Looking to buy today but need advice
 

Hi All,

I am going to look at this car today.

2005 JAGUAR XJ

It is in Arizona so has had to deal with multiple 115 degree summers. I am assuming if they haven't done suspension work it will be close on the horizon (125,000 miles).

Does anyone know if there is an easy way to tell if the compressor and struts have been replaced. Plus anything else that is easy to look at when making a purchase.

This will be my first jaguar and I don't want to over pay for a car.

Would I be better off getting this one and replacing the compressor and struts myself.
2004 Jaguar XJ8


Thanks for any input.

I wouldn't' buy any car without having the full history records myself.

Yes the suspension is expensive and no there is no real way to tell if any parts were replaced with OEM.
If the struts were replaced with aftermarket, CATS is inoperative. Aftermarket aren't exactly great either. If someone butchered the suspension with spring systems then the 05 is definitely overpriced.

they are both high mileage cars. I would assume full replacement of all suspension bushes. If DIY, add $1500.

If you assume all shocks and compressor need replacing and you buy used OEM, add another $1500k - new add $3K

Assuming you have no oil/ coolant leaks, bring a code reader along with you and get a full readout of the codes that have triggered. This will tell you what's been ailing the car over time and give you some insight. If you see oil or coolant leaks, walk away.

Feel the cooling system hoses while cool - all of them, if they are soft look to replace them all - $2k. If they are swollen while warm, replacement is needed.

Just based on those made up numbers and assuming no history or incomplete history you are overpaying for the car. You will spend that much, either immediately or over a short period of time.

My two cents - pay up for younger miles. Never pay Kelly Blue Book or NADA retail unless you find a one owner with all records in mint condition and then only start with book value. There is just no demand for these cars. You will still have problems no matter what.

Buying cheap is rarely a good deal. There's a reason these cars are priced so low and if you can't afford to pay for those expensive repairs....

+10 on Sean W's comments.

Also when looking at a used car try and find out how long it has been on the market.

One way is look at a Carfax for the VIN to get an idea which will also show some of the maintenance done but not all. Also Cargurus will show how long a car has been on the market. Not 100% but sometimes eye opening.

Point being if its been on the market a long time the dealer might be open to low offer.

Car Gurus is a great starting point and to Jacks point, you can usually see how long they're on the market and how slowly they sell.
There's an XJ8 up where I live that a dealers had for sale for over 2 years. Obviously it's over priced, but an example.

One thing to remember when using it "Great deal" "Overpriced" "Fair deal" etc on car guru, all price ratings assume the vehicle is properly maintained. They don't verify that. That responsibility is still on the buyer.

you still need to do homework.

Carfax will give minimal information but sometimes you can get lucky and find the car was serviced at one or two locations. You can then call them and they will email you the service records. Carfax will also tell you where the car is and when so it's easy to check and see if it has potentially been in a flood. Dealer buy auction cars all the time from everywhere.

You can also look for gaps in service in carfax which implies either the service provider didn't enter the data into carfax or the owner didn't service it. Again, this is where getting a complete service history trumps everything, for me at least.


Good luck and let us know.

There's no such thing as a cheap Jaguar.

These were expensive cars to buy new. Parts and repairs stay at that level even though the sticker price on used models looks very attractive.

As this is your first Jaguar you should give very serious thought to who is going to service and repair it. Dealers are very expensive and Indies are still expensive. Unless you are prepared to (learn) to do your own work on the vehicle, costs will very soon outstrip the purchase price several times over.

I'm not trying to put you off - I am trying to help you understand the realities of Jaguar ownership.

Graham

+1 on that. I do all my own maintenance. It is a good job that I enjoy that sort of thing otherwise I would not be able to afford my car in the long run.

Years of very hot summers tends to cause the headliner to droop down due to the material coming away from the foam backing.

Nothing beats seeing the car, in fact I would say never buy a car 'sight unseen'. You do need to see some evidence of servicing and repairs. Also see if there is a European car specialist near you or even one that specialises in Jaguars.

Based on my own experience, most of your potential trouble will be the air suspension and the suspension bushes. Many US owners swap to steel spring units, or the Arnott air springs. These are much cheaper than the Bilstein OEM units, but the Bilsteins can be purchased on-line, (don't pay Jaguar main agent prices, whatever you do !!). The air suspension compressor is reasonably reliable, and you can buy new piston seals to extend its life, but it is not a hugely expensive item. These are made by Wabco and fitted in Mercs, and other European cars with air suspension.

Engine and drivetrain is pretty much bullet proof.

There are a few other niggles, but a car on 125k miles will have already had these seen to. In fact, it will probably have had suspension work too, based on my experience. Body is a wonderful aluminium thing, riveted and glued together and no trouble, as is the interior quality. YOu might, however, come across minor bubbling under the paint due to 'crevice corrosion' a well known aluminium corrosion syndrome that looks ugly but is not serious and reasonably easy to fix.

Cheap Jaguars pop up from time to time, especially ones that need servicing. I had seen that one in Phoenix too. FWIW, there was a similar mileage 04 XJ on Las Vegas Craigslist a few days ago that had a misfire. They put it up for $700 and it was gone within 3 hours. Just to give you an idea of the price range these cars can go for.