EliteZags,

That does seem a crazy-low price; nice car though. Curious, is this local to you or are you buying remote, and if remote are you using a service for PPI?

 

You can't rely on CarFax to buy a car because they report only what's reported to them, and many repairs are never reported to CarFax. Read the CarFax Terms of Use, particularly their Disclaimer of Warranties in Paragraph 3:
https://www.carfax.com/company/terms-of-use

But you can rely on CarFax to not buy a car.

You need a PPI regardless of the seller, particularly when the car is being sold "As-Is, Where-Is". Only you can do your due diligence. Used car salesmen tell you what you want to hear.

That car was bought at auction by a BMW dealer. A Jaguar dealer wouldn't buy it because of its accident history.
BMW = Buy My Wreck.

Your money, your choice. You can't say that you weren't warned.

 

Good point made by Stuart S!

BarneyJaguar if you can do the kind of repairs as you mentioned you won't find the XJ all that hard. ALL modern cars are a pain to work on and there is no access to anything.
Keep shopping until you find what you want. These are not in high demand so prices are low compared to most other cars.
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I have that same Stratus Grey color on my 2011. It was my 2nd preference, but it has grown on me quite a bit. Did not know that it was rare to find.

This particular car looks as if it was traded in right after it was wrecked. That is a big concern for me.

 

so I could only get them to knock down the hidden accessory fee by 500 (so it was just an unlisted part of their selling price), so actual price is around $22,500 before registration fees/taxes- still a bit below avg
They have no issues with me taking it anywhere to get inspected, and getting the historical service records requested for me to review before going to look at it

 

My 2012 XJ 5.0 N/A is also Stratus Grey. Also, not my first choice as it almost looks black in certain lights...Catch it in sunlight and it will shimmer through purple, grey, blue and deep bronze.

In fact, I had an argument with the salesperson when I bought the car.

W. "It's beautiful, the only problem is it's black"
SP. "It's not. It's grey"
W. "It's BLACK!!"
SP. "Let me move it into the sun, Sir"
W. "Well, it's not black, It's not grey...I'll take it!"

My favourite colour is the cherry black metallic on a non 575. That colour is so deep and, again, changes dependent on light angles.

My wife is trying to make me sell the SG '12 5.0....But,

wombat

 

So it looks like I'll be able to get in touch with the previous owner of the above-mentioned XJ to discuss damage to the car. It might be worth proceeding.

Anyway, if the info from the PO justifies, I need to find someone to do a PPI. I spoke with a nearby Jag dealership, they can do the PPI but they're swamped through March.

Any recommendations on someone to do a PPI in New Jersey?

 

Thought I'd chime in with my two cents. My methodology for finding a Jag is a two pronged approach. Both approaches have worked for me. I'm picky and specific about what I want. So, patience is required. I've never had a ppi but then I've always gone the CPO route with a dealership. First, decide what you want i.e. model, color(s) interior/exterior, mileage, etc. Then put the word out to salesmen at the various dealerships within what you consider a reasonable radius. I usually want a young car under 20K miles. Here's my kicker, though: I tell them not to call me unless the car is absolutely a pristine CPO. I won't consider a car that has ever had damage. Regarding price, you get what you pay for so, don't blink if the car is perfect. When the salesman calls, ask for nit picking pictures like cracks in the leather seats or close ups of the rocker panels, or stone chips in the front, or rust on the calipers.. My first Jag XJ8 had only 7K miles at 3 years old and the salesman told me to hurry before it disappeared. It was perfect. Tell the salesman to be honest and not make you travel unless it's a gem. The second method that has also worked is to shop on line at JaguarUSA.com/CPO. Shop all over at the radius you choose. I always go South. If you find the car, call the dealership and tell the salesman to not waste your time and travel if the car is not pristine - unless you will tolerate some cosmetic issues. (I won't). Again, ask for those nit pick photos. My XJ came from 1000 miles away and the dealership disclosed the car belonged to an elderly couple in the south who turne in their lease every three years and the car was perfect with a CPO warranty. I won't waste my time on any other websites because the cars were universally disappointing when I went to look at them.
Oh yeah, I prefer a car that's not driven in the snow much. A northern pre-owned car is a no no. I came from Michigan and I know what salt does.
Incidentally, I've been very satisfied with the V6. plenty of zip and mileage too. It's that 8 speed trans. I originally wanted a V8 coming off my old XJ8. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

Hey JaguarBarney,

When considering buying a 5.0L jaguar, there are a few things I like to tell our customers who own the 3 & 5L jaguars.
-Cooling system leaks will happen and need to be taken seriously. We typically see these cars begin to leak around 75,000 miles or after ten years-whichever comes first. If your car says low coolant level, turn the car off. A $95 tow bill is cheaper than a new engine. If the car overheats, the engine is around $28,000 and I have seen too many of these cars come in when our customers said, "The light came on but I was two miles away from home so I kept driving"===TOTALED ENGINE!
My best advice would be make sure the water pump, coolant outlet pipes and heater manifolds have been replaced.

-The leather dash will begin to pull away from the glass if the car is not garage kept or you don't use the sun protector silver things. The only way to fix that is to replace the entire dash. It was terrible engineering and our upholstery guy said the way it manufactured they didn't use enough leather to allow for the leather to heat up and cool which causes it to shrink! Protect that dash!!

-The sun visors if you use them too much will begin to sag and they are $720 to replace them. My father who is a Jaguar master mechanic has made a quick fix to hold the sun visors for customers whose cars do this.

-The buttons on the steering wheel, and infotainment system begin to get sticky which is kind of annoying-still looking for a fix for this!

-They are beautiful cars and fast and handle amazingly! I try to give people the little heads ups that I've noticed over the years so you know what to be on the look out for. Hope this helps!
Sabrinaservicewriter

 

Well we have only seen one XJ with a dash leather problem? Are you thinking of the XF? This does have a very large problem with dash leather pulling back.

The sticky buttons have long ago been solved and it's a shame Jaguar has not accepted this and distributed the fix? Please read and use Neutrogena makeup remover wipes as they are the solution. Many threads about how to do this. Here is what the package looks like;



It's tedious to use them when removing the sticky stuff but it does work and I have all of mine cleaned up like new. Just takes some time. No damage to the buttons of any kind either.
Your dealership does not know of this fix?

The biggest thing to keep in mind is can you DIY anything? An expensive luxury car gets no less expensive to repair as it ages. This forum is vital because we have all the problems figured out and you have a great group of people to bounce questions off of!

Good point about any over heating too! Please change your oil at 6K-8K intervals and use the right stuff. Be sure and start the car when cold with the radio off and the drivers door open. Listen to the engine and be aware of any additional noises. These are noisy DI engines so they clatter more than I like to hear but that's normal.

Bargain hard as these cars have almost no demand and prices fall very quickly.
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Hey clubairth1,

You are correct! I was thinking of the XF! I just walked into the shop to look at a few cars and you're right!

I have tried so many different products on the buttons and am so happy you shared this with me! We aren't a dealership, we're a family owned Jaguar and Cadillac shop but I am a little upset the guys I talk with at our local dealership didn't tell me about this trick! I can't wait to try!!

I love this group and have learned so much from other jaguar enthusiast here! Thank you!!

 

Actually it WAS a very good dealership service advisor that told me about the Neutrogena pads years ago. If we look back it was posted it a few years ago (4 or 5?).
Sticky Buttons - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
Maybe even before this post.

IIRC I also found that it worked easiest for me if I let a damp pad sit on the surface for a little while before rubbing off the stickiness.
A few spots did take a couple of times and a little more effort than others, but for the cost of a container of the cleansers, it was well worth it.
I still use the remaining wipes to clean those same buttons occasionally since they don't damage the finish or print, and it's usually my wife's make-up that's on them.

 

Good morning future CAT owner! I am a newbie to the site myself and joined to learn more about my car from people with the same disease that I seem to have...jaguarphilia! Mine is a British Racing Green 2013 XJL 5.0 supercharged. It currently has 125K miles on it and in the shop for timing chain issue. I can tell you that this gorgeous car has been my favorite of all time and far surpasses the performance and reliability of Lexus and Mercedes E 400s that I have owned in the past. Of course, it was the most expensive of all but the daily enjoyment cannot be measured of owning and driving such a beauty. My only negative comments would be 1/ the problem of finding a reliable dealer once the car ages and 2/ whatever implications that the cessation of production of XJ gas powered cars will have in the future. I was blessed to have had a magnificent dealership experience until recently when a major reorganization took place and now my confidence is at an all time low. My closest competitor dealership shops are over an hour away...not great if you work and don't have free time. I hope you are successful in your search! CatDoc

 

That's a good point on letting the wipes sit before you start scraping. I just had trouble keeping the wipes in place so they could soak in.

The tiny cracks between the buttons were the worst as the gap is so small I had trouble finding anything that would fit. I have some 2mm-3mm cleaners that sorta look like dental picks with felt on the tips that have plastic handles along with tooth picks to pick out the blobs of goo. The goo has to be balled up into chunks so you can pick it off the surface using a paper towel. If you try to dissolve the goo only using the wipes it will take forever to remove as when it starts to loosen up you will smear the goo around and around without removing any of it.

I have not had to go back over them? Did you find they started getting sticky again?
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I have recently purchased a 2017 XJL S/C V-8 with 22k on the clock. It is the best XJ I've ever owned and I've had them all from Series 1 all the way to the X351. The lines of the car are beautiful from any angle and the power is perfect for the car. I agree with the poster who recommended the newest, lowest mile car you can afford. CPO warranty is a plus. I would advise the V-8. I've driven both and you can't beat that V-8. Here's what I did: a nationwide search, then narrowed down cars to the newest, lowest mile, nicest ones. I found my car at a Jag dealer near Chicago. For the best cars out there, expect to pay what they are asking. Low mile cars with CPO command a price. S/S feature: who cares? I just push the disable button when I start it. Geez, that's hard!

 

I maybe thinking about an upgrade soon but I don't want the S/C V6. I am looking at NA 5L v8. Are those powerplants reliable? I am not looking for Lexus reliability but 4.2 Jaguar V8 reliability (150K mi before any major engine work). Are timing chains/tensioners a problem area?

 

If it were me looking for a NA 5.0 L XJ I would be looking at something from 2013 on. The 5.0L was introduced in the 2010 model year in the USA.

 

Good point as you do want the 8 speed transmission if possible. Also a lot of electrical updates were made as the later model cars seem to suffer less battery/electrical problems. I like the 2014 (That's what I have) and up but they stopped producing the 5.0L NA and I don't remember what year they stopped?
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