that obviously the person bought a car either sight unseen, or without doing due diligence, the only posts are alway negative or questioning about an issue.

Then it's a lousy car, Jaguar is the worst car made etc. It has all these issues......and it it almost always boils down to, they saw a nice car, really cheap, has all these options and they purchase it without so much as googling for information.

 

Yes and this goes for ANY make and model of vehicle

 

If you're the 3rd or 4th owner of an entry level luxury sports car you have to be careful. It's not just jags, but around here even C Class, 3 series and A4 that are in the same boat. Lease to abuse to the next goat....high mileage on a sports sedan in my opinion is a risky buy.

In my case I've had no more problems on my X than any previous car I've owned - prior was German, before that Japanese.

When you buy these cars you have to maintain them. It costs money...no way around it.

 

I hear ya Sidewalkman. The "bought an 8 year old X-Type with 100K miles on it for 3 grand and now I'm pissed because it has issues" posts. But it looked really good on the Interweb...

 

I'm almost convinced it is the AWD that curses many cars of this era. They all seem to share Jatco components and VWs + other cars with Jatco stuff face similar issues. If these cars had turbos, it would be funnier.

 

It would be a pretty strange forum if all we get is "My gearbox works, the engine runs, and the wheels go round"

Knocking a brand on a forum specific to that brand is hardly going to win any friends.

When a new member is seen to have a problem (the nature of the beast) on a technical forum sometimes they need to be guided in the right direction.

If an overly negative post is spotted, simply use the Report Post button and we will look into it and take any action that may be required.

IMHO, any car that cost 10's of thousands when new and is now selling for relative peanuts is going to risk having some issues. There is more than just the economy as a reason for the depreciation.

Personally I have bought vehicles over the phone, including my current Jag, or left a bid at an auction sight unseen in the knowledge that the risk is mine and mine alone. Only once have I had an unpleasant surprise. (the car was tied to a film company and wasn't available, I got out of the deal).

My fault, and no point moaning.

 

For sake of buying a Jaguar ,you can expect such knocking on and blasphemy .On most car forums you can see such threads floating around

My Jaguars have not always been a trouble free , I also posted about my hitches without bashing the brand . Bashing , shouting will not help you solve the problems
Still, on rare occasions , we can see approval threads too .

 

"My gearbox works, the engine runs, and the wheels go round." That's me!

I bought my '03X after a cursory self-inspection and test drive (and I am no expert mechanic) - I did no research (other than lifelong lusting) - so if did - or do - start to have problems, I probably deserve them! But that would be my fault, not the brand.

Brand reputation is a fickle mistress - in some cases you can be a dog forever no matter how good your product acually is, and in other cases you can be king of the hill forever no matter how flawed your product is. Going from crap to king is tough (think Jag and its stellar JD Powers ratings a year or two ago) - but you can go from king to crap in a flash (think Toymotor.)

I like my retro chrome-plated phallus on the bonnett, "my gearbox works, the engine runs, the wheels go round," and every time I get in, smell that leather and drive it around - I get a big stoopid grin on my face.

So, jag h8rs begone to the fate you deserve - driving lesser vehicles and a life of bland mediocrity!

 

btw, I don't want to jinx it, but my X-Type has had zero issues in about 18 months of ownership. First 5-year old used car I've had where I can say that. Granted, now that I write this bolts of lightning may come down from the sky and ruin the perfect record. Who knows.

 

We have three Jaguar's in my family. An XJ8L, and XK8, and the X-Type. Luckily, we have had no problems so far. I think its all about the right ownership the way you maintain the cars.

 

When something breaks it's the car, but when an owner says everything is broken the problem often lies with the owner. Particularly when they put the car on deferred maintenance or have forum names that imply abuse. Also, some X Types have unfortunately fallen into "weak hands" by being passed by parents to children or being bought for low prices. Lastly, as previously posted, most owners are out enjoying their cars whereas people with problems are disproportionately represented here.

 

My f$#^ing X type drove 140 miles today without breaking something. There must be something wrong with it or me. I'm tired of being the only one who seems to not have issues with my cars. I feel lonely, scared and sad I must be missing the true Jaguar experience.

 

I agree 100%. Although there is always a risk with buying any used car. I truly believe that if you some at least a minimum of due diligence before you buy to learn about the car you greatly diminish your chances of having trouble down the road.

I also shake my head at the people on here that ask after buying the car "when I push the phone icon button and it says "no phone" what does that mean"? Understand what you are buying BEFORE you buy it.

 

There's a certain adrenalin rush when you buy a car without researching it to death. A leap of faith if you will, rather like going out with a girl for the first time, without having her checked by a detective agency first.
I bought a Ford van that way, a Porsche Boxster, and my current 911, not to mention the XJ.
I will say though, buyer beware and don't complain if the girl turns out to be a lunatic!

 

I've done that too, but you know you're doing it that when the repair bills start going sideways it is your fault not the car.

Funny I've had better luck with cars that are supposed to be repair intensive (pretty much any British Car made) than with domestics. Last few domestics have been a horror story.

 

"The "bought an 8 year old X-Type with 100K miles on it"

Hey I resemble that comment LOL

BUT I did do my research and I LOVE mine

 

I think a good forum is one where there is a blend of entertainment and actual problem solving.
I dont consider passing free advice to and from strangers as any sort of permanent corrective action.

People that come here with:
questions with answers that are printed in black and white in the owners handbook
questions with answers that show up on the first 2 pages of google search results
questions that are fully explained in the FAQ section

They deserve to be subject of the "entertaining" response...

These cars are premium, with sound engineering, yet require rigorous maintenance. I dont see how anyone can expect to drive these cars in a trouble free way without maintenance. The notion of "maintenance free" was invented by marketing people, not by the engineers.

 

OK, Soapbox time.

If more potential buyers did a little research and put some thought into the purchase BEFORE the purchase there would be a lot less 'Bitchin" about the brand, no matter what brand is being discussed.

IMHO you shouldn't buy ANY used car, be it a plebeian GEO or a Lamborghini, that you are unwilling to maintain and take care of. If you love cars you do what needs to be done to take care of them so they in turn can take care of you.

I fell in love with Jaguars at the age of 15 when a friends dad took me for a ride in his '71 XKE. Man what a rush!!! The scream of a Jaguar V12 being flogged has to be heard to be believed. Anyone who can listen to that and not get addicted is not someone that I understand.
Now, 36 years later, I am the PROUD owner of an '04 X-Type. Is it problem free? Lets not be silly, no 7 year old car with 70k miles on it will be problem free. Does it require maintenance? Absolutely! Like any high performance car in the world it has its little idiosyncrasies and special needs. Am I willing to go the extra mile (or miles) it takes to keep my car on its "A" game and providing me with lots of Smiles per Mile? Again ABSOLUTELY!!!

As Jaguars first and only AWD it has its share of new design flakyness (is that a word?) and some out of the ordinary problems, but that is to be expected when a company moves out of their comfort zone. Folks can knock the fact that is based on a Ford Mondeo <sp?> but the fact is that the Mondeo is a VERY good platform. The basic chassis design is solid and just about as stiff as they come which is a great place to start from. The Duratec V6 is one of the better engine designs on the road, again a great place to start. Did Jaguar and Ford get everything right? They made a great run at it but like ALL car companies they made compromises. In the case of the X-Type it was to get it within the financial reach of more buyers thereby broadening the customer base. One of Ford's better ideas IMHO.

The short version is, don't expect to get an $80k car for $35k and never, EVER expect a used car to be problem free. Love what ya ride or ride the bus.

Geez, I'm getting long winded and crabby in my old age, besides NOBODY disses my baby. LOL!

Paul


P.S. Now for my list of bitchin: Yes mine is afflicted with the leaky oil pan but that will get fixed soon. Yes I was surprised at the condition of the TC lube and the crud on the drain plug but I took care of that. The ONE problem I posted on here about is a vibration at 70mph that I thought was an out of balance tire when I bought the car. It wasn't and isn't. Odd as it may sound, after 6k miles the vibration is much less which leads me to believe it is a tire issue that will get solved shortly with new tires. I'm thinking Bridgestone or Fusion (a cheap Bridgestone). Can ya tell I like Bridgestone tires?

P.P.S. It must be the cars fault that I'm drinking a lot more hot tea these days. That British influence don't ya know.

 

That girl was my second wife! I got a divorce over 20 years ago, and then got a keeper for the 3rd one.
My X-type is having transmission problems, but I don't want to divorce her. She has her issues, but has not yet left me stranded with neither a ride nor a clue, like an MGB I used to own. I'm going to AAMCO this weekend!