Hi everyone - this is my first post here. I'm going to be checking out a 2002 X-type, 3.0, sports edition with approx. 81,000 mi on it this Sunday. It looks good in the photos, but there are some red flags (IMHO) (like new carpet & interior, non-functioning sun-roof & wiper switch & CD player & owner said he buffed out the headlights - all things that would flag a potential flooding issue but the VIN check came back clean).

Anywhoo, I was wondering if anyone could point out things I should be looking for in this model and year? Any advice on what to look for when shopping a used Jag of this year and model would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. If everything checks out, I look forward to being an active part of this forum!

 

Hi Alphacat, welcome to the forum,

I have the model you are looking to buy, well less 500cc, yes the 2.5 and I highly recommend both and I'll see if I can advise and put you in the light with a few posts.

A, I've never had a sunroof, sorry
B I Damn well love my X~Type!
C If you like to investigate issues, the X~Type is a good car for DIY service, no issue if you regularly pay for service-maintenance but in my humble opinion, when things are tight I believe most Jaguars are better behaved when you get to know your baby and the DIY approach will help you in so many ways!!

D She will be YOUR car, You make the choices and she will be YOUR PRIDE AND JOY!!

The 2002 X~Type needs a little TLC and this forum has aided me to a much greater effect than if I had headed into the unknown alone as I have found so many helpful and enlightening views and expert and friendly advice.. in short my life and my adventure would not be the same!!!

Here's a sample of many of the great ingenious posts I have come across and some I have participated in and taken great tenure and understanding from :

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...liable-108767/

Oh and one of my rare posts, I just had to let you see mine, some say it's vanity, on good days, it's self-awareness and for the bad times, it's paranoia!

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-phew-107236/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-owners-95731/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...aligned-98743/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...x-type-103407/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ed-why-103944/

These are just a few of the amazing posts here Alphacat, I have had so much fun here and learnt so much about my car and the Jaguar Brand.

I for one could NOT see past Today without the wondrous view of seeing myself driving a Jaguar for the rest of my LIFE!

I want to name some of the great posters, superb advisers and technical masters who all add to the fascinating charm of owning a great car and being part of this forum, but I won't as EVERY member and moderator adds so much zest and intuition and of course subtle humour ONLY WITH JAGUARFORUMS.COM

Ahem RE: The sunroof, I would pay most attention to that as I have had a sunroof with other brands, re the closing and operation and the buffed headlights, I am not sure what you mean, were they machine cleaned ie brushed? And the carpets are new, why?

If the owner cannot give straight answers, I suggest a no-go and the cd player, what's wrong with it?

I do believe if you are in debate about whether the car is a good buy from what you see, then what can't you see?

Maybe this is not the right one for you Alphacat, but patience is a great virtue too, as my Father has always told me and reminded me AGAIN and AGAIN!

You maybe want to do more surfing/looking around and hey, if you know any jag owners in your area, they like me will probably be delighted to sum up the pros and cons, chat to them!
That's why you're here, well done, the right place.

The 2002 model has a few mainly minor issues but I love mine and I am more than comfortable, many members say the 2004 models on are less troublesome and the main difference is the models from 2004-2005 on don't have a viscous coupling, the AWD 4x4 utility is controlled by the DSC Dynamic Stability control, there's an extra button near the J-gate or gearstick.

I personally think that the AWD all wheel drive is second to none (and better!) on my model however there ARE differing views and to add on the newer models, I have no complaints and the more I get to know my 2002 X~Type, I become more fascinated!

I don't want to put you off the model (for sale) you are interested in, but maybe after a GOOD LOOK, the right X~Type will be just around the corner, WAITING FOR YOU?

I rest my case Alphacat and look forward to speaking to you again soon when you've taken that MASSIVE STEP (forward in my view!) and GOOD Luck!!!

regards, Stu

 

Welcome to the forum alphacat,

Stu has done such a good job of selling the X-Type, I swear you'll find his name on the title of this one!

I'll add the following:

1. with any used Jaguar, a complete and regular service history is critical. Any gaps should be questioned closely.

2. Jaguar trim is expensive. Any damaged or missing items should be factored into the purchase price.

3. consider how you will maintain the vehicle. DIY keeps costs low but specialist expertise can be expensive.

I hope it checks out OK and you are soon back here adding your vehicle details.

Graham

 

Thanks Graham.
Likewise Alphacat, I wouldnt be put off this car you are looking at, haggle and mean it, life is short, you don't want to be ripped off and I hate the Jaguar name besmurched by unscrupulous people who would fob you off at the drop of a hat.

If this car is on sale at a garage or even if it is private sale, ask them to rectify ALL the faults or come to a compromise but again, be careful you want the right deal!

I have had some INTERESTING dealings regarding consumer rights and how to sell, for one, I wouldn't want my name besmirched by mis-selling a car but thats me.

One salesman once told me (after I felt rather peeved at his attitude), "But its a second hand car, it won't be PERFECT!"

I then said "But if I am paying for it, it better be!"

Live the Dream Alphacat, it's there right before you, Stu

 

Mine is the Classic 2002 2.5... all of the above is correct and likely all you need to know to make a decision when viewing your potential baby Jag... but just one last comment if I may, just backing up one point said earlier and that is that the model you are looking at is awd - and of all the cars I have driven over the years the awd baby Jag is *the* car I trust implicitly in wet weather, which we get more than our share of here :-) If you go for a baby Jag, and you treat it right it will keep you warm (or cool lol) and safe no matter what the weather throws at you.. as I have said before the thing with a Jag, is when you drive it and you are wide awake you love it, but even when you are on a commute, and tired you will trust it implicitly to get you to where you want to be safely..

 

X type , both 2.5 & 3.0 L engines , manual or auto , are great compact saloons ( sedans ). Faults are easy to diagnose & dont cost a fortune to repair/service. Bonus points are 4x4 & beautiful Jag styling . The Jaguar brand aslo attracts a great online / social family , both in UK & USA...Hello & welcome .....

 

Hi, everyone. Some more advice: Drive SEVERAL X-types before you purchase one. If you purchase it: Join your local Jaguar Club. Along with this Forum, the club will be come invaluble. Like my club, many of the members are long time members (Older Individuals) and very supportive. Also, find a good mechanic. Preferrably one with their own shop. Set a budget! Set one for the vehicle and one for anticipated repairs. If you purchase that Jag, take it to your mechanic and have all of the routine maintenance item addressed: ALL fluids changed, plugs changed, batter tested, bearings repacked, etc.


I enjoy the driving experience with my vehicle and I'm sure that other X-Type owners do as well!


Good luck.

 

I'll be checking it out on Sunday with my mechanic. Guy was originally asking $5200 for it, then dropped to $4,500 and now is willing to accept $4k. It seems like a good price & it meets my general "wants" in a car (looks like something a professional might drive and won't embarrass me in front of clients, good daily driver, room for family, doesn't look like an old man's car like the caddy my woman wanted me to buy :-D).

I've attached some pics for review (hopefully I did it right)...

 

That's a fairly substantial price drop?

Do you have the VIN? I'm curious, since the interior trim is that of the normal car yet the exterior is that of the sport model.

In more detail, the seat patterns are the normal ones, and sport models don't have veneer trim on the doors. However, a normal model would have quite a lot of chrome trim on the outside; bumper blades, grille surround, boot plinth and window surround. This one also has that small rear spoiler which is also a sport model thing.

Seeing the tinted rear light clusters and the painted black OEM wheels, I guess it's been "murdered out". You might want to ask the seller whether the bumper blades, grille and plinth have been swapped to black ones or vinyl-wrapped.

I'm not sure if I'm seeing it correctly, but in the rear photo there appears to be something near the left exhaust tip? That's about the point where the temporary tow eye, normally stored in the spare tire well, can be attached. Of course, it's unlikely anyone would to a car rear-end first, but the X-Type really shouldn't be towed at all (even at low speeds) due to the AWD system. If that thing I'm seeing is indeed the tow eye, you might want to ask why it's there.

In the engine bay, the battery cover is nowhere to be seen?

There's the base of the leaper mascot on the bonnet, but no leaper to be seen so it's probably been pulled off. There's a hole or two under the base, so you can't really remove it without a bonnet re-paint. You can get a new leaper from eBay or other such fairly cheaply, don't pay $100-$300 for an original one as it's practically the same, and might need to be replaced at some point anyway.

Equipment-wise, I think I can see the button for DSC (should be a skidding car icon button on it, otherwise it's just a coin tray with a LED) in the centre console, next to the handbrake lever. I think it was an option in normal cars and standard in sport models, so it won't say anything about the spec but it's a nice feature to have. No heated seats in this one, but that hardly matters where you live I guess.
If the following features matter to you, check them as they weren't standard:
- fold-down rear seats (pull-levers in top area of the boot)
- automatic wipers & dimming rear mirrors (auto setting on wiper stalk, button in rear view mirror)
I can't see it in the photo, but is that a CD or a cassette player? Cassette player can be easily modified for AUX-IN, link in my signature.

 

Sorry for the misspellings!

 

He states that he redid the interior and got the seats from another X-type. So the car is supposed to be sport, but apparently with normal x-type seats.

Thanks. Good questions. Will ask him.

Again, another great question. Thanks for all the great observations.



Anyone have a pic of an engine bay with the battery cover so I'll know what I'm looking for?

Yeah, I noticed that and I've seen them online for $25-50 depending on source. I might just head to pick-a-part to see if I can find an original replacement.

Yeah, i live in the desert, so heated seats not really a problem (wish they had seat coolers instead ). What is DSC button for?


It's supposed to be a CD-player but he says he modded it to accept MP3 player.

Thanks again for all the great observations and questions. It'll give me lots to inquire about.

 

Here's an engine bay with the battery cover (shouldn't be too expensive to pick one up though).

The DSC is Dynamic Stability Control, it applies ABS to wheels that are spinning too quickly. I think it also should try to steer the car by braking wheels individually if it's not going where you are pointing the front wheels. DSC can sometimes slow you down enough to stop progress, on a slippery uphill for example, but it's of course simple to turn off.

Oh, right. Only now do I realize how extensive the interior swap must've been. In most (the sole exception I think is the really rare black interior with red seats) X-Types the seats, the centre console and the lower dash are the same colour. So...he has changed the front and rear seats, the centre console, arm rest, door cards and assumedly the parcel shelf (area under rear window) too? I guess he wanted a black interior, but the lower dash is properly hard to change since the whole dashboard is one big piece.

For the sake of continuity, I think the centre console (except the armrest part) should also be light, though. Not an impossible thing to change, really...
Damn I like duo-tone interiors with a big contrast between the tones.

EDIT:
If you want to make sure, you can see if it's a sport or not by checking the 6th & 7th characters of the VIN against this.

 

Thanks for that.

Good info to know. Thank you.

Thanks again! From the link, the car's vin decodes to the following: SAJEA53CX2W
SAJ=Jag
E=USA market
A= AWD Automatic LHS
53=4-door sports series
C=ECS 3 Exhaust system
X=? Prefix digit 9 doesn't give info
2=2002 model year
W=Halewood X-type 3.0 V6

I take it that the remaining 6 digits are to identify the car itself . . .

 

No problem ^^

Indeed, also TSBs (technical service bulletins) and part compatibility listings tend to state the VIN ranges with the last 6 digits.

 

Ugh that makes me mad. I paid double that for my X-Type!

 

Don't get mad just yet. The guy's been trying to sell it for a while (prolly why he's dropped the price so much). Could have some serious issues that I don't know about. We'll see. I hope not though because I'd love to have a nice Jag at that price . Apart from the price, how have you liked your X-type?

 

BTW, many posters have suggested that this model has had issues with the transfer case failing and that it was an expensive repair. Can anyone illuminate me on what, if anything, I can do to check it? Are there any warning signs of a failing transfer case or impending failure? Anything I should listen for while driving it (is the noise consistent at all speeds? different when cornering? accelerating? etc?)

Thanks for all your help.

 

Well, I did it. I saw the car today, it checked out OK with my mechanic and I pulled the trigger. I am now the owner of a 2002 Jaguar, 3.0L Sports Model X-type! I'll put up my new member info soon. Thanks guys!

 

Hi Alphacat,
Apologies for not getting back to your last post, but


CONGRATULATIONS!

I wish you many happy adventures and keep us posted, you've now made the move and I hope you are as Happy as I am er well almost! with my
X-Type

You have now entered into what I feel is an extraordinary and evolutionary journey into a world of discovery and enlightenment and I hope you like the feel of being a Jaguar owner!

Live the Dream Alphacat, don't look back sense the adrenalin, taste the spirit and go forth..... Be happy!

I along with many members wish you Happy Days and look forward to sharing in your new your posts and the ensuing new dawn...........

Best regards, Stu

 

Thanks Stu for the warm welcome! I look forward to enjoying it for many years. BTW, like your first name - my middle name Stuart. L8tr.