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Been a long time since I have been on here. Used to have an 04 XJR. I'm thinking about an XFR, but I have heard these are problematic. Any certain years to avoid? Info is much appreciated.
Well, you're looking at a 10-15 year old car. It basically needs everything under the hood made from plastic (specifically PA66 nylon) replaced (some are available from the aftermarket made from metal) in this time span, Similarly, it needs a bunch of rubber suspension bushes replaced at this age too (tho unfortunately not all sold separately, i.e. replace entire components). The soft touch coating on all of the interior buttons will have turned to a mild adhesive at this point - not expensive, just time consuming to fix. The map lights will have a mind of their own - TSB on that fix. Its Direct Injection, so it'll need an intake valve cleaning (do that along with the nylon bits as the intake plenum will already be off.) Key fobs worn out creating all manner of frustration. Batteries in the tire pressure monitors should have already gone dead, but many are still hanging on, just barely. Plan to replace those soon with nothing but the the OEM TPMS or you'll have loads of frustration. And you'll need a new boot lid wiring harness because it'll be worn out too. In hot climates or cars that live outside, the glue that holds the dash leather in place will have broken down and the leather will be coming loose and bubbling in places - very expensive. And it'll be well overdue for fluids, transmission, diff, brake. And you read stuff about engine timing components on the 5.0L but we think adequate or more traditional frequency of oil changes (NOT extended intervals claimed OK with synthetics) using the EXACT spec (some long testing spec number on the back of the bottle) is key so like with every used Jaguar, remember the motto "No Records = No Sale".
They're not inherently unreliable, rather they're just OLD now and the typical used luxury car seller procrastinates doing alot of what is really just ordinary maintenance. Its the same with every car, just Jaguars tend to have more expensive maintenance needs than a Lexus. I would add though that DIY is even more important now than ever with older Jaguars now that most of the dealer network has shut down, independent Jaguar specialist shops are feeling the squeeze and having to book appointments months out in some cases. If you can DIY, an XFR could be a great value once all of the deferred maintenance is done. Just keep in mind that it'll still have a lot more old parts than new and the risk of a breakdown will continue to increase with age and miles. AAA Premier membership with trip interruption benefits or similar might give some peace of mind.
I’ve owned one (2011) since March 2021. I bought it with 26k miles (I know, right?) and have added about 16k. The only mechanical repair was to replace the water pump. I’ve done tires, brakes, a battery, and of course annual oil and filter changes. Otherwise, I did have to replace one window regulator (parts less than $60 and an hour of my time) and the phone module ($120 for a used one and 20 minutes). I had the headliner replaced and the hood and roof repainted but that was due to the black car being in a hot sunny climate all its life. It still looks great, drives like a dream, and is incredibly quick. It needs the washer pump replaced but otherwise everything works and it still looks great. I guess that’s not terribly problematic for a 510hp sedan?
I sill own my 2012 XFR. Bought it brand new and it currently has 90k miles on it. Still a dream to drive and true sleeper!! Outside of regular and scheduled maintenance items the following were parts that have been replaced.
12/4/12 Jaguar XFR Purchase
12/14/12 Replace Left Front Shock (Warranty)
12/14/12 Replace both front doors seals
12/14/12 Replace roof light console
7/23/15 Front Driver Side Shock/Mount/Warranty
10/8/15 Engine Block Oil Leak/Seal
5/12/16 Water Pump Labor: $308.87
5/12/16 Water Pump $223.00
5/12/16 Coolant 2 x $66.00
5/12/16 Water Pump Gasket 2 x $23.56
5/12/16 Air Intake Tube $237.00
5/12/16 Rear Main Seal Labor: $750.10
5/12/16 Rear Main Seal $99.00
9/23/16 F/L Control Arm Labor: $330.93
9/23/16 F/L Control Arms: $1100.00
9/23/16 Front Shock Passenger Side: $459.00
9/23/16 Front Upper Mount: $83.50
9/23/16 Shock/Mount Labor: $165.46
9/23/16 Warranty Deductible (F/L Control Arms)
2/6/17 Control Arm (C2Z29117) $580
2/6/17 Spring Labor $219
2/9/17 Mounting Spring (XR858419) $83.50
2/9/17 Isolator Spring (C2Z15891) $24.50
10/18/17 New Battery (Top Line Jaguar)
9/15/18 Trans Mount -R (C2D 38505) $197.50 Warranty
9/15/18 2 x Bushing (C2Z 5119) $109
11/14/19 Trans Mount -R (C2D 38505) Warranty TopLine
Been a long time since I have been on here. Used to have an 04 XJR. I'm thinking about an XFR, but I have heard these are problematic. Any certain years to avoid? Info is much appreciated.
V
I have had 2 XFs with no problems, 2009 and 2015, I just purchased a used 2024 XFR and I am very pleased. The power is down a bit from 340 Hp to new 296 HP. But all the technology and other features are excellent. Plus the price is good right now.
Been a long time since I have been on here. Used to have an 04 XJR. I'm thinking about an XFR, but I have heard these are problematic. Any certain years to avoid? Info is much appreciated.
V
They are less problematic than a Audi or BMW or Mercedes equivalent with the same year. It really doesnt matter the year. It matters who and how they took care of it. My XF Muthalode Task Guide tells you everything how to keep these cars on the road 300K miles+.
Last edited by Benjamin Jerome Smith; Apr 1, 2025 at 06:23 AM.
I have an 09 XF supercharged (has the supercharged 4.2, not the newer 5.0, but 420 horses is more than enough). Bought it with 70k miles, now about 110k. Major issues:
- It eats ignition coils.
- It has the same X200, then X202 suspension that was originally launched on the S-Type in 1999. All the bushes will fail and need a full rebuild every 100k miles or so. Had to do everything twice on my 06 XJR so far, but that has 216k miles on it. Wheel bearings only once. I did rebuild the XF suspension at 100k miles, everything was loose, rear end was scary on a corner.
- the dash leather does shrink.
- exhaust cats will die at around 100k miles.
-TPMS sensors will die, but cheap replacements are available.
- Rear diff will leak and likely fail prematurely.
All that being said, if like me you can do all your own work, it's an incredible car for the money. It's easy to work on (compared to the way over complex and frequently less reliable or fun German machines) and a lot of the parts are common with Ford making them cheap and easy to find. Mine came with an aftermarket exhaust, so the sound it makes rivals many US muscle cars and can embarrass most of them on a track.
To me, the only drawback is its looks. It was the first to lose the true elegance of a Jag and just looks like an Audi.
I'll just say I bought mine new in 2010 and it was the best car I've ever owned.
Yes there are some things but all of the cars in this class have something. For the money THE SOUND and the exclusivity this car was unbelievable!
Find one from someone that took care of it so you know what you're getting. There's lots of guys like me that have very low mileage well maintained XFs out there.
To me, the only drawback is its looks. It was the first to lose the true elegance of a Jag and just looks like an Audi.
Chris
Indeed. When I bought my XF in 2017, my brother's daily driver was a 2007 Lexus ES350. I swear, parked side by side, there's not 5% difference in the profile of the two cars. I think back to WW2 documentaries, how they used to teach soldiers to identify enemy craft purely by their silhouette. If we had a world war today and officers were riding around near the front lines in their country's domestic sedans, there'd be an awful lot of them killed by friendly fire.
The two things I liked about the XF tho, 1) The beautiful Portfolio interior has sort of simple, minimalist elegance compared to German and even some Japanese rivals. 2) I had driven an XK 5.0 with the top down some years earlier and loved the engine noise. First looked for a newer XF (x260) but the 340hp 3.0L supercharged just wasn't as smooth or sound a sweet as that 5.0L. Plus the interiors had gotten cheaper so I focused my search only on finding a low-mileage 2012, first year of the facelift and last year of the 385hp 5.0L n/a. But yeah, this is one car you definitely enjoy from the inside rather than from the outside. I mean its a good-looking car, just unfortunate that everything else looks so similar.
How are the XFRs? Is what I hear online true?
