I'm looking for an all-wheel drive sedan. I've always loved the looks of the Jag. But...reviews and reliability ratings for the x-type are pretty low. My brother had a 325xi. I liked that car and thought it drove well; but I'm more keen on the Jag.

What has been your experience with the x-type with regard to reliability?

What are some things that I look for if/when I decide to go with the x-type. What are the most common issues? Are they things that the average "weekend" mechanic on work on himself?

Thanks for your help.

 

What are your parameters wrt year and price range? Reliability is of course not only a function of the model but mileage and age of the car, as well as the model year. X-types stopped being offered here in 2007, so you could get a much newer, and theoretically more reliable, BMW.

 

Do you plan on doing any or all of the upkeep yourself?Beamers have specialty tools that you need(wrenches).Some of the parts area hard to find and are expensive. When I was younger I wanted a 325I but as shy about engine reliability(head gaskets)but that was earlier, I don't know about todays cars.When Ford owned Jag a lot of thoughs problems went away, BMW has retained it's own parts cache except for after market which all models are subject to today. No data on new models. Beautiful cars though.

















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Don't forget: if you drive a Beemer nobody will let you out at junctions because you are obviously a plank.

 

Performance wise, the BMW will leave the X Type in the dust. I have an X. It's been pretty reliable for the three years I've owned it, but I want something a little faster. I'm thinking of trading it for something else. I'm thinking about an S Type. 2 wheel drive and a V8.
Good luck.

 

Steve: Just out of curiosity what is a plank.

 

Is it anything like a ******?

 

I used to own a 2003 X-Type with a 3.0.


My advice would be to find one with a manual transmission, as they are more reliable than one with an automatic. I had to pay over $3000 to have my X-Type's transmission repaired.


Also, have a mechanic look at the front end alignment on the car. After a while, things start getting worn and the camber won't stay in spec. The only way to fix it is to replace all the worn bushings and whatnots.


The transfer case is also sensitive to running low on fluid. There's no dipstick to check the fluid level with. I vaguely remember someone on the forum creating a replacement for the drain plug with a check valve in it so you could pump more fluid into the transfer case.


A lot of sensitive electronics for the transmission are right underneath the battery, so if the battery starts leaking, Very Bad Things can happen.


There are a couple of servos on the intake manifold that have O-rings on them. They will fail eventually, causing a vacuum leak, which results in rough running and no cruise control. That is an easy fix.


Also, the original PCV hose will fail, causing a massive vacuum leak. The proper way to fix it is with an updated hose with rubber ribs on the outside. The redneck way is to jab a shorty, stubby screwdriver into the port on the intake and seal it with duck tape. I drove one like this for a week waiting for the proper part to arrive in the mail. Not exactly recommended procedure, but it works.


The 2.5 and 3.0 motors we got here stateside are modified versions of Ford's Duratec V6, and are pretty reliable. Diesels and FWD X-Types never made it to this side of the pond.


Get one with a manual gearbox, and take care of the transfer case, and you should have a pretty reliable car.


Oh, and don't run over a hog at 80 mph either! (BTDTGTTS! )

 

>The transfer case is also sensitive to running low on fluid. There's no dipstick to check the fluid level with. I vaguely remember someone on the forum creating a replacement for the drain plug with a check valve in it so you could pump more fluid into the transfer case.

Actually the easy trick is to remove the drain plug and then jack up the driver side 24" placing the T-Case on an angle. Then simply fill the case until fluid starts running out, replace the plug, and then lower the car.

Many posts discuss doing that.
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Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar

 

I have had ownership experience with 3 X-Types, two of them manual shift - we have 2 at present, a 2.5 manual and a 3.0 automatic.
Reliability: My wife is now in year 12 with the 2.5 manual - the car is left outside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, used daily; in 12 years we have had ONE repair: replacement of an 02 sensor. Can any car be more reliable than that?
Second car: 2005 Sportwagon, 3.0 automatic, owned 5 years: repairs: NONE. Both cars run and look absolutely as new. The third car I mentioned was also a 2.5 manual, owned 9 years: problems: NONE. It is now in the hands of a fellow Jag club member who has replaced the water pump.
And yes, replacing the transfer case fluid is a very good idea. The auto transmission problems were generally limited to the 2002-03 cars, and other makes which used this same JATCO unit (Mazda, VW, SEAT, Land Rover,...) had the same problem it was not a "Jaguar problem". The offending parts were modified for subsequent model years.
The X-Type is an EXCELLENT car.
For the record, before I bought the 2.5 manual I made a back-to-back comparison on the same day wit.h a similar-specification BMW. The Jaguar won hands down on every point. Add to that the fact that BMWs are as common as cockroaches, the wood and leather in the Jag, the superb handling of the AWD Jag and it was no contest.
And I also prefer the manual if given a choice.

 

all cars have there share of problems just pic the car you will feel good in ,then have a few thousand in the bank for repairs ,used cars need care

 

I have a 2003 X Type 2.5 Sport, Manual transmission which has now done 226,000ks and my only major expense has been a recent replacement of the complete ignition system, coil, spark plugs etc. I am in my early 80s now and have owned many different cars from an old Bentley to several different BMWs, Fords and GM cars, and find the X-Type Jag, sport, manual, one of the most enjoyable to drive.

 

manual 5 speed less problamatic

but its your choice