I am looking at buying a 2010 to 2012 XK or XKR. After looking at the Carfax on many of the cars I see a repeating theme.

After a year or less from new they have an entry for "Body computer/module reprogrammed Instrument cluster reprogrammed" and "Wiring repaired". This is followed by"Battery/charging system checked, Computer(s) checked". Awhile later I see "Electrical system checked, Engine/powertrain computer/module replaced".

Then they come off lease and are quickly sold a few times. I assume these cars have some demon that even Jaguar cannot purge and these cars should be avoided. Does anyone have any insight into these problems?

thanks,
Dave Christensen
Tucson, AZ
1965 Etype OTS
1991 XJS Convertible
2013 XJ

 

These are not very common complaints among those of us on the forum who have these cars. The fact that you're seeing this on a recurring basis on the Car Fax reports would lead me to think that they were JLR updates or tsbs that were automatically performed during dealer service. These cars have been very reliable whether the 4.2L or 5.0L engine, and almost all electrical glitches can be traced to batteries that are not holding a full charge. Many members who don't use their cars as daily drivers have their cars connected to a battery tender when not in use, and this seems to eliminate virtually all electrical issues. More likely problems are things like leaking from the water pumps on the 5.0L cars, A/C leaking in the passenger footwell from a clogged drainage hose on the 4.2L cars, and leather dash "shrinkage" across the lineup if the car is subjected to high temperature climate. These cars are a pleasure to own and drive, don't be nervous. Look for a car with as complete a service history as possible, mileage is less important than knowing that maintenance (especially oil changes) was done on a regular basis. Good luck in your search.

 

I can't be sure but I would venture a guess that these cars suffered battery failure and replacement. When I bought my 2012 it had a battery replacement at 6K miles from lack of use . The dealer replaced it and reset all of the SW/computers. This seems typical when you do this replacement by some dealers. Whether it needs to be done is another matter but I don't believe this is a major problem. I know on my car they need to reset the battery monitor system after a replacement.

 

The posts above are correct in pointing to the battery as the cause of almost every electrical issue (and these "issues" can be varied, random and seemingly not connected). There is generally no fault at all other than the fact that the battery is not holding full voltage because of age, infrequent use of the car, short trips (and therefore incomplete charging) or in some cases a defect in the battery itself.
Solution: fit permanently a good battery maintainer (the preferred brand being CTEK) and use it when the car is not being driven. Result: zero electrical issues.
The 5 litre engine, as you have been told, can have water pump issues, and on the XKR coolant loss from other sources.
Otherwise, the XK and XKR are simply superb in every way.