Hi. I've read the stickies for this generation (2001 L VDP 124kmi) and the next generation(s) (2005 L VDP 104kmi) xj8's that I'm contemplating buying. And they scare the heck out of me. Are these cars really that bad? My Jaguar experience is limited to a 2003 3.0 S-Type that made me live on this forum for the short time I owned it. But the ride was what made me like it alot. I kind of answered my own question about concern for reliabity. So I'll ask one "real" question; on the 2005 how do I tell if there's a leaky air shock in the short time I examine the car? Does it trip a code? Thanks for reading and any replies that come my way. Ed

 

If you don’t want to spend a lot some time on this forum don’t get a 308, the 350 is a better choice.

On the 350 you can spray soapy water and see if there’s a leak but chances are it’s too slow to show up. Coilovers are a 100% guaranteed solution

 

For the '05 you'll have to ask the X350 boys that question. We don't have stock air ride on the X308, though there's a couple of members who have done it.

 

Mine was a rock up until about 15 years old by which time it had about 100K miles. But I followed this forum and did all of the preventative maintenance that people here recommended. This forum really is the key because somebody is always going to rack up more miles faster than you, experience the problem sooner than you and together, we have a thread discussion to figure out how to prevent it from happening to the rest of us. But you're now talking about buying a car that's already 15 to 20 years old which is near the end of the original engineers' planned obsolescence. They engineered them to be recycled, not collected. We may have figured out how to prevent tensioner failures and A-drum ruptures, but those aside, its all the hundreds or thousands of little parts that get old. Particularly all the plastic, rubber and vinyl components that are deteriorated.

Beginning now, its going to be a real struggle to keep these old cars on the road. You have to be a real enthusiast, read the forums frequently, be a DIY'er if it has to be on a budget, and have a second car to drive while you research each repair, hunt for and wait on parts to arrive. I suppose its possible if you found an XJ8 that was garaged night and especially day its whole life, had been owned by one of our forum enthusiasts who has already done all the recommended preventative maintenance and has very low mileage, that you could get a few more years relatively trouble-free, but all that plastic and rubber still breaks down with age so you are going to have to expect some repairs even on the best example.

But every time I drive my X308 I find myself wishing that Jaguar was still making them. The XF has its advantages (tho much of the modern technology could be transferred) but in all the ways that matter most, the ride quality, maneuverability, visibility, accessibility and subjectively the styling, the XJ8 is several orders of magnitude the better car. If you have the means to maintain one, you will not be disappointed.

 

All cars twenty years old, or so, with over 100k miles have problems. They really cost no more to repair than an Accord or Camry of the same vintage and mileage, but offer so much more -- in smiles alone. With the 308s, there are emerging issues in finding repair parts; less so for 350s (or Accords or Camrys).

 

Get 2003 xj8 you won't regret it's nice car and reliable as any other reliable car and most parts that fail on the x308 are made by denso which suppose to be super reliable parts

 

I agree with all the input, but here's my 2-cents worth having owned an 05 L for 5 years (until this year) and now an 01 base model. The 05 got sent to the crusher in Feb because of an accident or I would be driving it still. It had 230K at the end and never left me stranded. Of course, I kept an eye on maintenance as it was my daily driver. Yes, it had the usual issues, but none unexpected if you keep up in the Forum. It was the best car I've owned in 55yrs of driving of any brand, absolutely superb in every category. I really miss it. That said, the 01 is a pleasant surprise. At 155K it does everything well, though not the 05's superlatives. There are notable differences in suspension (conventional vs air), fewer techie things (no bluetooth), and others minor things. It is, as mentioned in an above reply, literally a "little old lady from Pasadena" car that was meticulously maintained, always garaged and looks fabulous. Repairs are GM/Honda level for cost and parts, and few need a specialist.
All that said, 2 absolutes to buying any old Jag. Know the model, do your homework. There are ones to stay away from, and don't buy any Jag that has little or no repair records. An old saying comes to mind, "Any road will get you there if you don't know where you're going."

 

Completely agree with this. Most rubber I replaced was normal wear and tear, hoses, gaskets, bushings. There are metal upgrades for critical plastic parts and between online parts, eBay and even the dreaded dealer almost everything is still available. This is not a Ford Taurus, this isn't designed for obsolescence. It's designed to age gracefully, especially visually. If you have ever taken apart the suspension or frame you must know these things are solid. The control arms and frame are solid steel, not the weight saving aluminum they use today that while impressive will never match the durability of steel (save for salty, cold, rust prone environments, but that kills everything). I drive XJs as daily drivers. They have never left me stranded even on 800 mile round trips. But yes, they do live in a garage.

 

I bought my 2002 XJR in 2009 with about 90.000 miles on it. Today it is still going strong at 165.000 miles. For the first three years of ownership it was my daily drive whilst we lived in Kansas City. I took it with me to the Netherlands when we left the USA late 20212. These days it is just one of my hobby/classic cars. I still do 3500 - 4500 miles a year.

Overall, ownership has been reasonably trouble free. I have had to deal with some normal wear and tear issues for a car this age / mileage.
Being able to work on the car yourself, or have a specialist workshop that is familiar with these cars does help. I find the Jaguar dealers here in the Netherlands pretty useless when it comes to the X308.

As with any car of this age it is worth trying to find the best one you can afford. There is lots of information about on this forum what to look for. Or get yourself a copy of Peter Crispin’s The essential Buyer’s guide Jaguar/Daimler XJ (all models 1994 - 2003).

I have owned a very large number of cars throughout my life. The XJR is still the second best car I have ever bought and enjoyed. Every time I take it out for a spin it puts a smile on my face!. Just love the styling and the supercharged V8! I take it all over Europe, reliability has never been an issue. Key is proper maintenance and some TLC on the electrics/battery.

Jeroen
(Best car I ever bought and still own (25 years and counting) is my 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider! Even an X308 can’t compete with a red hot Italian soft top!)

 

Both are good. I liked my now-deceased '06 VDP for basic reliability, but found the air shocks, especially in front, to be a pain. I wasn't personally thrilled with the very firm "wings" on the sides of the seat bottoms, but understand why they were put there. It was a great ride, but got flattened by a tree, just as I was getting ready to have the "sealed for life" transmission serviced (fluid, filter, gasket) and the radiator replaced as it was starting to show signs of coolant leakage. Had it not been totaled, I would have kept it a long, long time.

I just replaced it with an '03 VDP with just 30,000 miles on it. I've had some issues but nothing that is getting me too pissed off. I opted to have the main pressure regulator valve in the ZF5HP24 transmission upgraded as preventative maintenance to ward off future damage that box is prone to suffer. And I'm chasing check engine/restricted performance lights and think I've now got a bead on the cause. The X308 is a solid, proven performer, and at 18 calendar years old and 17 model years old I accept that it will have aging issues. I don't have a car payment and I'm not suffering outrageous depreciation.

Cheers.

Eliot

 

Bingo, no car payment and people think you are rich. Plus these models, especially the R models, have bottomed out. They are starting to appreciate.

 

I love my 1999 X308. It is a very reliable car. I have about 165K miles on it. Saying that, you will have to spend money on it to keep it reliable. Off the bat, you need to change the timing chain tensioners which is an expensive job. I am on my 3rd transmission. As you would expect for a 21 year old car, many things need to be replaced like suspension parts. When you have a car that old, you learn about many parts you didn't know existed. So, you will have to lay out a lot of money to keep your X308 running, but when it's running, mine has been a reliable car.

 

Using my xj8 as daily driver for 2 years I can confidently say it's super underrated car and it's more reliable than my impreza and my maxima by far better built quality great engine response great stability on high way but to keep it reliable you have to take care of the car and spend more on quality parts and quality oils . What makes my jag reliable is that many denso parts have failed but not the JAG parts

 

I had a 2002 Maxima, the engine and trans were good but the rest was junk. The interior started wearing out at 30K.