Are Jaguars still as unreliable as they used to be?

-Ethan

 

Ethan, the short answer is "no". Especially not since Ford entered the picture. But you have to put that in perspective. Long ago, when I was working in a service station, a man drove in in a brand new series III XJ6 (this would have been 78 or 79). I complimented him on the car and asked how he liked driving it. His response was that he'd just driven it in from the west coast and that it had only caught fire twice!! And he was absolutely delighted with the car!!!

In the mid-80s, reliability had improved to the point that the 10 most common service problems no longer included anything that would require towing the car to the dealership (the CEO at the time actually received a knighthood for that feat - he was percieved as having saved a British national treasure, as well he might have, since Jag had really been on the ropes).

So, you see, they had no where to go but up. That said, I've got a close friend with an XJR and he's had no problems with it. But the experience of one car obviously doesn't make for adequate generalizations.

 

My dad also has an XJR,a nd he has had no problmes with it, beautiful and super fast with its 380 horses. As long as you get a 98+ model, you should have no problems.

 

That's what I was thinking of to replace my GTi as a daily. You can pick up XJRs for <$30 with <50k miles on them because Jags still depreciate like rocks!

Thanks for the input guys.

-Ethan

 

...catching on fire twice and still delighted with the car? That is crazy!

 

Ethan, read Roadfly, the Jaguar forum for 5 minutes and you will see they have made great strides but have a long way to go. Even in car magazine reviews, the Jags break down on the test drivers. I love Jags, always wanted one until their recent products. I absolutely love the XK8 coupe and XJR-sedan.

 

Are the S-types any better? I have always thought they were nice looking.

 

Auto Reliability section of Consumer Reports 2004 Buying Guide shows some data for 00-01 Jaquar S-Type and 02 X-Type. Both models received no check- worse than average overall reliability and listed in 'used cars to avoid by make and year' section.

 

Ethan, you're better of getting a GS.
(remember I am kind of biased)

 

Other than their plush interiors and the X-series' All-Wheel-Drive, I can't think of very many reasons to actually buy a Jag. For the same money, get a Lexus or Infiniti. Although 1SickLex is correct that they have made a lot of strides, they still aren't in the Japanese class when it comes to product quality.

 

My friend has a 4.0 S type and loves it. Like the GS, you never mistake a Jag for any other car. I've also considered picking up a mid 90's XJ for my wife as they can be had for low $$'s. I've also noticed that the XJ's tend to have less miles on them than other cars possibly due to Jag owners ife style habits or maybe the use of multiple vehicles.

My advice: If you like them, do what you should do with any used car. That's find a good one with records and a known history.

Murph

 

My father currently has had two 01 XK8's and both have had the same problem, the check engine light is always on and the dealer doesnt know how to fix it. Another time, the motor for the convertible top blew and spilt oil all over inside....Other then that, it works well....

 

in 2000 my mother got a brand new XJ8 it now has 29000 miles on it- heres what has broken or gone wrong-
*driving down the freeway one day, all the lights on the dash come on for a sec, then the speed, tach, gas, battery gagues all drop... no lights work- very odd. after three weeks of looking at the car, they just replace the entire computer
*one glass headlight shattered
*pulling into my parents driveway, her car all of the sudden would not accelerate, then it kind of lurged a few times enough to get it in the driveway. She turned it off and called the dealership, they sent out a tow truck. When the tow truck got there, they tried to start it and it started, then they tried to drive it, and it drove as if nothing was wrong. However, my father told them to take it to the dealership anyways... once there, they could not really find the problem, so they replaced the computer AGAIN, and gave it back to us. Two or three days later, same thing happened... Sent it back, this time they replace the tranny, and some other odd componenets... Car still acts wierd
*A few months ago, the computer went out AGAIN
*The suspension is soooooo soft that it feels almost dangerous, its good for her, since she just drives it up to the gym, and to tennis, but if you drive on the freeway much, then this car can get scary

-the worst part of it all is that she still loves the car and doesnt want to give it up- but I think my dad is going to try and talk her into something more reliable, and still luxurious (CLK 430, GS430, new LS430...)

In my honest opinion, Jags still have the shady reliability that they are known for.

Rob

 

If an established luxury brand all of a sudden feels compelled to become more "approachable" - watch out. At certain times during a luxury automaker's life, there always seems to be a point where a really bad combination of doubt and greed sets in - and heretofore well-meaning executives get it in their heads that if they extend their brand downmarket just a little bit, huge profits await. The problems begin when they actually start talking themselves into believing that these forays into new, lower price point segments can't possibly have an adverse effect on their brand images. And they would be dead wrong for believing that, too. You only have to look at two brands that have embarked into territories where they don't belong - Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz - to see what I'm talking about.

The X-Type has been a disaster from the get-go for Jaguar - no matter what they say to the contrary. The official Ford/Jaguar company line is that the X-Type has accomplished what they set out to do - which was to bring younger buyers into Jaguar brand consideration. The reality is that since the X-Type's very survival in the U.S. market is solely dependent on heavily-supported factory leases, the car has taken the Jaguar brand off of its pedestal and plunged it into payment hell - cheapening the brand in the U.S. market immeasurably. And it's really too bad, because the new XJ8, on the other hand, is a superb car. But when Jaguar is having to shove X-Types out the door with tainted, distress-sale lease prices, while at the same time telling customers that the new XJ8 is worth every penny - a giant disconnect occurs. And what message does that send to the customer, exactly? That some Jaguars are better than others? Probably. Or worse - that some Jaguars aren't "real" Jaguars at all - and those are the ones to be avoided.

 

aieesh. the jag isn't too popular in here. and i can't say that i am a huge fan myself. i had an 01 Jag S-Type, which my mother actually has now. its a beautiful car but it wasn't my style after driving it a little over a year. i had a few problems with it, the sunroof didn't go all the way back which was fixed and then some electrical problem which made the transmission skip, and aside from that the brakes wore out rediculasly but ask anyone who knows me and how i drive its no wonder with a 4500lb car.

all in all my experience was good, it wasn't my style, and have you ever tried to find mods for that thing!? HA! good luck. its like trying to find a needle in a hay stack, and what you do find is expensive as all. i have always been a japanese made vehicle driver and will be until the day i die. long live lexus!