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First, a little bit about myself. I'm 18, I work part time, and I attend university on a full-time schedule. I bought a 2007 XKR in Dallas a week ago and drove it back to central Oklahoma, it is now essentially my only expense. If it fails catastrophically, that would certainly be bad, but it wouldn't ruin me. It will likely only see a couple thousand miles a year since I have a daily driver that my parents paid for, and that they pay the insurance for. It has around 136,000 miles, but it made the trip back without incident, relatively speaking. I have always loved the XK and XKR for as long as I can remember being interested in cars, and this is the first car I have owned outright in my own name. I freely admit that I was basically cleaned out by this purchase. It came with a good Carfax record, new tires, and is on 20 (!!) inch aftermarket wheels the previous owner overpaid for, and they installed new brakes themself as well. The oil and coolant were changed in December 2025, and it appears from the sticker that 5W-30 was used. It has a brand new headliner and a freshly reupholstered driver's seat. The dash peeling is basically as bad as it could have been, if I'm honest. The previous owner (63 y/o) claims it has a new battery, but I don't know about that owing to a certain electrical issue the car has often indicating a bad one. The Carfax shows the battery was last replaced around 10,000 miles and 1 year ago, but I don't know it was replaced since.
I love the car, but I also know how expensive these big cats can be to run. It has plenty of problems, most of which don't require fixing in any predetermined amount of time, but it has some that I am worried about. I don't have any mechanical experience, and I only really have access to basic tools. I intend to purchase an OBD2 reader but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Likewise, I intend to make posts with videos attached of the major mechanical/electrical gremlins. Focusing on the positives, the engine, supercharger and transmission appear to be in good health. If anyone knows reputable specialists in the Central OK area, I would be very grateful to know! I hope to have a lovely time here!
Below is a list of all the faults I know about on the car. I know many of them are here on the forum already, but if anyone has an "aha!" moment and knows fixes for any of these I would be glad to hear them.
Mechanical
-Clunking noise going over larger bumps
-Engine takes 4-5 seconds to start when cold, and includes 2 noticeably different, louder and slower cranks before starting
-Infotainment system stays on ‘Jaguar’ boot screen and never loads into the system (Intermittent)
-Rear end whirr that sounds like a jet engine, increases in pitch when revving the engine and decreases in pitch and volume when off the gas
-Whining squeaky-brake sound that doesn’t appear to be affiliated with the brakes (Intermittent)
-TPMS remains on even for tires that are known to have correct pressure
-Spare key does not work for keyless entry and can only be used to start the car
-Headlights are misaligned to the right or a bulb is damaged; noticeable dark patch with low beams on on the edge of the headlight’s reach on the driver’s side
-Burns oil, but not believed to be a dangerous or damaging amount
-Slight shake when braking, sometimes occurs and sometimes doesn’t, does not seem to be speed dependent, likely to be associated with clunking noise over bumps
-Hyperactive alarm
Most pressing of mechanical problems (in order of precedence)
-Engine takes 4-5 seconds to start when cold, and includes 2 noticeably different, louder and slower cranks before starting
-Rear end whirr that sounds like a jet engine, increases in pitch when revving the engine and decreases in pitch and volume when off the gas
-Clunking noise going over larger bumps
^ -Slight shake when braking, sometimes occurs and sometimes doesn’t, does not seem to be speed dependent, likely to be associated with clunking noise over bumps
Non-Mechanical
-Dash leather has fully peeled and come up, damaging the center dash speaker cover with it
-Driver’s side door card piece is heavily worn
-Window tint needs replacement and causes an irritating flapping sound from the right side
-Trunk side trim is not adhered to the panel and is hanging down
-Glovebox breaks off when opening due to glovebox panel separating from one of the hinges
-Both driver and passenger side interior floor box wall panels need replacement
-Both driver and passenger side chrome plastic rear seat access latches need replacement
-Driver’s side rear speaker cover has come off and needs to be replaced or refit
-Many scratches and scrapes in various areas around the car, most could likely be buffed out or retouched
-Slight area of clear coat and paint wear above rear driver’s side fender
-Buzzing/rattling sound coming from driver’s side power seat panel at higher speeds
-Jaguar logo in steering wheel is dented in
-Ashtray lid doesn't lock open
-Main key needs a new battery
Most pressing of non-mechanical issues
-Dash leather has fully peeled and come up, damaging the center dash speaker cover with it
-Window tint needs replacement and causes an irritating flapping sound from the right side
-Glovebox breaks off when opening due to glovebox panel separating from one of the hinges
Resolved problems
-Rear left turn signal failure (both rear turn signal bulbs replaced 4/19/2026)
I suspect the rear end whine is the diff, and I suspect the clunking sound to be some manner of front suspension component since they are definitely near, at or beyond their end-of-life at 136000 miles. The dampers were replaced at 70K according to the Carfax. I don't know what could be causing the starting and infotainment issues though, as they were not occurring when I bought the car and only showed up in the past couple days.
We call it "catch up stuff", and Previous Owners are LAZY to a T when they decide to move on a car.
I see nothing glaring there, some time, some TLC, and more time wont sort. What a learning curve, awesome,.
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Hello,
Congratulations on your new Jaguar XKR!
I can tell you from my own experience, by the time you get all those problems resolved, you will be well and truly Bonded with this car!
Members in the section where Daf had directed you will be Delighted to help you on your journey.
Bought a 2007 XKR for $7300 at 18
) claims it has a new battery, but I don't know about that owing to a certain electrical issue the car has often indicating a bad one. The Carfax shows the battery was last replaced around 10,000 miles and 1 year ago, but I don't know it was replaced since.
