well, my name is jon. my wife and i are in the process of trading in her 1999 pontiac grand am gt for a "new" car and she is pretty much sold on the x type. i dont thinkwe have found the right one yet though. i joined up here to do some research before we decide to buy one. i am about to search the hell out of these forums, but if there are any common problems or things i should be looking out for please let me know.

 

thanks fellas. so far this is what i have found...

Leaking/dripping washer jets
Defective boot latch
Faulty J-gate selector
Vibration issues (Sometimes poor tires/balancing, sometimes a prop-shaft problem)
Faulty drivers door latch
"Squeaky" rear seat
Faulty Thermostats, resulting in "High Engine Temperature" warnings
Weak center arm rest
Dash vents - pop up

Most of these quirks have now be corrected under warranty and shouldn't be a problem if you are looking at an early X-type.

For 2003, the X-type was provided without most of the problems found in the initial '02 models. Besides the better quality build, there was not much new included w/ for the 2003 models .

2004 > pretty much all good


X-Type is decent entry level car. If you buy one, get it at the dealer, and definitly get Select Edition warranty. Tranmissions are known for going out. Made by JATCO. Anyway, select is well worth the extra money you will pay. Covers everything but interior trim items and anything rubber pretty much. No brakes either. It will pay for seals though. So the IMT seals that leak on X-Type will be covered for example. $16,000 for an 04 sounds about right depending on options. Also.....did I mention, get the Warranty? Trust me....even though some things you will have to pay diag for, if you need a trans, will be free to you, but if no warranty.....maybe $8000? I cant remember off the top of my head, but expensive. Get the car though.....fun in the snow for sure.


Common issues:

Leaking or clunking AWD units
Steering squeak (updated seals available)
Driveshaft carrier bearing makes noise and vibrates (updated design)
Steering wheel shimmy due to bent rims, poor wheel balance, or driveline issues. The car is really sensitive to vibrations.
Early Auto trans units can be problematic
A/C clutch units can go bad or fall off and the compressor has to be replaced (I believe the new one is updated)
Defogger vents in dash squeak


the "local" dealership (it's 40 minutes away depending on DC traffic) has a handful of 2004's with ~50k miles going for $14,999. i hoping to see about $3k for the trade in....might be able to make this happen. i dont think my wife realized these cars only run on premium gas...the 10.5:1 compression ratio explains that.

now i need to find the engine performance section....

 

i am a little surprised at the lack of an aftermarket for these cars. it also seems to me that the x type is the ******* child of jaguar. in everything i have read the critics have slammed it.

 

went to the dealership and sealed the deal yesterday. got a platinum '04 3.0. already put about 50 miles on it between driving it home and then to work. one question i have is about the valet key. what exactly does that do? is it chipped or something so the ECM can limit engine performance?

 

washed it earlier today.