I am looking at a '96 X300 Vandan Plus with just under 100K miles on it. I once had a '91 XJ40 and every 4 weeks another error message would come up. The XJ40 was my Mom's and only had 56K miles on it. It cost $3K to keep the XJ40 running for one year. Are X300's more reliable?

 

Generally, yes

But at 20 years old and 100k is a fair bet that it'll need at least a few repairs

In one of the sticky threads at the top of this section is a buyer's guide that might be helpful

Cheers
DD

 

The XJ40 was a major leap forward in electrics and electronics for Jaguar and reliability issues were almost inevitable. I had mine for five years and 77k miles but I wouldn't say it was any more troublesome than the earlier XJ6 Series I and II I'd had before.

I kept the X300 that replaced it for four years and 65k miles. During this period it required nothing more than servicing, tyres and brakes. I only traded it against an X308 for something different.

However, jump forwards fifteen years and, as Doug says, time will be taking its toll. You can't expect any Jaguar to be cheap transport and the older it gets, the more repairs and maintenance will be required to keep it in peak condition.

Would I be put off? Not for a second!

Graham

 

The x300 was the first Jaguar model under Ford. Ford came along and told the lads at Jaguar that they had to pull their fingers out. Along came better quality control, fuel injection, & electronic ignition. Of course it had to be a more reliable car.
If that is not absolutely correct, somebody will jump in; perhaps Andy was there at the time.

 

In my experience, yes, but that is not to say that my XJ40 was a poor experience. Not a bit of it but my X300, after 230k kms, all of them under my control, has had very few problems.

Any car, not just Jaguars, is going to need some TLC after it has 100k+ kms under it's belt but I have to say, my X300 has been a pleasure to own and run during it's 20 years. As has already been said, the XJ40 was a big improvement over it's predecessors, but the X300 brought further improvements.

Just one further comment; I think I'm correct in saying that the Vanden Plas had even more electrics than the basic XJ6 so it might be worth paying a little more attention to that side of things.

HTH
Colin

 

^the Vanden Plas was fitted with a premium HK sound system, and I believe had traction/cruise control fitted as standard. Mandatory in Canada and available in other markets was a cold weather package, which included headlamp washers, a heated front windscreen, and heated seats, at the expense of the motorized dipped headlights. As far as I know, these are the only differences, aside from power folding mirrors which were mostly a Japan thing.

The X300 is a very reliable car. There are only a few things that will keep it from running, and we know all about them here. They make a great daily driver and will present less serious problems than most cars. Really! Of course, it brings a lot to the table if you're passionate and stay on top of every service item... which isn't that daunting of a task, really. The transmission and engine will last a very long time without a rebuild. There are a few sensors that can go wonky, and a few electrical connections that are in bad spaces (the airbag comes to mind) and could come loose, BUT, compare it to any chevy or volkswagen and you will soon realise how beautiful and simple the wiring is--especially considering all the features in the car, and the year it was made!

The suspension has very few weak spots, too, though you will definitely notice if something is amiss. I won't say it's a weak spot considering how robust it is, but it's sensitive to something as simple as a tire it doesn't like. Not fatal, and remember that Jags are known for their lovely suspension setups. A very fair tradeoff!

Even most interior trim pieces aren't too expensive. They really are a great car to own and drive. If you're thinking of getting one, act now, because at least in my area, word has gotten out and these cars have doubled in value over the past year.

 

Great comments by Malihide, though I quibble with the following bit:
Neither premium sound, heated seats, nor traction control were standard on VDP's (at least thru MY96
My particular 1995 has none of those, though it does have a heated-seat clock module, likely fitted by a previous owner in response to a failing clock.
One of the 96's has all three
The other 96 has the premium sound only. It may have heated seats, but does not have the heated seat clock module, so if so, someone has changed it out.

So I need to modify my statement, perhaps premium sound WAS std. on MY96 VDP's though I seem to recall having looked at some that didn't.
I should mention since you are still new to the model and shopping, ALL 96/97 VDP's were lwb, whereas only a few, if any? late in MY95 were long.
Generally, in the states, MY95 is regarded as not having offered the long wheelbase, though it was offered across the range in 96/97 with the exception of the XJR. Sadly, never a "Super I6" offered like the later "Super V8's!"

 

^my bad, I know the heated seats were part of a package but I figured the rest were standard on the VDP. Maybe only in Canada. We get less options up here... for example, last I checked, the new XE is launching here with AWD mandatory, automatic only, with either the SCV6 or the diesel.

I'm with you on that super I6, though. I'm guessing it's because we got the V12, and there was no active suspension at the time, so it would have been a very weird car indeed. Still... the temptation to make one is definitely there.

Also, I'm wondering when exactly the LWB VDP was offered. My car was made in November 94 making it a MY95. It has air injection but no glove box, and on the dealer papers, it explicitly states that it's SWB which I thought was weird. Maybe they started making them LWB at the same time, my car being made late in the year.

More on topic, a car phone was also an option but it's not likely that you'll see one. All our cars are wired to accept this option, and you can find a phone jack under the arm rest if you remove it!

 

Hi Malihide, my XJR is also a 95MY and has no glove box. That is a really weird omission. All in all, for such a big car the X300 is quite short on interior space, including the boot.

 

I took your advice and bought the one I was looking at. I took it to Midas and they did an inspection. It needs the front rotors and pads replaced. The dealer is also a auto shop for English vehicles and he is going to replace the brakes and give it an alignment before I pick it up.

 

Congratulations on your purchase! I hope you're as happy with it as we all are. If you come across any issues, please let us know. Everyone here is very helpful and friendly. Let us know how she rides when everything is said and done!

 

Congrats Steve!
Some months ago....I guess it was the late fall, I flew to Phoenix and bought one I'd only seen in pics on the net. Drove it about 15 hrs non-stop back to Decatur, TX. 105K miles on the clock. As Grant says, "Smooth as..."

 

 

Uh oh... well, maybe.

What are the conditions of the rough idle? If it's in park and no better in neutral, that's fairly normal and is a result of the profile of the cams; there was a TSB about this and this issue was fixed a few times. If it's worse in park, I don't remember exactly what causes it but it has to do with the ECU and is, again, normal. Now if you're experiencing it with the car stopped in drive, that's not so normal. Fortunately, it is likely one of these:

Fouled MAF sensor--clean it with contact/MAF cleaner
ANY PLUGS OTHER THAN CHAMPION RC12YC can cause this, and the champs MUST be gapped to 0.035 inches (0.94 mm). Our X300 is incredibly sensitive to this for some reason!
IAC valve--are the RPMs fluctuating at idle? It could be either this valve, a dirty EGR valve (just clean 'er up), OR a failing brake booster, especially in drive.
Worn engine mounts, fairly common. However, this will mostly be noticeable when shutting the car off, and not so much at idle. My mounts are currently shot to hell and everything is still smooth as silk.
Plugged cats, especially if less present when cold. This is pretty much the worst case scenario outside of major engine damage.

As I said, it's a fairly common thing to have a slightly rough idle in park or neutral because of the cams. Interestingly enough, Andy's bracket has almost entirely eliminated this roughness in my car.

Anyway, what are the situations in which you're experiencing this rough idle? I ask because the mechanics will likely have put NGKs into your Jag--you can't blame them, but Champions really work the best for whatever reason.

 

It idles rough when I start it in park as well as when I am at a red light and in drive.

 

It was the 4th injection coil. The dealer/service place I bought it from fixed it for free with a used one that works fine. No more problems.

 

Glad to hear that. I would have guessed the plugs. The coils can be finicky sometimes due to the magnesium cam cover. I hope you don't have any more issues with the rest of the coils. When the warranty wears off however, and if it starts again, a good way to check if it's the coils is by taking the plastic cover off the top of the cam cover at night. You will likely see a little light show where the bad coil is.


Anyway, congrats! How do you like the car?

 

I like the comfortable ride. I like the round headlights instead of the square ones like the XJ40 has. I was surprised how much of a difference the 20+ HP more the X300 has than the XJ40. I am thinking of driving it from San Diego to Colorado next month.

 

I hope you have a good trip.

That feeling youre getting is the lovely flat torque curve of the X300. It is almost completely linear; I can't find the picture but it's surprising. And with 290 ft-lbs, it makes for a very nice highway ride. Glad you're enjoying it and just ask if you have any more questions.

 

I have decided to replace all 6 ignition coils. The one I got the other day was used and I don't want to get any surprises later. It will cost about $1100 but it will be worth the peace of mind.