Hello, I'm new-be kind.

Apologies for the length of this initial post, but it's not a simple one-subject question. Also for the whining nature.

I purchased a 2007 XK from the second owner @ 30K miles in June 2010. The car had qualified as Jaguar Certified Select Edition Warranty pre-owned @ 25K miles and that extends the Jaguar warranty until Aug. 2012. To qualify the car the dealer replaced all brake pads, front tires and alignment. The second owner purchased the car just after the certification in Aug. 2009.

Just after I purchased the car (6/2010) I had the 30K mile service (excluding wiper blades) and alignment (again? It was Service Advisor (SA) recommended and I went along to get along-$120) for a total of $439. I personally replaced the wipers with Jaguar (from "parts" for $47(5 minutes). Wiper blade service charge would have been $88.

Just before 35K miles I replaced the rear Continental tires locally. (I live 35 miles from the dealership.) I'm not an aggressive driver nor I doubt was the previous owner. Apparently this was the 3rd set of Continental maximum performance summer tires by 35K miles.

In September at the 35K mile dealer oil change ($70) the SA recommended a brake fluid flush ($170) and power steering flush ($170). With taxes and the mysterious non specified "misc. charges" (in this case $25.61) the total was $448. I'd also asked a question about something in the rear suspension that I'd noticed during the tire change elsewhere. I was, in effect, told not to worry about it by the technician whom I visited under the car while it was on the lift. The SA told me they'd check it at the 40K service and that replacement, should it be needed, would be circa $230.

At the 40K mile service (Dec. 2010) I told the SA that I'd replace the cabin/pollen filter myself ($75 for the "Jaguar" filter online, $150 if dealer installed. It's easy and takes about 5 minutes.) The charge for the 40K mile service (excluding cabin filter) was $424 (including $26.72 non-specified "misc. charges"). The car time in service was about 1 1/2 hours. The service charge for labor was for 2.4 hours.

The SA then presented me with a list of 40K "inspection recommendations": rear brake pads and rotors $750, "winterization" $100 (this is Carolina), rear differential service $180, coolant flush $190, fuel induction service (throttle body) $180, fuel injection service $250. (On Interstate highway cruise control with the air conditioning on it gets 32MPG@65MPH and 29.5MPG@70MPH - no previous fuel injector problems.) There was also a notation that I had previously declined rear sway bar links replacement @ $327 - which was not the case as it was presented to me at the 35K mile oil change. About $2000 more in recommended maintenance not counting who knows how much in "misc. charges".

In total $3,500 within 7 months in "service and maintenance", no repairs, that excludes rear tire replacement - and for a car that is not a daily driver, only once or twice a week. $500 per month in maintenance.

There are also other issues with the SA that I won't bore you with, including a recent 70 mile round trip for a procedure for which I had an appointment. I arrived and was told a computer was down and the procedure could not be accomplished. There had been no attempt to contact me beforehand and no apology for my time, expense and inconvenience. It will require another trip.

In contrast, in early 2007 Road & Track Magazine acquired a new 2007 XK coupe for long term road tests. R&T kept the car for about 1 1/2 years and accumulated 47,000 miles in various conditions and had a half dozen periodic articles until it had to returned the car with the TATA acquisition in mid 2008. R&T routine Dealer maintenance incurred (including 1 set of Dunlop Sport tires) ,and projected 50,000 mile service cost, totaled $3200. I realize charges have increased in the intervening 3 years and that R&T may not have been charged typical prices by the local dealer. However, there seems to be a very wide gap between my experience and R&T's.

I don't want to jeopardize the Jaguar Select Edition Warranty, vague though it seems to be. The local Jaguar dealer seems to have a good reputation. I admit to being thrifty, but $3500 in 7 months for these services seems out of line.

Have I alternatives that would not jeopardize the official Jag warranty?

Is this scenario typical? Am I a crank, stereotypically complaining cheap (One prefers the term "parsimonious") geezer, fool or a patsy?

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, negative though they may be.

 

You're scaring me.

 

I thought all rear differentials are sealed for life on newer cars?
$750 to replace rear rotors & pads? This might be the case on the Alcon upgraded rotors on the Portfolio model, but the base models brakes cant be this much $$$........

 

I always say it's not the purchase, it's the upkeep ... you need to read over what's covered in your warranty very carefully. I know my dealership hates calling my extended warranty company because they will be left on hold for 20 min. or more.

When I got my 1997 Vanden Plas from my mother, I had to have two stripped wheel bolts replaced, at a cost of $30 apiece. $30 each??

Welcome to the world of Jaguar ownership...

P.S. I talked them into giving me a discount for those wheel nuts, BTW...

 

Yesssir, 'fraid so.

Differential on the 2007 XK has no drain plug. It apparently has a plug for adding differential fluid. The service consists of removing this plug, vacuuming the old fluid and replacing with new fluid. Yesterday an independent Euro car technician quoted a price about half the dealer price but added that at 40K miles this should not be necessary. (The ZF transmission is sealed for life, although I've read it may be a good idea to change fluid (& filter?) at 60K miles, and that takes some doing, read expensive.)

The following, and my initial post, relates to the base XK, which I think sports 326mm front and rear rotors/discs and a smaller rear caliper. At least one online seller of genuine Jaguar parts lists MSRP rear pads $97 their price $77 and MSRP front pads $145 their price $115. XKR base pads/rotors are more expensive and Platinum Alcon brake components even more so. Yesterday, two different independent Euro car garages each quoted circa $600 for rear rotors and pads. There are at least a couple of online genuine Jag parts purveyors who each quote slightly discounted OEM rotors about $225 (this from a fuzzy memory). Just out of curiosity I checked Advance Auto online to see what they stocked in non-OEM substitutes and pads ran from relatively cheap ones up to $90 Akebono. A very few rotors listed were from perhaps $75 each up to about $250 each for a Euro performance brand. The Jag dealer Service Advisor mentioned above originally listed just under $500 for rear brakes and rotors on the printed recommendation, but then added he'd forgotten to include labor, which would be about $250, so $750. I was somewhat surprised the independents quoted as much as $600 for rotors, pads and labor. However, one of the independents stated the rotors really didn't require replacement yet, so his pad replacement alone would be $225.

Were I half my current age I'd undertake the brakes meself. Did so on GM thirty years ago just for the learning experience. To quote Top Gear's Jezza, just before calamity strikes, "how hard could it be".

 

Perhaps it's my ignorance, however I don't think any reasonable individual would have expected $3,500 in "service/maintenance" within 7 months on a car that had just qualified as 'Jaguar Select Certified Edition" 5K miles prior to purchase. Had I wanted to maintain an Aston Martin I'd've bought one. I've a 2 inch stack of online article printouts relating to the 2007 XK and nothing hinted at these upkeep tariffs.

I've some 400 pages of owner manuals, but no "Jaguar Select Certified Edition Extended Warranty" booklet. The original warranty booklet "Passbook To Service" is vague enough as it is. It's my impression the Jag extended warranty is relatively secret information, as in "See Your Dealer For Details. Select Edition Warranty is a Jag corp. warranty and not that of a third party warranty company, unless I misunderstand.

Thankyew!

 

Select edition is a very great warranty and covers a lot of things except normal wear and tear including; brakes, tires, belts, "blockages", electrical wiring unless a part caused the wires to fail etc. They don't pay diagnosis time. But I have a "book" at work that is pretty thick that states what is covered.

 

Thank you. Can an individual acquire said tome and how might one do so, or are you associated with a dealership? I assumed it primarily covered the drive train and at least some electronics. I'd like to know what service/maintenance & wear items replaced closer to home by an independent tech would not jeopardize the Select Edition Warranty. Such as, as long as Castrol 5-30 oil is used is the warranty in effect. Both the initial post described costs, other unmentioned events and 1 hour each-way trips are testing my relatively sanguine nature.

 

Anyone who walks into a Jaguar service dept. had better be prepared for eye-opening costs. However, if you don't want to spend the $$ for the regularly-scheduled maintenance outlined in your owner's manual (which is not covered by any warranty), then don't!

 

I'm a potential new owner (considering an 07/08 XK conv/coupe) but the costs your listing seem extremely high for a vehicle with that few miles.

I had heard that Jaguars had improved a hell of a lot in the last several years on maintenace cost and repair issues, is this not true? With most of the vehicles I have (or have had) I simply get the oil changed and only take it to the dealer when necessary. I have had experiences with the dealer simply "advising and recommending" stuff that really doesnt NEED to be done. Do Jaguars really need maintaining that much more than other vehicles?

 

I agree. Those cost are exorbitant to say the least. There is no way in hell that not following the recommended maintenance schedule as seen in this thread can result and your XK or XKR falling apart due to neglect

 

So I recently spoke with the general sales and service manager of a Jaguar dealership and let him read this whole thread on my iphone and he agreed with me in that you have probably been had. Please note I am not making light of your recent cash outlay, I am just enlightening the rest of the board to my findings. He agreed that the recommendations you cited were exorbitant and not-required for the "proper maintenance of you super car"

 

The XK is on many lists for high maintenance costs. I purchased it knowing that it would require more than the mainstream cars. Link below, she cam in at # 10 on this list. I've seen #3 and #7 on other sites.

http://www.automotive.com/worst-cars...ain/index.html

 

You guys should be thankful you live in the USA! I was recently quoted $5,000NZ+ from the local Dealer to change rotors and pads front and rear. After buying Pads and Rotors from the USA and having them shipped to NZ I replaced them myself in a few hours and was all done at $800.00NZ. If you are mechanically mined and get the right technical information there is a lot of work you can do yourself and save. I usually don't get my car back from service without a $1,000 bill - no matter what is needed to be done. I think the service department is required to find work that is needed until a $1000 bill can be created! It seems in your case it is about $500.

Having said all of that and joining in with your whining, I would not change out of my XKR anytime soon!

 

Thank you all for your comments.

Apparently I'd have to bicycle or hitchhike in NZ.

To elaborate on "winterization" in post #1, the dealer website briefly describes the $100 "winterization special" (primarily inspection) which was on the recommendation list presented just after the 40K service. There appears to be nothing delineated that was not supposedly checked in the 40K service just completed. That was the insult that primarily prompted this thread. I'd expected better of a highly rated Jaguar dealer - guess I'm just naive.

Also, both the dealer website and service bay bulletin board advertised a combo service special which included new air filter, fuel induction (throttle cleaning) service, fuel injection cleaning service and new fuel filter for $330. However, the recommendations presented to me separately listed fuel induction service @ $180 and fuel injector service @ $250, a total of $430 and that excluded the installed new air and fuel filters of the combo special.

 

Anyone know what type or grade differential fluid the 2007-2009 XKRs use?

 

I'm the OP. Coincidentally I visited the dealer today for an oil change. They were also offering a free multi-point inspection. On the list of recommended services that needed attention: $3,309 to replace both headlight assemblies because there are some scratches on the top area of the lenses. Not lens reconditioning, mind you, but complete replacement of each headlight unit. Also on the list was, again, "Perform rear differential service (Found rear differential fluid to be dirty/contaminated)" @ $180. I questioned the Service Advisor about the type and condition of the diff. fluid and was told, as I understood, that it was not actually checked but considering the age and mileage of the car the diff. service was recommended. I was also told that the original diff. fluid was not synthetic. (I assume it was Castrol as was the original oil.) That was no surprise as I'd had a non-dealer specialist replace the original black-ish diff. fluid with synthetic diff. fluid in February. He was surprised at the condition of the diff. lube as well as the fact that it was not synthetic. (His shop specializes in European cars and also preps Porches for racing.) He replaced my diff. fluid. with Pennzoil 75w90 synthetic but uses Red Line in performance cars. This comparison can be found on various enthusiast forums but could possibly be biased http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2457.pdf

(It may or may not be relevant, but the well regarded book You And Your Jaguar XK8 by Nigel Thorly states on page 118 "All the differentials take a new synthetic 60/90 grade oil or similar, but for top up purposes a conventional 90 grade is alright to use." The contradiction with what I've been told about the XK diff. fluid is perplexing.)

Perhaps a tech will correct any misinformation?

 

So, how do you like your new headlights? j/k

 

I am so very glad I have an honest and knowledgeable shop (other than the dealer) to take my XKR to when I need service. I've been using them for years and they've never taken advantage of me.

 

The nearest Jaguar dealer for me (40+ miles from home) filed for bankrupcy and the only portion still operating is their service department - Moore Jaguar of St Louis.

Talk about not being very reassuring. The next nearest Jag dealer is 270 miles north in Peoria.

If they close, I'll most likely sell the car. Who else could service it aside from a few local "import" shops. When I heard about their filing bankrupcy and no longer selling new cars I called a highly regarded local Import shop. When I told him I have an 08 XK he said they'd work on it but if any of the electrical or computer systems failed they would be reluctant to touch it. That's the joy in living in southern Illinois which is rural. Jag's are probably fine in big metro area's with dealers and other sources, but in small town USA with corn fields I may have purchased the wrong car.

Tom