Hi All, I am in the process of acquiring an 08 Jaguar XKR with 40K miles on the odometer. First, I am coming from the world of domestic convertibles (Mustang GT's and the like). The jag is a ragtop also. I am used to working on my cars and do not know what to expect with the Jag. Hoping there are things the DIYer can do.

My more pressing question is, what should I be looking for outside of the normal items when handing the funds over for this car. I have heard of AC compressor, thermostat, convertible top/rear glass separation and dash leather shrinkage and separation as possible issues. Can these be confirmed as problem spots and any other items be identified as I become an owner?

Very excited to taking the next step up the automobile class and understand there may be costs I have not been used to. Any ideas, thoughts, questions are much appreciated...

 

My recommendation would be to ensure that you have a competent shop or Jag dealer within a reasonable distance to service your car when needed. I always take mine to the Jaguar dealer which is about one hour from my house and they also give a free loaner car if they keep your car more than a day. I would also be prepared to spend about 2K in the first year of ownership being that the car is an 2008 and just like any other car things can suddenly go bad.

 

Hi

These are very reliable cars. Had my convertible for nearly 4 years and mileage is 45k miles was 32k when I bought it.
It lives outside all the time and is used weekly once or twice

Apart from servicing I have only changed a rear brake lamp
I am in the U.K. So we don't have the dashboard and rear window issues as it's not hot and sunny enough


Great Cars

 

Thanks for the quick responses. Keep them coming. I have contacted a local Jag dealer (about 10 minutes from my work) and contacted looking into qualification for an extended warranty. Still waiting on response, but the initial discussion tells me that it will be a very expensive plan, probably doubling MD123's first year cost estimate. This will be garaged, but news from across the pond on the convertible surviving the elements... our winters are tough here. Looking forward to ownership. I plan to keep for a few years then move up/on to something else.

 

Where in MA do you live? Who are you expecting to have work on the car? Better not be the dealer; you'll usually be disappointed and left with a lighter wallet...

You won't get a warranty from Jaguar on it. Best bet is keeping 4K on an Amex prepaid and use that exclusive for break-fix items... You'll save more in the end over a warranty, IMO.

 

With any used Jaguar, a comprehensive history is essential. Service is on a Mileage or Time elapsed basis - every 10k Miles/12 Months up to 2009 model. At 40k miles in 8 years there should be 7 services recorded. Question any gaps.

Dealer maintenance is expensive and a good independent specialist is often a better option with anything no longer in the current or very recent model range. There is nothing in the standard service schedules that is beyond the capabilities of a competent DIY'er. Electronics issues do require some sophisticated kit for anything more than basic powertrain fault codes.

Jaguar trim is not spectacularly good quality but is priced as if made from gold. Don't ignore apparently small defects and factor any required repairs or replacements into the deal.

You've alrready got the list of regular issues. Make sure it has two fully functioning smartkeys. Replacement cost is often a shock.

Graham

 

I'm currently in the process off replacing suspension components due to ball joints/bushes splitting

Up front - tie rod ends (which I did last week)

Rear - upper control arm, sway bar link and toe adjustment link

The other repairs I have carried out were -
Front calliper rebuild (sticking piston)
Front rotors (worn)
Rear rotors (worn)
Thermostat (faulty)

Apart from the following with regular servicing and a gearbox service every 70-90k km these units are pretty solid

 

Nothing wrong with going to a dealer that does a good job. A good dealer will have all the diagnostic tools needed, will cover the repair for a year and will give you a free loaner. As for the wallet, it will be lighter no matter who you go to.

 

Moses Botbol, I am on the south shore. Dealer was Norwood Jaguar. They are checking on 7+ year old car exception. I was just entertaining the idea of a warranty. Will probably be cost prohibitive. Do you have other non-dealer shops that you can recommend for service/repair?

Steve XK, I could probably handle all of those myself as well, but it is good to know that they are solid. I regularly do brakes, hubs, suspension work at home and could be considered advanced DIY'er. Had to jump into a few transmissions, clutch and cylinder heads recently, but would prefer to stay away from the internals. Just wondering how hard these are to work on.

 

Thanks GGG, Funny you mention the keys/remote. Current owner thinks he only has one fob, so it has turned into a price negotiation item. I am holding back $500 in the event a second key is not available.

With my Mustang and Explorer I was able to create a 3rd set of smart keys so long as I had 2 working sets. Picked up PATS keys for them on Ebay, had them cut and programmed them via car ignition sequence. Cheap and easy. I'm guessing there are no such options for the Jag with 2 fobs am am doubting with just one. Ultimately the smartphone would be a great token to use given the push button start.

Probably another topic, but I'd be interested in any workarounds.... of my wife will just have to go without keys to this. (Hmmm, maybe there is a positive to the missing spare key issue!)

 

This is a good idea because it's not as cheap and easy as your other cars. See this thread for a full synopsis
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...%C2%85-171095/

For other good info, just browse each thread on the first page of this x150 forum page. Valuable information. This forum is awesome.

 

These cars are pretty straight forward to work on providing you have spline and star sockets

 

After Woburn closed, there are no good Jag dealers for service in MA...

 

Samuels Jaguar Motors in Brighton would be my recommendation. Striaght up repair shop that many of the dealerships use as a source on how to fix older Jags.

Brookline Jaguar & BMW Service is also another recommended place right off Comm at at BU, but I have never used them. They have also been around for a long time. A buddy used them instead of Samuels...

One thing I did not like about going to the dealers is that they stick to Jaguar triage to fix a problem. If the know "C" is broken, they still go through steps "A" and "B" first. Samuels will just go right to "C" and save you the money. They want car in and out; fixed the first time...