Well so far my car has been in the dealer garage then in mine since I bought it 5 weeks ago. I just picked it up today, and the local dealer bent over backwards to fix my past gremlins. Another one appeared today.

My headrest on the passenger side goes up now very slowly, and when you want it to come down, it sounds as it gears are not in sync and I have to help it come back down with my hand. Has anyone else had this problem? This new repair fix seems that it would be evasive. OK, I have had over 30 cars in my lifetime. With all the problems total with the 30 cars, have been less problems than this piece of english crap. My patience has now ran out! I guess that I need to cut my losses in the near future.

What next I wonder?

 

Sounds like it could be the typical cable sheath problem. Usually what happens is you hear the motor running but nothing moves. Look in the FAQ section for a how-to. It is a pretty easy do-it-yourself fix.


Doug

 

I have read all the problems that you've had with your car, but I must say... They are what most car car guys would "Micky Mouse" problems... They are veryy minor to say the least.. Most would have corrected them in less than 15 mins in their driveway, taking them to the dealer? Only my wife would(if she didn't have me..).

I suggest a new(under warranty), toyota.

Best of luck.

 

And by the way, virtually every piece of electronic on your car has a "FORD" sticker in back..

 

very easy fix, we've all had to do our headrests to make them work correctly. Dealer even has a TSB to follow to fix it, just ask them to do it next time its in...for something a little more major perhaps.

 

I agree. These aren't problems that keep you from driving the car. I get a brand new company car about every two years, and just about every one of them has a problem of one kind or another. If you're having a hard time dealing with these problems you definitely don't want to buy a Ferrari, Lotus, Lamborghini, or Maserati.

 

Little problems on our cars can be a bit annoying I know, but taking a broader view and not to be too patronising, I think the visaural pleasure these cars bring to us certainly out weights any annoyance.
I have an XJ40 and An XKR, both have given me grief at some time or other, but hey would I part with them, no. I think like most people on this site I consider myself an enthusiast and although like texastim, I can get a little fed up when things go wrong, if truth be told I quite enjoy the challenge of fixing the problems if I can. British cars may be idiosyncratic[crap] but what would we do in our garages without them.
God Save the Queen...
XKR and XJ40 for my sins.

 

As was stated earlier there is a great video ( Reverend Sam) on how to repair this.
So while waiting for Santa, get out in the garage and fix it.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=40347

 

What indeed. Plus, I think they're making progress. I say this because there is less wrong with my 9-year-old British car than with my 48-year-old British car. (At least that I know of.)

Some things I find inexcusable, like the tensioners and the convertible top hydraulics, but we'll leave all that for another day. All in all, I love these cars.

Rule, Brittania!

 

THANKs guys for your thoughts. I will review the fix. I hope that you can understand my concerns. I have not really had a chance to enjoy it. Like I indicated, it has been in the dealer garage more than mine. It is a beautiful car, but, again I remain leary. My guess is that the previous owner did not care. He/she had to either live with these problems, or did not notice them. I always say a car is as good as it is treated. I am glad to rescue this car. Yes, I am very picky.

I realize that Tata (sp?) Motors has a stake in ownership aslike what Ford once had. You can really see the past influence of Ford all over the car. People continue to comment as how the XK looks like a 'Ford Sable' in the back. May their sins catch up with them someday, lol. Seriously though, I wonder how many Ford produced components are really built inside our beauties percentage wise? If I wanted a Ford, I would have bought a 'Stang'. No offense Mustang owners. Maybe I should have did my homework beforehand to see if I was really buying a Ford under Jaguars clothing. It remains me of the Chrysler Daimer Mercedes days. When Chrysler left, it seems as if Mercedes had a German beer bruhaha (sp?) to celebrate the divorce. That leads me to a final question with the new Jag beauties (and I do mean beauties) I wonder if Jag is making their own components now, and has the freedom to once again walk on their own, of if Tata is a manufacturer of many components? Now that thought scares me even more. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Much of any car manufacturer's parts are made by other companies, some subsidiaries, some independent. Some to the car companies' specifications some off-the-shelf. Ford contributed much to Jaguar over their ownership period and Jaguar is better because of that relationship.

 

I believe that wholeheartedly. The stereotypical 'tow truck as a second vehicle' is being diminished more every year. Though I do get teased by my coworkers (who drive 2-3 year old ford/chevy/dodge (yawn) pickups when I arrive in a rental or get dropped off due to the xk8 being in the shop. I must admit, my car does class up the parking lot since I started there.

 

Auto manufacturers associated with their various countries all have strengths and weaknesses. Back in my college days it seemed that the car-of-the-moment was Fiat. These Italian cars were fun and sexy but I do not recall them being reliable. People I knew who owned these really slammed them around and they were the height of fun. The Asian manufacturers are notoriously reliable but basically pretty boring. The German cars excel in handling but interiors are pretty spartan and not all that comfortable. The strong point for the British cars is the incredibly beautiful interiors and attention to detail and "refinement" but Electricity 101 seems to have eluded the Brits.

Imagine what we could get if we combined the beauty and refinement of the British cars with the performance and handling of the Germans along with the reliability of the Asians. Now that would be a car!


Doug

 

Doug, ABSOLUTELY, I agree. It does seem as if it all is a major common point, the electrical things. Not always, but most of the time. The interiors/exteriors are indeed very beautiful.

 

Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad (German Chassis and British Beauty and Finish)

 

Knock on the beautiful Jaguar wood, I have a 2004 XJ8 that has had very few problems since new and those were very minor. When I got my 01 XKR a few years ago, I spent quite a bit getting it up to my standards. Since then no problems what-so-ever. Keep up the maintenance on these cars and they will treat you very well.

 

Paul, a beautiful racing green JAG!

 

Quit whining. Go back a few weeks and look at my thread.."Finally the Love Begins". I had to "earn" the fun with this beauty as have many owners. Fortunately for me I'm a gear head, enjoy working on such a fine car and have the satisfaction of her being 100% right now. Take car of the big things first, then tinker on the little annoyances. If that is not your "thing" then maybe you do have the wrong car. Eventually everything will be working as it should, so don't lose your patience on the small stuff.

 

Whining? Maybe you have the bucks to burn, but when you pay close to $100k originally for a XKR, it better be da_n perfect!

No excuses for having to 'tinker' with it. And yeah, maybe I do have the 'wrong car'. In this modern day, NO car should have these problems big or small, -period.

 

Tim,

I feel your pain. I really do.

I also am a new owner. However I have taken a bit different mindset. I have to temper that with the fact that I really have not had a single problem and you have.

Yeah, a $90,000 car should be bulletproof. My Miata which cost 1/4 as much is. But the XK8 is not bulletproof. Looks like most of the issues revolve around a country that historically produces cars with troublesome electrics doubling down and making one with every electronic gizmo they could think of. Pretty funny huh?

But I love this car. Ever seen one prettier? I haven't. And the interior. Lap of luxury. Makes me feel like a million bucks. Like I said, I love it.

So it looks like it will have more "character" than you expect from a $90,000 car. Right now I am cool with that. I have had plenty of cars with "character". And I loved them.

The drivetrain does look bulletproof. That is saying a whole lot.

The only significant issue I really don't like is the "green shower" I (and my wife) might get from the hydraulics in the top. I am in the midst of researching the solutions devised by the nice people on this forum.

In the end, I think my mindset is pretty much what others here have taken. Some are more mechanically inclined. Some less. I'm sort of in the middle. So I will be able to fix some stuff. Have to pay for others. My warrantee will deal with some. I am not going to get my blood pressure up over it.

The net of all this is I plan on making the XK8 my daily driver for years to come. What a great car to drive every day!! When I hang up my keys I suspect I will remember the good days and the stuff I had to fix or pay to fix will not be significant.

Tim, if you dump the Jag and buy something else, anyone could understand and respect your decision. There are lots of cars much more luxurious than my Miata which are bulletproof.

Jack