Hi I'm seriously looking at the 2007 XK convertible as my first Jaguar 2001 XK8 was rear-ended and totalled. The XK8 had the tensioners. I've seen this one has an issue with the dash leather pulling away looking awful, not covered by Jaguar and upwards of $3,500 to have replaced at the dealer. Any thoughts on this or other items to be aware of before pulling the trigger? Thank you.

 

Without getting further details.... with our XKs it’s always best to get a well preserved example as most others are cost prohibitive and sad stories.

 

You mean the dash?

 

The dash is just the tip of the iceberg. You're considering a 2007 model, which is over 14 years old. Even with low miles, all the rubber parts - bushings, hoses, wiring, etc. - deteriorate with age and may need to be replaced.

As bocatrip said, buy the best preserved example you can find. Don't be in a hurry and search nationally.

Beware of CarFax as you can't rely on them to buy a car - they only report what's been reported to them, and lots of wrecks go unreported. But you can rely on CarFax to not buy a car.

Pay a Jaguar dealer to do a Pre-Purchase Inspection to the Jaguar CPO standards. You'll get a written report of what needs to be done together with an estimate of the repair cost. That PPI can pay for itself, because you can use that report to negotiate a lower price from the seller.

Similarly, get a PPI from a Jaguar-approved body shop for paint and body repairs. The X150 models are all aluminum - the body and the chassis, and require specialized training, knowledge, and equipment to be properly and safely repaired. You can't tell a book by its cover, so while it may appear to be pristine, just remember this: you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

Happy hunting!

Take the time to find "The One".

 

My 2007 XKR 1 owner with 19,000 miles had a clean carfax.
It was far from clean.
"But you can rely on CarFax to not buy a car."
And that's all Carfax is good for.

 

I purchased my 2007 without a good knowledge of common problems, but I also factored in a $5k repair budget into the price. Other than a bent aerial, there was nothing wrong with the car. Upon a bit of driving, closer inspection, and research, I undertook several preventative maintenance projects, which quickly used up my repair budget. That being said, I'm happy and have a car with new cooling hoses and suspension rubbers, as well as the sealed-for-death fluid changes. Moral of the story: if you're buying any 14-15 year-old used car, make sure you have a plan to keep it sorted.

 

Bought mine 2 1/2 years ago small niggly things but has been a great car , no real prior history , I was lucky.