That is not saying much How do they fare against most American or Japanese/Asian brands? Not well I would guess.

 

I like most of your suggestions but this one is not a good idea in my opinion. At best this should be a no cost option, but it would be foolish to sell cars exclusively with winter or all season tires when many areas they sell cars in rarely see winter conditions. Doing this in those markets would make a new jaguar markedly inferior to its competition.

I drive in snow here in Alabama once every 3 years or so .... and have a 4-wheel drive truck available on the rare occasions that happens. People in south Fla and southern Cali never see snow and they are a significant part of the premium auto market.

 

Sorry, but the Perelli P Zero Nero tires that come as standard equipment on the XJ are "All Season" tires. People in southern California and Florida may be a significant portion of the market, but they, and you folks in Alabama, do occasionally experience temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point so called Summer tires become hard, slippery and extremely dangerous.

Summer tires, as a rule, are also inferior in wet conditions, compared to "All Season" tires.

Today's ultra high-performance "all season" tires sacrifice little if anything in terms of performance compared to summer tires in terms of ride, handling or noise when fitted to a "sporty" luxury sedan like the XJ or XJL. However they do provide a very significant edge in cool, cold and/or rainy conditions, even "down south".

And, on the rare occasion you do get some snow or ice where you live, you won't need a four wheel drive truck, if you know how to drive in such conditions, which most people in the south, other than retired "Yankees", haven't even a clue.

 

Choose your purveyor of survey data and read. You can find any view you like...

 

Well, Jaguar still has a LONG way to go.

Our 2011 XJL has 51,732 miles on it. Warranty ran out (due to time) August 2014.

Over the past 4 weeks we have spent ~$3500 on:
1) Water pump
2) fuel injectors

It's my wife's car; she's afraid to drive it over long distances now. We should not have to be dealing with these kinds of repairs on such a young car. We had hoped we'd be able to drive this car for a long time. Jag NA is not willing to own up to quality issues. That has been the "Albatross" this car company has dealt with for its entire existence. In 1998 it was Molybdenum (sp?) liners in their engines which were damaged when timing chains broke and caused the entire engine to be replaced. This was blamed on many owners. Then there was the Ford era, which actually *improved* Jaguar quality which tells you JUST HOW BAD Jaguar quality really was.

Fast forward to the past 5 years. The 2011 XJL was introduced with popping issues in its roof structure, engine misfire issues, and I think the water pump issue showed up early as well. We have come to know that the water pump problem was a *known* quality issue. Have you heard Jaguar admit to this? No.

Jaguar is its own worst enemy. I don't know if it's because it's a British company and they have a "holier than thou" attitude or what. That may work in the UK, but in the US the consumer is different.

I understand that any car will need repairs over time. Cheaper cars will usually require more. But when you pay $80K to $100K for an automobile, the quality and reliability should be *very* high.

We'll probably move away from Jaguar completely. It is sad - I love the shape of their cars, but they simply are not reliable. I hate to admit this, because we've been driving them since the mid 90's. But, unfortunately we're in a position to have these observations given all the problems we've had with them.

We'll see. I do think I need to trade the 2011. Usually when these kinds of problems start happening more are on the way.

 

Shall we discuss the deservedly poor reputation of '70s-'80s American cars? Many people still shy away even though the bad days are long gone. Jag is suffering for the same reasons- once burnt, twice shy.

 

Sorry to hear about your costly troubles. It's sad that Jag is turning off a good loyal customer. I am curious though, why was your 2011 warranty up so early? Should this not have made it to 2015 due to time (5yrs on this model year no?).

Also, I'm not sure that the "other" premium marks have any better reputation...just better marketing departments and less to prove. Read-up on Mercedes Bluetec engine issues or Audi electrical gremlins. Grim.

That being said, Jag ignoring their well-known water pump issue is shameful.

 

I came upon this Jalopinik article arguing the perception of unreliability does not affect certain car makers, specifically the Land Rover brand.

If Range Rovers Are So Unreliable, Why Do People Still Buy Them?

Excerpt from the article...
"During the [Jaguar] press conference, they explained they created this ["Elite-Care"] warranty because buyers have a “poor perception” of Jaguar reliability, and they want to help change that. But what about the reliability of Jaguar’s sister brand, Land Rover? Don’t buyers have a poor perception of that, too? Shouldn’t they get your slick new warranty?
Er, no. Nada. That warranty is only for Jaguar."

 

Thank you for this well reasoned and thoughtful post! Until Jaguar recognizes the issues you sight, rather than denying them, their only choice is to extend their warranty coverage to 10 years, 100,000 miles.

I have the credentials, knowledge and experience to solve their water-pump related issues. In spite of being an "old fart", 75 years old, you might expect them to perhaps look into my credentials, (fifteen seal and pump patents, numerous technical articles, and an internationally recognized technical book), and contact me. But then again, I seriously question if they have anyone monitoring this "Jaguar Forum" or any other Jaguar Forum.

So, they remain dumb about their problems by choice.

 

Unfortunately some owners will tell you that is part of owning a Jaguar. With customers like that it is easy to understand why they do not feel the need to take the extra step and fix such a crucial part.

 

I cannot think of any OEM the above line of thinking would not apply to. They are all 'guilty' one way or another.

 

You'd think at the price that a Ferrari would be reliable & trouble free.

hmm....

 

I agree with johndahlheimer, Management should be positive to the world but look back and take care of their believers concerns/needs expediently.
I have one cousin, an Electrical Engineer, and he keeps hitting me up on
Lucas electrical, a ghost of the past. Getting it right the first time is the best plan for sure for any manufacturer.
I have no complaints at all about my 2004 STR at near 90,000. Best car I've ever owned, since new, and I've owned more than a few. Most I've spent on it at any one time was ~$500 for a ZF pan leak for new electrical contact, fluid, filter/pan included. Not bad considering it was about due on a routine basis anyway. Yes, I am disregarding LIFETIME !!! Call me a rebel !!!
Wishing all Jag lovers the very best, Gods speed!!!

 

I must admit that I agree with the power of positivity in selling a brand. Imagine Audi stating ..."buy our new model, and the self moving is now fixed". Good Lord, nobody would want to buy, let alone those not totally familiar will be potentially scared away. I agree on all aspects, excepting the fact that I don't think he is an idiot, but they are being truthful to the marketplace that Jaguar has arrived. A fine balance between positive Brand Equity, and being overtly truthful in a very competitive marketplace. I lean towards the former as a businessman myself!

 

The first thing people ask me about my 2004 XK8 is does it have a 12 cylinder. That seems to be what they are known for here in Ontario, Canada. I have had the car for just a year and I bet I have been asked that every week.

 

In hindsight an extended warranty would have been the way to go especially if you wanted to keep the automobile since it still has low mileage. I've never had an extended warranty for any vehicle I've owned until purchasing my XJL. My extended warranty is the Jaguar Extended Warranty and I paid less than what was your repair costs.

 

Good advise Retriever-007. I now wish I had gone the extended warranty route on my '11 Jaguar XJL like I did on my '09 Corvette; however nobody at my local Jaguar dealership offered it to me. Regardless, that is no excuse, I should have pursued that option on own.

 

I have to chime in here being a former Mercedes AMG owner over the course of 7ish years. My S65 was at the dealership on average of about once every 60 days. It was rarely ever anything major and the warranty was awesome. It was usually just bad sensors, a bad coil pack, a minor electronic issue, etc. The car never left me stranded and or broke down while driving, but I felt like I was always bringing it in for "something" whether it be a required service or an issue as stated above. The Benz also went through rear tires every 8-10k miles and fronts every 20k.

I've owned my xjl now for about a year and a half. It's been in the shop once to have the oil changed......for free, compliments of jag. That's it. The rear tires have lasted 23k miles and the fronts look new. The car has been incredibly reliable. I'm overly impressed with the low maintenance. This car, although not quite as fast as the 65 has beat it hands down in terms of reliability.....and this comes from a HUGE AMG fan.

 

To expand on the current thread, here is today's Consumer Reports knock on Tesla for poor reliability --
Tesla Plunges After Consumer Reports Ends Model S Recommendation - Bloomberg Business

An excerpt,
“This year, with a below-average rating, we are no longer recommending the Model S,...In terms of owner satisfaction, customers would buy it again -- they love it.”

This just boggles my mind. Must be the cult of Tesla (a' la Apple).

 

Interestingly, I had a colleague give me a sample test drive 2 weeks ago. The instant "Torque" ia the strongest feature of this car, and my head was up against the headrest from the instant we departed the parking space, and at each and every start from a stopped position. It is an amazingly powerful car.