There's a white 2010 XK Coupe for sale at a nearby dealership. The car is very clean and has about 22K miles on it. I just purchased a black 2014 XKR for myself, but my wife likes it so much I thought maybe I'd buy her a matching XK and make it a "twofer."

So, the sales guy and his manager tell a story of this vehicle being a 1-owner car that has been babied since it was first driven off the lot. After looking a little further into the available records like the Carfax report and dealer service records a different story seems to emerge.

First, it was a 2-owner car, and the second owner only owned it for less than 9 months total when he traded it in as deposit on a new XKR-S GT he's ordering. Second, he brought it in for service in Nov '13 because it wouldn't start, and then again in Dec '13 just before he got rid of it. In both cases the techs checked and determined that the charging system was working OK, but the second time the dealer replaced the battery.

Second, the supposed explanation for why it wasn't charging correctly is that the owner lived just 4 miles from his office and only drove the car back and forth to the office. The dealer claimed that the XK does all kinds of tests that consume battery power when you start it, and thus the 4-mile trip wasn't long enough for the alternator to charge the battery back up. The Carfax report, however, showed that owner 2 put nearly 13K miles on the car during the 9 months he owned it, or an average of over 40 miles per day, every day. The 4 miles to/from the office story doesn't add up.

The car has no visible signs of any problems, and it's interior is well-kept and super clean. The dealer story is simply way off from what the records suggest, however, and I don't know whether there's more to the electrical "won't start" problem than the many other battery-related issues that seem to be common with the XK series?

Is this a "steer clear" situation, or is it likely that I'd just need to have a battery charger connected to this car all the time to avoid the problems that owner 2 was experiencing? I think I can get a very good price, but I don't want to get myself into a situation that is likely to head South quickly.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Rick

 

Rick:

The Jaguar XK/XKR have been well known for heavy battery drain. These electrical problems occur when the batteries don't have power. These cars are loaded with electronic sensors that draw lots of power. Spend time researching the threads here on Jaguar Forums and you will get a good idea of the problems when owners DON'T keep the battery charged.

I have never had an issue of any kind, battery or electrical related because I use a battery smart charger on the car at all times when not driving it.

Your car (White XK) has low miles, and would be under warranty. You should have no worries about buying it.

Be sure to order yourself a CTEK 3300 charger for your new XKR and the wifes XK when it arrives.

It will be the best $70.00 you spent on auto accessories.

Be sure to see this link...

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lation-107738/

Hope this helps. Also there is so much valuable info here on the jaguar Forums and all members are here to help and answer ANY questions. This is a great family of Jaguar owners who really take pride in their rides.

 

Do you still have some warranty left? More than likely the CTEK 3300 kept on the car will resolve all the issues. Also make sure the TSB for the battery was done as well. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the insights, Richard. I spent some time catching up on the forums and already ordered my CTEK 3300 and 8-foot comfort extension this morning on your recommendation!

It seems probable that this XK's electrical issues are the same ones that so many threads here mention, but it really chafes me that the dealership guys probably knew the story they told me was pretty far from the truth. I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but the paperwork on the vehicle stood in stark contrast to their story. It makes it hard to want to spend umpteen-thousand more dollars with them when I've already just forked over the dough for the new XKR. Trust is important.

But, what should one expect from a dealer salesman trying to sell you a used car? They'll say anything to get you to sign on the bottom line, it's just the nature of the beast.

Rick

 

Rick:

Reference the Carfax report on the white XK. It should have the name of dealer that did the repairs on the XK. If you call the dealer and speak with the Service Manage and provide the last 6 digits of the VIN, they should be able to access computer records and provide some insight as to what the specific problems have been.

Car dealers are salesman, who get paid low commissions andmay tell you anything to get the sale.

Also suggest that you Google the VIN number of the White XK and see what records appear on Google.

 

Is this the car?

Used 2010 Jaguar XK 2dr Cpe For Sale in Raleigh Cary SAJWA4FB8ALB36940

 

Yep, that's the one. There was another similar 2010 XK for $38,500 that established a more reasonable reference price than the $45K this car was listed at. The dealer is willing to come down considerably.

I gotta believe a lot of 2011's are just coming off leases right about now, so I'm not worried that there won't be plenty of other options. I also like this white XKR on ebay.

Jaguar XK XKR Coupe | eBay

Rick

 

I would try to get the lowest mileage car you can on any XK/XKR with as much service history as possible. Jaguars depreciate greatly and with higher mileage that much more. Many of these cars are off lease, and should be looked at carefully. Personally, on a 2010 or newer, I would like to see no more than the mid to upper teens on mileage. They are out there.

 

Rick:

I agree w/ Boca 100% on his statements above.

Many of the these cars are leased originally vs. the new cost of buying. Many leases are required to have low miles driven as was the case with your White XK. It was a lease vehicle first then sold outright and then the miles were run up, according to the Carfax I viewed.

I would be diligent, be patient and I am sure you can find a low mileage 2010 or 2011 coming into the market from a lease.

I bought a 2009 MY in May 2013 with 13, 500 miles. MSRP was $108,000 and picked it up for around $46,000. A 2009 XKR Portfolio Edition Convertible w some very special options.

So they are out there. Continue to look.

Depreciation on these cars is emormous in the first 3 years. We are seeing $135,000 2012 XKR-S's going for the $78,000 to $80,000 price range.

Use autotrader.com, eBay, and even the Jaguar USA website that lists used Jaguars as a reference, and also consult the on-line pricing services like NADA.com, edmunds.com, and KBB.com for wholesale to retail pricing guidelines.

Diligent research is the key to finding what you want. A Jaguar under warranty for a few remaining years is also a big plus.

Happy hunting. We all here to lend support and knowledge by owning these beautiful Jaguar cars.

 

The sales guy and his manager have lied to you. Whether to deal with them, or not, should be pretty clear. There's plenty of nice XK's around. I'd walk from this pair of losers.

 

Ask if the dealer will certify the car to at least give you two more years of warranty coverage. My dealer gave me the option of having the car certified for an extra $2,000.

 

In actuality dealer sales people rarely know anything about the history of the vehicles they are selling.
Average lot with 50 used cars and a turn over of 8 per week, does anyone really believe they can memorize the story behind each vehicle?
I have on 08 XK with about 6000 miles on it.
On my second battery.
The second owner would not have traded a lemon Jag in on another Jag.
He was likely so impressed with the car that he wanted to step it up a notch.
Rarely a lemon in the field with these cars.
If you like it, buy it

 

All good points......

 

I dont use car fax as a guide. I wouldnt be suprised if it was the starter that caused the initial problem. Jags have had issues with the starter failing under 500 miles

 

You might want to consider an "Easy care Total care" warranty for a few dollars more and get a 5 or 6 year warranty after the factory warranty runs out. This is definitely a better value.

 

Hey Rick, Before purchasing my XKR, I looked at an XKR-S at a Ferrari dealership. I got conflicting stories from the salesperson and the manager about the ownership and history. I also noticed the CF front splitter had been repainted on the bottom and sides. I determined I could not trust the salesperson and went on to buy my current XKR and could not be any happier with my decision.


Never trust a used car salesperson on high mileage resales or for that matter any car. Some will try every trick in the book to sell you a car without blinking an eye or an iota of concern for your well being. If things don't add up leave it. I agree with a previous post on carfax reports, they have limited use.

 

Where does one purchase this "Easy Care Total Care" warranty?

Rick

 

I don't like how the dealer BS'd you right from the get go... On something you could easily verify on your own. If you are sold on that exact car, I would bust their ***** over it and try to get it down real low. I'd also want that car checked out at a body shop. At this point you don't know if it's been hit or not. I would tend to move on towards the next one, but white is really beautiful in the XK.

There are plenty of XK's out there. I happen to have bought my XK in NC from a Jag dealer.

 

I wouldn't expect a 2010 or later model with under 20k miles to have much of a service history... What would it have really needed? An oil change and a new set of tires?

 

I'd try to get them to sell it as a 'Certified-Pre-Owned' Jag, but even if they won't do that, I'm not afraid of buying any car that's still covered under its original factory warranty. With your CTEK Battery Charger & maybe a new set of tires, I think you'd be just fine. I certainly would't let some dufus salesman keep me from buying a car that was exactly what I was looking for in all other respects. Due diligence and a factory warranty more than offset a salesman that's not sure what he or she is selling.