I am about to buy a 2005 S-type V8 with 2 owners and 51K miles, looks very clean. Concerned about maintenece costs, any recurrent 50K mile problems, any warnings out there? Appreciate input!

 

Welcome to the forum.

You need to follow forum protcol and introduce yourself in the New Member area. By doing so you will have full access to the site, right now you get limited access.

Look in the FAQ thread here in the S Type section, many of your questions will be answered there.

Good luck hope you purchase it!

 

Check it carefully - the cars were 4.2 by then so model, year or engine is wrong!

If you can't DIY at least the easy stuff like oil changes & brake pads then these are not the cheapest to own.

 

Alright man...your looking for straight answers and that I can understand.
I have the 2005 s-type 4.2L V8, which is what your vehicle will be for 2005. Anything else is bogus...do not buy!
I have been thru the following since buying the car in July 2011 with 89,000 miles:
*ZF transmission fluid change with new filter=$750
*Power steering rack & pinon $550(part) $250(labor)=$800 (jag dealer part $1600)
*Duralast ceramic front brake pads $75(part) $50(labor)=$125
*Throttle Body repair to block out moisture $40(parts) free(labor)=$40
*Wagner thermoquiet semi-metallic rear pads $65(part) $65(labor)=$130
*245-40-18 Continental extremecontact all seasons tires $885...rotate tires every 5,000 miles
*NTB full year of alignments=$125.00...take car in every 30 days for free alignment check
*jaguar trans fluid will cost $40 per bottle & power steering fluid $26 per bottle
My $2.00 worth of info!!

 

There's no need to buy from Jaguar, unless they are big containers.

 

As JagV8 said above, if you cannot DIY the majority of your own maintenance and repairs, these cars may not be kind to your bank account. If you can DIY, these cars remain one of the best bang-for-the-buck luxury sedans out there if you find the right one and treat this forum as the most important tool in your toolbox....

 

Please be aware that the rack and pinon is the same as the Lincoln LS and can be purchased much cheaper than from Jaguar. About 1/2 the cost.

The correct Lifeguard transmission fluid is now available for about $17/Liter. Also be sure and change the $15 sleeve while you have the pan off. The filter is built into the pan so they are replaced as a unit. The pan bolts have been upgraded too but several people have stayed with the smaller T27 factory pan bolts.

We have a very good thread on where to purchase the correct ZF parts and fluids. The job is a bit tough and I had Jaguar perform it using the parts I supplied.

Really the most common problems are related to heating/cooling. Look up DCCV. Some hose's also can start leaking with the added possibility of breaking plastic cooling system parts when changing them out. Again use the Lincoln LS part if changing the DCCV much cheaper.
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