Hey guys!

First post here so hello to everyone.

I'm contemplating buying a 07 XKR with 92,000 miles, premium stereo and 20's. I've done some research on the potential issues (A/C passenger side, thermostat, catalytic converter, etc.) and it looks like all of the issues were fixed in the 40-60K mile range from the previous owner.

I've attached the car fax report for the car, can someone skim through it and see if there are any potential red flags or questions I should bring up to the dealer?

Now my main concern is I took it for a test drive yesterday, all was well until I put it in sport mode and floored it, then the car went into reduced performance mode and check engine light came on. Took it back to the dealer, they ran the code and they said there is a misfire. They said they would take it to the shop and fix it, haven't heard anything back yet. -Is this a major red flag depending on what code it throws? should I just wait to hear back from the dealer regarding what the issue is?

Thanks so much in advance for any input/advice.

 

I looked over the CarFax relative service performed and it looks like a the car has a good history. Of note: Appears to be a local California car serviced consistently (at minimum annually) and by the same dealer / service shop. I assume that it is a one owner car (based on consistency of service - but that is just a guess). 90,000 miles is certainly not "low" mileage but reasonable for a 7 to 8 year old car.

Obviously the issue you experienced during the test drive is worrisome. I would want that sorted to your complete satisfaction - but otherwise I see no "red flags". Frankly it would seem from this history to be well maintained.

 

Probably not. Usually it is a bad coil, or a leaky seal in the cam-cover into a spark plug well IF that is the only code.

 

Thank you very much, are there any major services I can expect in the next 10-20K miles? (timing chain, belts, cams, stuff like that?)

 

Spark plugs are rated for 100K.

Also, on an 'R' a supercharger fluid change will extend its life.

Fluid and filter service should also extend the life of the transmission.

You will save a lot of money if you find a good independent Jaguar shop and avoid the dealer.

 

Very good to know thank you

Is the XKR a car you can work on yourself? My brother is a 10+yr master tech at Ford and I wouldn't imagine this would that much of a foreign language to him?

 

It really depends on the job.

Many faults are best diagnosed with Jaguar/Landrover Diagnostic equipment, but some can be diagnosed with a $15 code reader and a smartphone.

Anyone who works on this car should have the service manual at hand and not guess at what they are doing, even if they are experienced on other vehicles, lest they make an expensive mistake. On the other hand, it is more accessible to work on than some other high end brands.

 

update: the dealer just called and said the misfire was due to one bad spark plug, they replaced that one spark plug and said everything is all good now and the car performs normally under heavy driving. They said that was the only issue they found everything else checked out.

Does this sound accurate? Should I dig more into what specific code it was, etc?

 

It is plausible, but you should test drive it again the same aggressive way to make sure the problem does not come right back.

 

Welcome to the form. I would suspect if you had 1 sparkplug go bad that you will be seeing the other 7 shortly. Also being these are COP (coil on plug) i would not be to surprised if you start to see some coils failing. This is not a big deal to replace so it would not deter me from buying the car. Good luck on your decision.

 

I would replace all the plugs.

I'd also do all fluids... Brakes, trans, radiator... all fluids. Transmission pan kit is about $250.

Sounds like your brother is more than competent to do most of the work. He knows enough to know when he can't fix it as well.

 

Totally agree, going to go back to the dealer today and put the car through it's paces to see if it will throw the code again. I'll also request the other 7 spark plugs get changed before we make a deal.

Finally- What does everyone think fair market value for the car is? I'm in California.

 

30k?

 

In my experience, you can't rely on CarFax for your due diligence. Because many repair shops do not report to CarFax, the CarFax report is not worth the paper on which it is printed, except when it brings issues to your attention. Read the CarFax Terms and Conditions. You can not rely on them for anything, particularly undisclosed body/paint work. You need to do more than simply get the CarFax.

Before you sign on the dotted line, I recommend you do 2 things at your expense: (1) Have a Jaguar dealer perform a Pre-Purchase Inspection using their CPO checklist; and, (2) Have a reputable body shop experienced in aluminum body repairs inspect the body, paint, and undercarriage for any collision damage. Get both reports in writing.

Based on the maintenance reported by CarFax, it appears that the previous owner of that XKR took good care of it.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Since the dealer is asking $23,592, my initial offer would be $20K (cash, no trade) and then do the best negotiating you can. According to the CarFax, the dealer has had it on the market for almost 1 month, so you should be able to get him to reduce the price. Here's the car you're interested in:

2007 Jaguar XKR , $23,592 - Cars.com


It looks very nice for 92K miles!

Stuart

 

If you are going to do as Stuart suggested, which I second, and you are near West LA; I suggest you use Hornburg Santa Monica for the mechanics. Their service department is at Olympic and Centinela. The Service Director is Richard Hiliker and the shop Foreman is Jonathan Harmon.

Then for the body work use Golden Hammer. They are near Sawtelle and Olympic and they are the shop that Hornburg uses.

 

Yup that's the one!

Very frustrating experience- drove the car again today, put it in sport mode, floored it and boom check engine light again and it went into Reduced perormance mode. I told the sales guy they need to replace the remaining spark plugs with new ones or take it to the Jag dealer literally right across the street and find out what exact codes it's throwing.

Now the icing on the cake- the used car sales manager just called me about 5 mins ago and said that this is a "very common problem" with these cars when you floor it and the check engine light goes off frequently. He said they cleared the check engine light and drove the car again and had no issues. No changes have been made since I drove the car this morning when the light came on twice within 5 minutes and now magically the issue has gone away lol.

I then told him how incorrect he was and that I hope they are not expecting to get $23K for a used care with no warranty that has a check engine light on. He responded with that is our "true car" price and there is no negotiations.

So that ends that, typical slime ball sales guy doesn't know wtf he's talking about...back to the drawing board, I really wanted this car too.

 

Since you really wanted this car (and I think it looks great from the pictures), I wouldn't walk away just yet. Everything mechanical can be fixed, especially a CEL. I'd be much more concerned about undisclosed frame/body damage or a salvage title. I think it's doubtful that you'll find another 1-owner XKR as nice looking with complete service records at that price.

If you keep in mind that your salesman is no different than most other used car salesmen, you'll be less emotional about his AH personality and will be more likely to get what you want at a fair price. Even at his so-called "True Car" price, I think it's not a bad deal (provided everything else checks out). Try to negotiate a bottom line price contingent upon them having the Jaguar dealer across the street fix the CEL issue and allow you to have that dealer do a PPI and get a body shop inspection at your expense prior to closing the deal. If he won't agree to those conditions, then don't walk away --- RUN!

If this was helpful, please click the button at the bottom right. And good luck!

P.S. He's wrong about it being a "very common problem" when you floor it and the check engine light goes off frequently. Truth is, the "very common problem" is that used car salesmen are FOS.

 

Very good input here and thank you very much for that.

The sales manager called earlier and said the car is going to the Jag dealer tomorrow for an evaluation. I will bring up doing a PPI while the car is there at my expense as well.

Appreciate the advice, after all of this back and forth that I've gone through (and hours of my time) do you think getting the car at 23K with TT&L is unrealistic? They've said numerous times i'm the only one that has expressed serious interest in it.

 

I agree. Price out the parts and service yourself and assume that and little more off. Sharp car. Didn't realize they were that inexpensive. Then again, there's always another XKR and if you look nationally; you'll find it.