A freind of mine has decided after a few trips in my 2004 XK8 to look at a 2007 XK8; he has decided je like Jag convertibles better tjan his Miata. He wants me to go with him tomorrow and look at the car. I looked on the stickies here and didn't see anything tjat listed the common problems like I can find for mine. It is a very low mileage convertible and looks really fresh in the photos. Is there anything special I should look for. My freind is not a mecjanical guy so I have steered him away from cars like mine.

 

These cars are relatively trouble free.

Items I would look for:
1. Separation of back window glass from top.
2. Leather separating/pulling back on dashboard.
3. Possible water in passenger footwell from a clogged/stuck closed "duckbill" that drains condensate from the A/C.
4. Glove box opening slowly as it should rather than falling open.
5. Leaks around the water pump, although this is more a problem with the 5.0 L not the 2007s.
6. a strong battery is very important to these cars or else many electrical gremlins will appear.

Of course all the usual things one should look for in a car as well - leaks, tire wear, maintenance records, brakes etc.

I prefer later years than 2007 simply due to the automatic antenna being removed in 2008 and on.

A silly thing that I look for just to get an idea of how meticulous the previous owner was about maintenance, is whether all the little fasteners are present under the hood on the panels near the windshield. These are easily lost, and I cannot tell you how many cars I have seen where some are missing. It is not that important to the car, but in my mind shows how meticulous the previous owner was about maintenance.

 

 

The XK (X150) is quite different from the 1997 through 2006 X100. Use the search function as this topic has been discussed many times.

Check suspension components and tyres for wear. Check maintenance records to determine if gearbox has been serviced. Newer 'facelift' cars (2010+) have 5.0 litre engines, so check for water pump replacement and coolant leaks.

 

If it's a 2007 it ain't an XK8, the last one rolled off the line in May 2005.