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Look on e-bay. You can sometimes find them there. Granted, they are still going to set you back a pretty penny. Cheaper than the dealership, but not by much. Your other option is to find a recycler that has an XJ and ask them if the car has the illuminated plates and then see what they want. I would still be surprised if you get off for less than $1000 to get all 5 plates (the 4 doors and the one for the boot/trunk).
I've discussed in the past, how my wife and I lost our beloved 2012 XJ-L, when an errant driver (I'm being VERY polite, here) "rear-ended" the car, when my wife stopped for a red light. The car had the illuminated sill plates, as a "gift" from Jaguar management (whole 'nother story!!), and had I realized the car was going to be written off as a "total", I would have pulled them off, before the car was trucked off to the body shop, where it was eventually sent off to the "insurance auction".
Amazing how hindsight is always 20/20.
I'm currently trying to work a deal to get another set, for the 2016 XJ that replaced our "dead" one.......
I am not 100% sure so you would have to do a little research, but I am under the impression that the 2016-18 illuminated door sills are cheaper from the dealer than the 2015 and older models. I thought I saw somewhere that the were made from a different material or something. If they are indeed cheaper from the dealer and you can guarantee fitment then that's one idea. Also, if they are a cheaper factory part and do fit, you can find a dealer in the UK that would be willing to ship and save even more money. The boxes are little and very light. Just a thought that would require a little research but might be worth it.
John, there is a posting on e-bay for the 4 doors (SWB version) with a buy it now price of $1100. Probably still not what you are wanting to pay, but that is about as cheap as you are going to find them.
I am not 100% sure so you would have to do a little research, but I am under the impression that the 2016-18 illuminated door sills are cheaper from the dealer than the 2015 and older models. I thought I saw somewhere that the were made from a different material or something. If they are indeed cheaper from the dealer and you can guarantee fitment then that's one idea. Also, if they are a cheaper factory part and do fit, you can find a dealer in the UK that would be willing to ship and save even more money. The boxes are little and very light. Just a thought that would require a little research but might be worth it.
I seem to recall reading that the "early" sill plates were made of stainless steel, whereas the current versions are made of aluminum, therefore the change in price.
John, there is a posting on e-bay for the 4 doors (SWB version) with a buy it now price of $1100. Probably still not what you are wanting to pay, but that is about as cheap as you are going to find them.
I just got a quote from the parts department of my local dealer, and the plates are listed at $334 and $335, respectively. That adds up to $1338, plus local taxes of $107, for a grand total of $1445. OUCH!!!!
What I don't understand, it the wide variance in pricing. As I've already noted, there was a change in materials, which contributed to somewhat of a difference, but looking at some of the various dealers' websites, shows pricing all over the place.
Personally, while I think these pieces are a "classy" addition to the car, there's no way I'd spend $1400 to get them. In another discussion topic, here at the Jag Forum, there's mention of the 2016 XJ recall, due to a software update. Something that might not be well publicized, is that Jaguar Corporate, according to my dealer, is offering a $500 credit toward the purchase of Jaguar accessories, as a means of "smoothing over" any inconvenience incurred because of this recall. Apparently, this software update doesn't always load correctly, the first time, therefore the car may wind up staying at the dealership for a day or two.
Anyway, I was thinking of applying this $500 toward a set of the sill plates, and paying the remainder out of my pocket. However, I'm not coming up with another $900. Three or four hundred, I probably would have gone for, but not nine hundred............
Last edited by leadfoot4; Jun 1, 2017 at 04:41 PM.
I paid right around $600 for mine brand new from a dealer in London. They wouldn't ship internationally but they were helpful enough to deliver to another business that was sending me other parts. I would find part numbers for the both the 15's and the 16's assuming that was the year they changed materials. Then call or email a few dealerships in the UK for pricing and see who is willing to ship internationally. You might also be able to find a 3rd party shipper that will pick up from the dealer and deliver internationaly. Either way you would be roughly half of your local dealer quote.
I previously mentioned, in an earlier post, that it would have cost me an additional $900, over the $500 Jag recall certificate, to get the sill plates for my car. When I went back to the dealer, get the car, I had to decide what to do with the certificate, before they could close out the work order. I again mentioned how much I would have liked to get the sill plates, but $900 additional was a little too much to go.
The parts department manager got involved, and felt that they could "massage" that price a little bit.................I now have the illuminated sill plates. I installed them yesterday morning.
leadfoot4, are yours in aluminium (with new Jaguar typeface) or stainless steel? Mind sharing how much you paid (did you get all four)?
I could get them at approximately $182 each but am still not convinced from the photos that this is worth spending, since nobody gets to appreciate them when outside nor inside the car. It is only during that fleeting moment during entry/exit that they appear.
However it is such an easy mod that I hate to let it pass. Only if it'd cost less.
leadfoot4, are yours in aluminium (with new Jaguar typeface) or stainless steel? Mind sharing how much you paid (did you get all four)?
I could get them at approximately $182 each but am still not convinced from the photos that this is worth spending, since nobody gets to appreciate them when outside nor inside the car. It is only during that fleeting moment during entry/exit that they appear.
However it is such an easy mod that I hate to let it pass. Only if it'd cost less.
Their illumination probably won't show up well, because although the garage was darkened, the camera's auto flash illuminated the picture. I'm pretty sure that they are made out of aluminum.
In terms of pricing, I'm a little reluctant to say, other than my dealer took "really good care of me". Having said that, it appears, however, that based on some of the price quotes mentioned in this discussion, the US dealers are either faced with a high rate of import tax or a high profit margin.
You are one lucky chap! The illuminated sills do look neat but knowing me, I probably won't stop at two, hence am still on the fence now cos it's either getting all 4 or none at all. And sills being sills, I'd rather a set of new ones than used.
In November, 2015 I bought a front set of used stainless steel illuminated sill plates on eBay for my 2013 XJ. Installation was easy, and they do look pretty cool at night, particularly with my Growler puddle lights. Unfortunately, they're not visible during the day. Are the illuminated sills worth the cost? Compared to the benefit, probably not. I now realize that I must have bought them during a fit of temporary insanity. The Growler puddle lamps, on the other hand, were definitely worth the cost.
I thought about getting the rears from the fellow in the UK, but decided that it's not worth the cost as no one would ever see them as I never have any passengers in the rear seat at night. But if they made my car faster ...
