Hi everybody! I'm in the market for a new used car and I've been looking into the Jaguar X Type! I'm very excited to be a part of this forum, but I have a few questions to seal the deal with my new car. First, I would like to know if there are specific years that I should stay away from? Like, is there a year that is more problematic? I've been seeing a lot that are between 2000-2003. Is the 2.5L and 3.0L about the same reliability wise? When I go and check these cars out this weekend, I'd like to know some things to look out for with these cars. I've tried to look up problems for these cars and I'm not seeing much. Please help as much as possible. Thank you!

 

Most of the problems you are reading about, are due to some of the car's age, and the lack of driveline maintenance, due to Jaguar's sales statement, that the transmissions are sealed for life. No transmission is sealed for life, and should have the transmission fluid replaced as soon as possible, along with the transfer case lube, which is rather funny if you look at the procedure. The rest of the things you see on this forum are mainly owners modifying their cars, or maintenance that any car needs. I love my 07, and it is great for my area, where we get a foot of snow at a time. Keep the leather lubed and soft. Perform routine maintenance, and I don't see any problems with the car. As all used cars, you should have a knowledgeable tech check it out before you buy it, and invest in a carfax. As far as the engines, I have not read about any reliability issues, unless they over heat. I have a 3.0 and like it's power, because I do a lot of freeway driving. The tires will wear a little faster, because of the AWD, but that is true of all AWD cars......Be cool.....Mike

 

briasmit91, I will offer a slightly different point of view with the X-Type. If you are looking for a car to drive like a sports car, then the X-Type IS NOT FOR YOU!!!! Yes, the car is peppy and will be more than adequate for what most people need. The problem is the transfer case (regardless of year) is not necessarily the strongest. The later years were better, but not great. If you are wanting a car that you can get out on the highway and cruise at 75 mph, then this is a great car for the money. So, how do you plan on driving?

Most of the problems that people have are vacuum line issues. These are easy to figure out and if you have even basic mechanical ability, you can do a lot of stuff on this car.

When looking at the car, I will tell you to take it for a drive. This is where you are going to notice any problem that you are going to have. The first test is to get the car up to about 60 mph and look at the steering wheel. Does it wobble back and forth slightly? If yes, you either have an alignment that is out or one of the rims is most likely bent (common issue with the X-Type). I would use this to drop the price of the car as the fix can be fairly cheap ($100 for an alignment, possibly $600 or so for a new set of rims worst case). The next thing would be listen. Are you hearing a metallic clicking sound that sounds like it is coming from the front end of the car? If so, the transfer case is on its way out and unless you have deep pockets, you will be much better off finding another car, even if it is $1000 more. A new transfer case installed is around $3000. The other thing to listen/feel for is a vibration that seems to be coming from under your seat. This would be the carrier bearing getting old and in need of maintenance at a minimum, potential replacement (about $800 to replace the rear drive shaft). The last driving check that I would say to do is to find a long sweeping turn that you can take at about 20-25 mph (direction of turn does not matter). A freeway on ramp is a good place to find something like this. In the middle of the turn, step on the gas like you were going to pass someone (ie, decent acceleration, but do it controlled). Did the rear end of the car feel like it was going to come around on you (it won't, but it will make you pucker if you aren't expecting it)? if yes, then the rear suspension needs new lower/forward control arms due to worn out bushings.

While it is sitting in the parking lot, look at the inside edges of all 4 tires. If you see abnormal wear on the front tires, then odds are the alignment is out and will need to be addressed shortly after buying it. If the rear tires show excessive wear on the inside edge, odds are the rear suspension needs some work (probably best to replace both upper and lower/forward arms, about $500 in parts and another $400 or so in shop time).

I would also check the A/C system. Make sure it blows cold air (set fan to fastest speed and dial the temp all the way down to as cold as it will go) after getting off of the highway and you come to a stop. This is doing 2 checks. The more logical one is to see if the A/C system is working. But, also, if you have cold air when going down the highway but it goes away as you come to the stop right after the highway, then odds are you are going to be replacing the fan control module soon (common failure item). If this is the case and you do buy the car, then talk to us as there are a few interesting tidbits you need to know about this module.

If you are looking at a 2004 vehicle, look in the driver's door jam for the build date. Is it on/before March 2004 or after? If it is before, then this has the earlier (perceived weaker) transfer case. If it is after March 2004, does the car have a black button on the center console labeled "DSC" (aka, Dynamic Stability Control)? I ask this question as the later transfer cases are an "open" design. What this means for you is as long as all 4 wheels maintain traction, all 4 will pull and give you AWD. But, you get into adverse weather, if a single wheel looses traction, all the power is going to go to that wheel and be no better than a front wheel drive car. This is where the DSC system is going to step in and limit the power to the spinning wheel and transfer it back to the other 3 wheels, keeping you moving in the correct direction. This is true of any vehicle that is made after March 2004. Starting in 2006, DSC was pretty much standard on the car. But, the 2004-5 cars may or may not have it.

Please don't let my laundry list make it seem like the car is a ticking time bomb of problems. It really isn't. It was one of the most reliable cars that I have ever driven. Granted, you drive it sporty, it is going to be hard on your wallet. This is where going with an S-Type or XJ may be more in line with your driving style and won't cost you that much more.

 

Thermo, by no means do I think this car is a ticking bomb. I was actually considering the Lincoln LS before the Jaguar. I've got a 2012 Dodge Avenger with 91k on the odometer, I'm trying to avoid driving the car at all costs. So this Jaguar would be my new daily driver. Living in Iowa, we have a lot of open roads and highways where it would be a pleasure to get it up to speed. The highway's speed limit right by my house is actually 75. But a lead foot is something I do not have. I value the things that I have and a majority of my friends tell me I "old man" the car. I'm not buying a race car, so it wouldn't be treated as one. I would say I have the basic mechanic ability. And I'm not afraid to learn more. One thing I've been reading about is the transfer case low on oil. I'm going to have to figure out how to check that. I'm going to be looking at a 2003 on Friday with the 3.0L. The dealer claims the only thing wrong with it is a drooping or sagging headliner? I forgot what he said. But regardless, that should be an easy fix. I thank you for being full of detail. I will definitely print out your post and bring it with me!

Mrplow, I will definitely get a CarFax report. I wonder if there's a possibility to get one cheap or cheaper than what CarFax offers.

Thanks guys for your responses! It's greatly appreciated.

 

briasmit91, the headliner is a fairly easy fix. If you can pull it out yourself, a shop can replace the headliner fabric for about $200. If you have the shop do everything, you are looking at like $800 to have it done. If you need info on it, let me know.

As for checking the fluid level in the transfer case, there is no way to check it. That is the problem. With this being said, what you end up doing is pulling the drain plug out, letting all the fluid drain out (catching the fluid in a measuring device) and seeing how much was in it (ideally, you will get about 500 ml out). From there, you have to figure out how to get the fluid back in and put the plug in without loosing too much fluid. To do this, you have 3 options:

1) contact a member here which made a special kit to replace the drain plug which allowed you to connect a hose to drain/fill the transfer case
2) replace the drain plug with a special radiator drain valve and then you run some tygon hose through the engine bay to refill the transfer case (if you want more info, let me know, I am the one that came up with this method
3) drain the fluid out with the car level and then you raise the driver's side of the car up significantly (about 18-24") and this will allow you to fill the transfer case with enough fluid that you can put the plug back in with sufficient fluid and not loose any.