. Hello everyone,
I am new to the Jaguar world coming from other German and Highline vehicles. I have an opportunity to buy 2011 xjl one owner no accidents very clean with 57000 miles on it.
I've been combing through the forms the last few days trying to find any red flags that I need to look for. I am purchasing this from a Mercedes dealership that received it in on trade. The car is just below 20K in asking price.

Is there anything I should look for? I did not hear the roof popping and I've driven it a few times. Previous owner just put new tires and new brakes on the vehicle.

Thanks for the help.

 

water pump will be the big thing to look at. If you open the hood and look at the front lip of the engine cover, just under the lip, you should see a 1/4" hose coming down. In that hose, you should see a piece of plastic in it that forms a Y. If there something on the end of that Y or is it empty? If there is something on it, then you have the original water pump and that is a ticking time bomb. If there is nothing attached, then the water pump has been replaced atleast once. Most other issues are hit and miss as to whether your car will suffer from it or not.

 

I have a 2011 S/C and love the car but here are a few things I'd be watching for. 1st I'd without question have a jaguar dealer do a pre-purchase inspection. This is a no brainer and will save you big bucks in the long run. If there are issues, and there will be, at least you'll know what they are and can prioritize any repairs needed.

When I purchased mine there were bushings and engine and transmission mounts that had begun to seep as these are all fluid filled. I spent $950 to replace the drivers side motor mount and the transmission mount including OEM parts at a non-dealer but Jaguar exclusive shop near Houston. I've also had most every other bushing replaced in the front and rear suspension and don't remember the cost but I'm sure it was a couple thousand. You know about the sunroof rattle... good. Definitely check out the water pump as the post above recommended and I'd swap out the thermostat to be safe. Aside from that I can't think of anything I'd be worried about that you can't see or the shop won't find for you. Timing chain guides etc. have been an issue but the shop will be looking for that.

 

The X351 "avant garde" style XJ saloons fortunately only have the air suspension on the rear wheels, unlike the previous model that I had, so less expense when something does go wrong although it is pretty reliable in the main. The main suspension problem is the short life of certain of the suspension bushes. Jaguar never really bottomed this problem so you will need to budget for replacing the rear lower suspension bushes at some point, and also the bottom air spring unit bushes. These latter are not expensive if you look on the internet, the cost is labour. The air suspension compressor can also get a bit worn for high mileage cars and need replacing at some point. These are a very fine motorcar that came onto the market just when everybody was wanting a double-decker bus (aka SUV) !! So not all that many were sold. Key thing to make sure of is a maintenance record and some indication that the car was loved and cherished, and not driven into the ground.

 

I recently purchased a 2011 XJL Supersport that had some issues (but the price was exceptional!) so my experience might be of help: others have mentioned the water pump; I had mine done right after I bought the car as a preventative measure. These cars are very quiet and smooth when everything is right, so be on the lookout for suspension and driveline noises. Lower front suspension arm bushes are known to fail, also guibos, transmission and engine mounts. If the a/c seems to blow cold / warm randomly there is a compressor valve that needs to be upgraded (relatively inexpensive).

The big fault with my car was a bad transmission: this particular ZF 6 speed trans has two internal seals that fail, and when they do damage can be extensive (and it shows up as noise and vibration from the drivetrain before it throws fault codes). This typically happens around 60-70k miles. Good idea to have the trans fluid and filter replaced as well as the seals to be on the safe side (I got lucky and found a good used transmission with a warranty and new seals).

Good luck finding a Jaguar dealer to do a PPI - here in California, thanks to our outstanding army of lawyers, they won't touch it.

When all is well with the car, though, it is a wonderful drive: nothing from Germany can touch it.

 

On the 2011, common issues can include:

-Timing chains/ guides/ tensioner
-leaky coolant hoses
-water pump
-worn supercharger coupler (if car is supercharged)
-sunroof/ blind noise/ motor failure
-sticky buttons
-coolant sensor sinking
-transmission seal leak
-sagging headliner
-fuel injector issues
-slow infotainment system
-bent/ cracked rims
-lower control arm bushings worn

That is not to say you will experience all of these issues immediately, but you may get half of them in a year or two. So I’d put $5k aside for additional maintenance above the normal expected stuff (brakes, oil, filters...etc).

Also note when the battery was last replaced, old ones on low mileage vehicles will start triggering random faults and cause weird behavior. Also the TPMS sensors will probably need to be replaced soon if they are still original. Fluids (oil, tranny, brake, differential, and supercharger oil) are good to change by ~75k miles even though some are considered “lifetime” fluids. I also recommend to change air filters every 15k miles.

The car is very beautiful, powerful, and fun. However it is definitely not cheap to maintain/repair. If you DIY maintenance/ repairs (although not the simplest car to work on), then it can be more reasonable. The upside is that a used XJ with low miles is <$20k. So it ends up working out cost-wise in my opinion.

Let us know your decision; we’d be happy to have you join us.

All the best.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I spoke to the local Jaguar dealership that's has serviced the car since it was purchased new. Everything looks good. Very well maintained. The water pump doesnt seem to be replaced. So I'm sure that is soon. Also it has the sticky button issue on steering wheel. I've never seen a car this clean that is this old. Additionally, the relatively new tires have more of a rumble road noise than I expected. They are Perrelli Pzeros.

I decided to purchase it. It's an awesome ride. Considering I've owned Audis BMWs and Lexus I never thought of owning a jaguar. I'm relatively capable of working on my own cars. But the older I get the more I appreciate the driving aspect versus they repairing aspect of a vehicle.

I am perplexed of how much crossover is still there with Ford.

 

Welcome to the Jag family. There is a wealth of info on these forums. I’ve been here almost a year and am still learning new things each week. Some members have been on here for many years and have lots of insights. You may also want to read the XF (X250) and F-type forums as there are a lot of overlaps with our XJs. Just note the newer XF forum (X260) may be less applicable

Enjoy your our new ride!

 

Models designed and on sale under the new owners, Tata Motors of India have moved away from any commonality with Ford. These models are the XE, the current XF, the E-Pace, F-PACE and I-Pace. The old XF, XJ 2003-9 and 2009-2019, XK, and F-Type are the older models that till have some Ford parts in them,

 

You will still see Ford parts because of contracts they have with Jaguar.
Also they owned Jaguar until about 2008 or so.
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I purchased a 2011 XJL in November from a Volvo dealer in Atlanta. I too had the car inspected by the local Jaguar dealer before I purchased the car, however they did not point out to me that the front sunblind and rear sun shade did not work. So be cautious of those two items and make sure to test all items on the car, BUYER BEWARE! This car was the one we were looking for in Indigo Blue with London Tan interior with about 39,000 miles. I paid about $21k for the car with a trade-in, a 2004 Jaguar XJ with 124,000 miles. The only other component I have had to replace is the water pump which cost about $1,100. The car is the best riding and handling car I have ever owned. Who would buy an SUV when you can buy a luxury car like this. Good luck on your search, just remember to test everything on the car before purchase.

 

One suggestion- replace EVERY coolant hose, rubber and plastic. The rear crossover tube is a pain, so is the one under the manifold. An 8 year old car will need it.