Hey folks,

I'm new around here, and am considering purchasing a 2005 XK8 convertible with ~120,000 miles. Its in great shape with nav, clean interior and exterior and a like new soft top (been garaged all its life.) Price wise its pretty close to what Kelly Blue Book suggests. The car has a single owner and has been dealer maintained and apparently runs great, but I would be looking to use this as my primary vehicle and daily driver for a ~25 mile (each way) daily commute. The current owner uses it as his primary vehicle, but 120,000 miles is a lot.

While I know every car is different and my experience may vary, but I was curious whether or not the experienced KX8 owners would be able to give me a better idea about how reliable and how reasonable a choice this would make for a daily drive vehicle.

Worst case scenario, what major issues would I be worried about and what should I look for when doing the inspection? I plan to have a mechanic check it out as well, of course. The only issues mentioned so far is the replacement of a convertible steering pump 6 months ago.

I appreciate any comments and suggestions you can provide.

Thanks!

 

I don't have years and years of experience but after about 10k miles of daily driving I find my 2003 to be a very reliable car. They need maintenance same as any machine, but talking to people and reading through the forum it seems like the ones with the most issues are those that sit for extended periods.

You're looking at one of the last X100 models and by that time most of the major problems had been designed out.

Suspension bushings are a wear item and at 120k you should expect to be replacing them if they haven't been.

Dealers claim the transmission is sealed for life, but most independents say to change the fluid at every 60k or so. It's a rather expensive item at about $600 because the pan is the filter and the fluid is spendy but it doesn't need to be done very often.

Hoses, thermostat, water pump may all be approaching the end of their useful life. Fuel pumps can go out too, which can be expensive on the R models because it's a dual pump, but the 8s might be a little more normal in this regard.

They are sensitive to low battery voltage, so these need to be kept up.

Brakes can be insanely expensive through the dealer, especially if it has the Brembo gear, but aftermarket rotors and pads are available that are of good quality and put the price of a brake job in line with most other cars.

It probably comes down to your comfort level more than anything else. If your reasonably handy and plan to do some or all of your own maintenance then they don't have to be expensive cars to keep. If you take it to the dealer for everything then you can expect to pay a premium price for service on a premium car.

Personally, I wouldn't be afraid of it. If the car fits you and you can get into it for the right money knowing that it needs (or will likely soon need) some maintenance items, then go for it.

Good luck!

PS Be careful taking the forum as a reflection of the "average" experience. This is a place where people come to share their troubles and get advice, so the trouble free owner experience can be under represented.

 

Merlin,

Welcome to the forum, we're happy to have you here. Charlie gave you good advice above, I'd only add that the other possible problem area is in the convertible top hydraulic hoses. If the convertible pump was replaced already there is a chance the previous owner also addressed the hoses, it's worth a question. The pump is said to be reliable, but nonetheless an expensive repair, so if there is a fresh on on the car that's a plus. There is a lot more information available in the FAQs on the top issues, and there is also one containing advice for just such a prospective owner as yourself.

I don't drive mine daily, but in the year of ownership I've not experienced anything that would turn me away from doing so. If other responsibilities changed allowed more frequent usage I would have no fears pressing it into daily service.

Good luck in your acquisition, and come back and tell us all about it.

Steve

 

When I bought my 2005 in 2008, the previous owner had driven the car only about 600 miles in the 18 months that he owned it--in other words a garage queen. The problems I had initially (leak in convertible top hydraulic line at latch, some quirky warning messages, a very small leak of what looked like coolant) were probably caused by DIS-use of the vehicle. Once I started using the car as a daily driver it has been otherwise reliable (still I only put on about 3000 miles a year).

Doug

 

It seems that the Jaguar have a pretty bad rap among general mechanics as well. I've been calling around trying to find one that will do an inspection on a weekend (so far no go) but a couple commented to the effect of "don't buy a jaguar, they're unreliable and expensive to maintain" though these aren't folks that specialize in Jaguars either.

That's good to know.

I'll have to check the service records and chat with the owner about these. Thanks.

The problem here is that I'm not really mechanically inclined... I'm more of a tech guy, so I can replace the radio but not the radiator. I'd be looking to find a local mechanic I can trust to handle that... there are a few near by that specialize in British vehicles and Jaguar in particular, plus there are a couple dealerships not too far off, so I have that option if needs be. Assuming I do go with this car, I'm hoping that I don't need to see them more than once a year though.

The vehicle is very much me, though with less tech than I usually go for. I figure if I end up not liking it, I can always resell or trade it in towards a BMW or Audi. ;p

Thanks!

 

I've looked at some of them already but I'll be checking them out in more detail.

I wouldn't normally be too worried except that it already has in excess of 120K miles, and as far as I know its the original motor. I know that a lot of V4's and V6's can last into the 200K plus range, but most V8's usually need to be rebuilt way before that. It seems like the guy who owns it now does a lot of long distance travel (highway miles) so I expect the motor is probably in pretty good shape but wear and tear adds up, especially on V8's.

Assuming I can find a mechanic to help with inspection and don't end up passing on it for other reasons, I'll be sure to post up some pictures and such once I pull the trigger.

Thanks!

 

They're no more difficult or expensive to maintain than any other modern vehicle. Many parts on any new vehicle are high dollar parts.

And the second post gave you really all you needed, which is why I didn't comment earlier.

-03 and up and you really have very little to worry about, which has already been pointed out.

 

I have to wonder if your opinion on V8s is biased by the way American companies build V8s. Being a techie guy, take a look at some of the specs. The Jag V8 holds nearly twice as much coolant and oil as its American counterparts and are generally made from higher quality materials too.

The idea that Jags are unreliable is long outdated and I'd guess the only reason you heard that was because the people you talked to don't often see them.

They do have their idiosyncraticies, so it is advisable to find someone who is a British car specialist but you would get the same advice for a BMW, Audi, Porsche or any of the Japanese brands.

Having owned BMWs, VWs and other things I can say that it isn't any more difficult to work on (in many ways they are easier) and don't cost any more to service and maintain than would other high end European brands.

There are more than a few members with 150, 170 or even 200k on their cars, and they will go that long all the while making between 500 and 600hp.

What you do get is something that is relatively rare and that smug feeling when people ogle your ride.

 

If you dig into the history of the 1996-to-2006 run of the XK series, you'll learn that Jaguar was essentially under Ford's ownership at the time. While some Jaguar purists will always resent that fact, Ford unquestionably stepped up the focus on quality improvement at Jaguar. By the 2005 model year you are considering, Jaguar was building and selling what many of us consider to be the best vehicles in their history. Without Ford's involvement in Jaguar, I would not have purchased either of the Jaguars we own....

That being said, I also would not own one of these cars without having the willingness, tools, and ability to tackle most of the maintenance and repair issues that arise. Dealer costs are typically astronomical, and even indy shops can be quite pricey. DIY is definitely the way to go here, and you will learn that this forum is hands down the best tool in your toolbox. When you encounter an issue, post it here being as thorough and descriptive as possible. You will receive the information and knowledge you require to address your problem. This is one of the best automotive forums you will ever encounter. Plenty of extremely knowledgeable folks here who are always willing to help as long as you properly describe your particular situation....

My wife daily-drives her 2006 XK8 with no issues. We've had it for four months and she has already put more than 7,000 miles on it. I wish she would spread her driving amongst her trusty Lexus SUV and our S-Type, but once her XK8 hit our driveway, she never wants to drive anything else. I'm planning to sell her Lexus, and I guarantee you that she will never miss it....

So enjoy the pursuit of your 2005 XK8. You can count on this forum as you need assistance....

 

I have had my 2005 XKR Coupe for 4.5 years and it has been an excellent vehicle and just as reliable as any other high end car I have owned. As an example, I purchased a new Audi A6 and had a recurring problem with electronics and the ZF six speed transmission within three months of ownership. For 15 years I owned nothing but Volvos (me, the wife and daughter), all purchased new and they were not at all "cheap" to maintain. I find nothing particularly out of the ordinary about owning and maintaing an XK8/XKR when it comes to $$$. As a group the 2003-2006 model years are going to have fewer major cost issues and on average lower mileage cars will most likely not have had time to be poorly maintained and abusively driven. However, when it comes down to cracking the nut I will take a high mileage car that has been faithfully maintained and sensibly driven by an avid enthusiast, rather then a low to moderate mileage car that will suffer from inadequate PM and was driven like a muscle car. When I went looking for my XKR Coupe I did not get stuck on mileage, mods or extras...just a clean well document vehicle that had been pampered. As it turned out it was a 2005 XKR Coupe.

Also, as others have noted here on the FORUM you are going to find a disproportionate number of post and request from owners that have purchased problem vehicles. Those of us with relatively trouble free cars are not likely to be posting and telling you that for the past year all I did was change the oil and filter. Keep that in mind. And finally, all of the drop tops are prone to hose failures requiring annoying and potentially $$$ repairs.

Good luck and enjoy the road ahead.

 

Go for it Merlin,

I promise you you will be quite happy driving your convertible down highway 1 to Carmel or down a bit farther to San Luis Obispo, thru the winding hills and ocean views.

Maybe even stop at the Hearst castle for lunch!

Closer to home will be the redwood National Forest you will feel like a giant among them or maybe go north to Sausalito for coffee, if you don't mind people stairing at you that is or your car I should say!

Maybe across the bay to Walnut Creek it will be a thriller for you. Faster and definitely more stylish than BART!

Don't forget the Rippingtons or David Benoit CD'S for some good driving tunes as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge in your XKR.

Having fun yet??

Happy Motoring...

 

Mine has been a daily driver, and taken on vacation, since I bought it in 2007. It is at 145,000 miles, and I put 100k on that myself. Right now, I'm currently facing a new tire purchase (my third pair of rears - rear and front wear differently) and an issue with the transmission that is resolved by a TCM software update. There have been suspension repairs, air leaks, fuel vapor recovery system part replacements, brakes and rotors one time, window alignments, climate control light bulb changes, armrest replacement (cupholder damaged beyond repair and stitching was worn/frayed), a leaking oil line, a leaking power steering line (low pressure), thermostat housing leak, radiator hoses, idler and tensioner pulley, rear wheel bearings, reach motor potentiometer on the steering wheel, head rest cable repair, air bag connector 'exercising' under the driver seat, one coil pack failure, new round of spark plugs, heater hose 'octopus' failure, among a couple other unmentionables - keep in mind, all of this in 100,000 miles, and within my 5 years of ownership. I would estimate 75% of the items were handled DIY-style, using my indy mechanic and dealership expertise only when the job extends to module programming, or when extrodinary force and special tools are needed (i.e. the wheel bearings and suspension bushings). I'm confident this will be my daily driver for at least another year, then will keep it for evenings and weekends, and drive a 4-door to work in its place...probably another jag model.

It may have high mileage, but if some of the biggies noted above in my repair log do not warranty immediate attention, I'd buy the car and keep a small budget set aside for an occasional large expense (say $1500), just in case its needed.

 

I looked at it over the weekend. Other than a fluid leak above the rear-view mirror (which was fixed when the convertible pump was replaced), the owner didn't have anything to report in relation to issues. The car itself seems pretty clean, everything works, though the passenger power seat controls seem to have a short or something so it isn't 100% reliable. I didn't see any leaks and the engine looked clean (I'm not the best judge of anything beyond appearance.) The right side tires are getting close to needing to be replaced. The nav and stereo work, but several of the buttons are pretty heavily worn. Aside from that I didn't see any issues, but the owner is also not very mechanically focused so couldn't really give me any real background on what's been done so far.

At this point I'm waiting on getting an inspection. The owner has another person looking at it on wednesday, but if he doesn't buy it without an inspection, and the inspection comes back clean, I'll be pulling the trigger on this next weekend I think.

This has the stock Alpine head unit plus nav... I didn't see any aux input or USB or anything like that to support ipod/iphone integration. Does anyone here have any experience with connecting their ipod/iphone/mp3 player to the stereo system?

Thanks!

 

There are several ways you can go to get an AUX input or connect an iPod with some really good tutorials in the FAQ sticky thread at the top of the forum.

 

I looked at the pages listed in the FAQ and the projects referenced seem to be focused on the older (1998-2001) XK's. I also looked at the Nexxia UK site, but they don't seem to have anything for XK's newer than 2002. Maybe the newer units don't need adapters?

Worst case I can always use an FM or cassette based adapter, but part of me thinks that if I end up with the car, that it would be better to just replace the head unit with something new. I'd also need to try and find some new replacement buttons for the volume controls since those are pretty close to worn away.

I really like the pictures that H20boy posted here, particularly since he also has the nav screen connected as well (or at least it looks that way.) I might just need to find a local installer to set me up if I did go that way since I'm not seeing much in the way of DIY options unless I'm missing something.

 

There are a number of write-ups that mention the PIE AI-AUX adapter and PAC LD-10 preamp. That will get you a close to plug-and-play aux input (the LD-10 still needs a power connection) on the newer cars with navigation and premium sound.

If the car does not have nav. and premium sound, the PIE AI-AUX needs a four wires relocated internally (also posted on the forum). I do not advertise it, but I offer this service for those who request it.

 

Like White said, you can get pretty close to plug and play, even with the video options.

Maybe something like this: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-screen-70526/