Hello All. I'm currently a XK owner looking at buying an X-Type. The car is a 2.5 liter V6, automatic with 80,000. Are there any issues with this particular year or engine combo.? I'm not mechanicly handy and take my car in for repairs. Thanks in advance for any information.

 

WM. Lyon, by this point in the cars life, if the car was going to suffer from what call the catastrophic failure, it would have. What I mean by this is the transfer case when built seemed to have a not so good track history and had a high failure rate. But, after about 20 years, if it was going to fail, it should have. now, does this then say to drive it like you stole it? That would still be a risk in my mind. If you need to use power, feel free to use the power. But, repeated uses may come at a cost. So, take the car for a drive and if you hear what sounds like a box of rocks coming from the engine bay, walk away. that is the transfer case coming apart.

As for other common issues, here they are:
-vacuum leaks from 3 common areas (easy fixes, you can fix them): Will be seen by a check engine light and a P0171 and/or P0174 error code
-e-brake sticking: if you apply the e-brake, you will find that it will come up really high and after even a few minute drive, the rear brakes will be excessively hot
-rear door sill rust: the rear doors seem to trap water on the structural part of the car body. THis will require you to reach under the body and feel the back side of the metal there. It will be obvious if there is a problem.
-rear tires not straight ahead: the rear suspension has either the front/lower arm bushing fail and/or the upper arm bushings fail. This causes excessive tire wear and in some cases, will make the rear of the car feel like it is coming around on your when you accelerate during a turn. Fix is replacing the lower/forward arm with a factory arm and/or the upper arm with a "Thermo'ed arm" (look it up, lots of recommendations, it is an adjustable upper arm)
-battery cables: the ends were never sealed and the cables corrode leading to various electrical issues that make you think you have either a bad alternator or battery.
-battery: the car is picky about the battery and in short, needs the highest CCA battery you can fit that has a good capacity (ie, above 75%), You don't meet this, it starts coughing up hairballs and throwing random codes when nothing is wrong.
-carrier bearing for the rear driveshaft: Generates a hum/vibration in the car when you drive around 60 mph that feels like it is coming from under the driver's seat. You can get around it for awhile by simply greasing the bearing. But, eventually it will require replacement.

I know this list seems like a lot of issues. Most cars only suffer from a few of these, but this gives you an idea of what to look for. So, do not let this list scare you. We can step you through a lot of these as they are not that bad of jobs (except for the sill job, that is a body shop job period).

What I will say about this combo is that the 2.5L motor likes to be wound up. It will put out power similar to its sister engine (3.0L), but only when above about 3K RPM. Below that, it will still move, but not be the fastest thing out there. So, when passing, expect to have to get on the gas some to get it to downshift. Once you do that, you will be around the person in no time. I would also say to not to expect it to be like your XK. You are going to be missing a lot of that low end grunt. I had a 3.0L X-Type and I liked that because you had a lot more low end torque compared to the 2.5L and just driving around town and needing to pass people, there was no real need to have the car get up in the RPMs.

ONe last thing, what year car are you getting? There was a re-make in early 2004, so, knowing whether it is made on/before March 2004 or after is going to be vital information for any person working on the car. I also mention it as the transfer case also underwent a change. The early cars had a viscous coupled transfer case. This ensured you always had power to atleast 1 front and 1 rear tire at all times. This is key for keeping traction. The later transfer case is an "open differential" style case and while it applies power to all the wheels, when one wheel loses traction, all the power goes to that wheel. To combat this, you need to make sure that the car comes with a feature called "DSC" (Dynamic Stability Control). It will be a black button on the center console near the e-brake lever if the car is equipped with it. After about 2005, pretty much every car came with DSC, but that is not a guarantee. You will find this to be especially helpful if you decide to go up in the mountains in the winter or in general wet traction during heavy rain storms.

If you have more questions, ask. We will tell you the good and ugly of the car so you know what you are getting into.

 

Thanks for your in depth reply. All very helpful information. I'm no wrench (AT ALL!) so all fixing will have to be at the mechanic's. Just looking to use it around town and maybe the occasional 100-150 mile trip. According to CARFAX it's always been a Southern California car, so hopefully the rear door sill rust won't be an issue. I'll be sure to check anyway. Forgot to put in the post it's a 2002, if that makes any difference(?). Thanks again for your very informational reply!

 

We have been driving our manual shift 2002 2.5 litre daily for 19 years. Yes, 19. It sits outside 24/7/365. It has been absolutely reliable during this time, needing only normal yearly servicing. Repairs have been absolutely minimal: two of them being the battery leads needing replacing, and minor gasket leaks easily solved (and as mentioned by Thermo). One further thing: a stripped gear in the up/down function of the driver’s seat. That’s it. The X-Type, properly serviced, is luxurious, reliable, comfortable and fun to drive. Much underrated by those who have never sat in one.

One bit of advice: at purchase have ALL the fluids changed, but especially the transfer case, and the transmission. There should be an air scoop fitted to cool the transfer case (easily seen under the car IF it is still there!) This scoop must be removed (one bolt) to drain the engine oil and the quick-lube boys “forget” to put it back on. Very easy to replace.

 

Hmmmm….I assumed that the OP wanted information about the real-world reliability of the X-Type, particularly. a 2.5 litre 2002 model. Perhaps my response (above) was unwelcome or inappropriate(?).

 

sov211......I think your comments are perfectly fine....
OP is very open that he is not a hands on owner, so the advice of global fluid change is good advice, especially if there is any doubt on the regular maintenance the car might have received prior.
Always a good idea to refresh the fluids on a new acquisition so you know where you stand. Also depending on the state of the outgoing fluids it can tell you whether you might have some other concerns to begin preparing for.

 

Sorry for the delay. Medical issues over the weekend and checking replies was the last thing on my mind. Thanks for all your information but unfortunately the car was sold over the weekend also. Guess it wasn't meant to be. On the hunt again. Thanks again for all your input!👍

 

Wm. Lyon: Thanks for this - and how well I know about medical issues cropping up.
A view of the transfer case air scoop so often missing. It is the black rubber piece just to the right of middle in this photo and it is the lowest-hanging bit under the car - this fact and the fact that it must be removed to access the crankcase drain plug means that it often goes missing. The part number for this duct/scoop is C2S18834 and the single bolt needed is C2S32665.

 

Wm. Lyon, just to ask a question, but is it that you want an X-Type or that you want a Jaguar? Not trying to upsell you, but I think you may find that going with a higher end/newer model may be more to what you are after. While the X-Type is a nice car and will probably do all that you could ask of it, they are getting older and in need of a lot of little stuff. Since you are "no wrench at all", this can get pricy over time. This is where you can spend say $15K (vice $5K) and get a much newer Jag (say an XE) and get something that is not going to be having a lot of little problems. The XE's are a nice car and have the new body style. I know this body style is a bit polarizing and some people love it and others can't stand it. I was one of the people that was hating it, but it has grown on me. I much prefer the lumpy hood look and the kitty leaping off of the hood. But, the newer cars are going to have a lot of the features you are looking for standard. Where the X-Type, odds are, you are looking for a very special car or are going ot have to upgrade to get what you want installed.

This leads me into something else that you may need to ponder. While the X-Type (and most of the modern cars) have lots of interesting options, they are just that, options. Upgrading the radio to something with modern day USB, NAV, internet, etc is possible, but it is only really possible in a car that has the basic radio without NAV from the factory. The radios with Nav built incorporated a lot of other stuff into the radio. So, swapping out a radio is not that. An X-Type Nav radio has the A/C-heat built into it and reverting back t othe manual controls is easier said than done. So, this may be something to consider depending on what you need on your long drives.

 

Thanks again!👍 The visual of the scoop really helps and the part numbers just in case! Plus, fluid changes are always the very first thing done as soon as I can get it in to see my mechanic. 😁

 

Thanks. It's always good to hear other ideas. Actually, I'm not necessarily looking for an X-Type, a Jaguar, or even another car for that matter. Just came across this X-Type that was super clean, in great original condition and according to CARFAX, was a 2 owner with a decent service history and just over 80,000 miles. Shown as corporate lease for the first 3 years and 1 owner after that. There was 0 service history while a lease (their maintenance program may not have reported) but, the second owner had a regular service history, mostly at Jag dealers with the exception of tires, and some Valvoline Quick Stop oil changes over the last few years. I know better than to trust CARFAX 100% but, also thought I might have been able to pick it up for under 5K. Currently my only car is an XK and thought a second car, for local errands with a little more room for "stuff", might be a good idea.🤷‍♂️