I fond it interesting that on any one day we see between 3-5 problems related to the Tranny, Hydraulic top, Chain tensioners, or Cooling systems. In reading all of these it struck me that at any one time over 500 people are logged on looking at this. It's obvious that owning an X100 is not like owning a Miata. Having said that these cars are so much more reliable than even the early 90s XJS. I hope no one out there isn't driving their car for fear of a failure. Just sayin...

 

Very often it's someone who's just made a purchase and is working out the bugs.. So a lot of repeated threads from new guys. Many people that have had them a few years have fixed most issues and are driving happily along. I've been following the forum for 3 years and this is the trend, not to say a occasional question from a experienced member won't post or ask a good question but this appears to be the trend. These cars aren't new and there are many / most questions already answered if you know how to look..

 

My first Jag in 09 when I knew nothing of these cars I drove it WITH FEAR, ha ha ha.
Now I drive it just knowing even with all the sore points fixed, it will just do something stupid at some point. Ha ha ha

 

While I enjoy some DIY tasks, I must admit that I get tired of the amount of time and effort (and sometimes money) I have to spend on our two Jaguars to keep them in proper shape compared to the 25 or so other vehicles I have owned during my 46+ years of driving. Still, they remain gorgeous cars that I was able to purchase for "Honda money" due to the unwavering massive depreciation during their first three years. All things considered, I know I have to take the good with the bad if we are going to keep these Jaguars long-term....

 

Reading a forum such as this is much like reading the news..... Generally all you hear about is the bad news which is much the intent. Here is what's wrong, please help me fix it.

The Boxster and 911 forum are so awash in so many IMS tails of horror you would think there would be none left on the road. Everyone thinks Jaguars are terribly unreliable yet my 2005 XJ VDP did 155K with only a single failure, my 96 VDP hit 209K with little trouble and I even managed to keep a 86 XJ6 reliable without too much issue. The Miata forum is full of horror stories that he early engines without forged internals will blow up any minute. Heck, reading the Ford Explorer forum makes you think every 4.6l engine produced will crater unexpectedly yet my son's made 237K before locking up due to a chain tensioner failure.

Jaguar's are certainly higher maintenance than a Honda Civic but then again your not stuck in a civic and let's face it these cars are getting a little long in the tooth.

 

Agreed

I am new to the XK8 but have been a member of the forum with my XJ6 for a couple of years. As mentioned, I am learning the specific bugs in this particular car and have already fixed a number of things on it without needing to ask any questions.

One thing that is frustrating is that people sometimes don't name their threads in a way that can point us to specific research and repair. As an example writing "HELP" as the subject heading makes it more difficult to get search results. I have been guilty of it too.

Once I have worked out all the major kinks and have a better understanding of my XK8, I plan on driving the **** out of it lol

 

Naming threads correctly on a auto forum especially makes sense!!!!

 

One other thing may be people pulling cars from winter storage. I know mine had a few issues crop up this year, but the previous 5 winters had no issues.