! Did not think about parts wearing just because of age-that information is priceless-was only focused on usage. So that's going to be very helpful in negotiation as they are asking $18,000 based on the mileage and the mostly pristine appearance.

To your point-there is an oil change in 2011 and no other service records again until 2017 per the CARFAX. Does that mean that this car is ripe for issues as to both worn parts and the battery, etc.? Is that 6 year gap a red flag that says I should walk away from this car? Can a pre purchase inspection uncover all of these worn parts or powertrain issues that I need to be concerned about?
Thanks again in advance!

P.S. I need to meet Elinor, I could probably be converted a little (just a little gun-shy after cleaning the carburetor on my lawn mower a couple of years ago, was a little too messy for me).

 

Any used Jaguar needs to be approached with caution but once you have your checklist compiled it becomes a lot easier to make an impartial assessment. It also lets the dealer know you've done your research and probably know a lot more about potential issues than he does.

Only 23K miles in nine years is very light use so it is likely to have been a second or third vehicle. Nevertheless, it should have been serviced on schedule. The dealer needs some close questioning on this. If there is genuinely a six year gap since it was serviced then it is a vehicle which requires recommissioning (all fluids changed, probably new battery and tyres, brakes checked for sticking calipers and cooling system hoses replaced) rather than just a pre-delivery service.

None of that would discourage me from closer inspection because it's the kind of things most buyers end up doing in the first couple of years to get their Jaguar into top condition. What you want to avoid is being hit with something major in the first few weeks of ownership. A pre-purchase inspection is a wise investment - expensive but it would give a comprehensive list of faults or potential problems.

Is it advertised on a dealer website?

Graham

 

Thank you Graham!!!! I am making the list. Can I contact you privately and if yes, how do I do that?