Hi all
i am planning to buy an F-Type but every time I mention this to friends and family their first reaction is always : wow! You will spend all your time at the garage fixing it !
Much of the reliability reports I read ranks jaguar very low too except in 2017. In 2019 one of the report ranks it 26 out of 31 !!!
Considering the cost of repairs this makes me wonder if I should not go for an Audi Instead

whAt has been your reality ?
Should I listen to everyone or to me heart ?

 

Theyre stuck in the 80's when yes jaguar earned that rep. As far as current got back a couple years and youll see jaguar was up at the top. The current killer was the intouch software issues and performance. Theyre very relliable from my perspective and many others. Keep in mind that most people come to forums when they have a issue. So keep that in mind.
Also remember jealousy raises its head many times as criticism.

 

It's a myth. Modern Jaguars are relatively stout. They do have quirks, but are they downright unreliable? I'd say not. It is going to be a stout as a Civic? No. But it certainly is as reliable as a modern BMW or Mercedes.

 

Depends on your expectations. Jaguars are not Toyotas, all Jags are expensive and complex cars and it is prudent to budget for some issues. There were some years/models that are lemons (e.g. timing chain, water pump, cylinder liners) in recent history, but they are mostly Land Rovers. 2017 or later automatic F-type is one of the more reliable JLR offerings and is mostly trouble-free. So if you are shopping for F-type, you should be OK.

 

Used Jaguars are secret automotive bargains, based on the unreliability from the 1980s. Lots of people still living in the past!
I've had 4 Jags since 2007 and none of them have been unreliable, in fact I kept a Nissan to use when the Jags were off the road, and I've only put 1600 miles on it since then, most of which were to and from the annual service, with the occasional visit to dump rubbish (not using the Jag for that!).

As SinF observes, they are expensive cars, but not exotic - find a decent independent and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how relatively cheap they are to maintain.

 

The myth of unreliability is just that: a myth, generally repeated by people who have absolutely no experience of owning a Jaguar (were the people who made those comment Jaguar owners?). I have owned many, and for many years (15+ years in some cases). All have been very reliable. In contrast, my BMW was the worst car I have ever owned in terms of reliability.
note this: modern cars, including -but not only- Jaguars require full battery voltage to power all the electronic modules. Translation: if your battery is fully charged (and that means using it often and for reasonably long distances OR keeping it on a proper battery maintainer (such as the CTEK unit) when it is not in use. Result: no problems.

 

Have you seen the repair costs for an Audi ?

There's also a difference between reliability and fundamental flaws in design. I will never buy another Audi after my S4 experience. Owned new by me, over and above routine service and at 75K miles the timing chain guides cracked up. On the 4.2L V8 that's an engine pull and about $3K in labor to replace their cheaped out plastic parts. Of course Audi USA said they were unaware of any issues endemic to the engine.

I drive both a Land Rover LR3 and an F-Type. In my experience the har-de-har crowd who say I should have bought a spare have never even sat in one let alone owned one. But that's their loss, they don't know what they are missing.

 

I mean, the pretty decent warranty coverage (at least in north america) was a positive factor for me, and I also bought extended coverage. I haven't had reliability issues in my brief ownership; just fit and finish stuff, which was covered. I feel like German and Japanese marques are much more obsessive when it comes to details like that.

Well that's the real thing isn't it. I discovered this about myself in my 20s when I bought my first new car: a completely sensible, reasonable, and smart choice that would have lasted trouble free for the next decade. I sold it less than a year later because the heart wants want it wants.

Basically, from then on I budgeted for joy...

 

Parts for the F-Type are generally less expensive than for my MINI.

 

My Audi S5 had all the typical Audi problem. Adaptive headlights went out. Timing chain (you have to pull the engine to fix that) and other little gremlins.

As others have said, Jaguar has never shaken the Lucas image, which they replaced many decades ago. The engines have been solid (4.2 straight 6 is a masterpiece). The gremlins people refer to were shared by most British cars.

 

The F-Type is my first and only Jaguar. My wife and I have owned Audi's since 2000. While my F-Type doesn't get driven that much, it's only had a few minor things that had to be taken care of by the dealership. I will say, one of them took a while to get a part in (2 weeks) but I was traveling at the time so it didn't bother me.

With our Audi's, we had one that spent more time in the shop than on the road. The current Audi (a 2008 3.2l A5, bought brand new) is the only one we have kept beyond warranty and it's been pretty rock solid until a few months ago. It goes into the shop this weekend so I'm sure I'll get a bill I don't want to see.

Unless you are looking at pure hand-made cars, every manufacturer as some 'lemons' in their bunches. You can find some people on this forum who had bad experiences with their F-Types, but you'll find the majority have had positive experiences. You'll get the same on a Mercedes, Audi or any other forum.

 

May I suggest you consider a XKR rather than a F-Type.

It's been on the market for many more years and it's weak points are better known.

Same marque, same basic power-train, perhaps better or lesser looks (depending on your point of view), and less expensive for initial purchase.

 

never had any problems with mine lol

 

Both of my partners at work have had audis and lived to regret the purchase. Lots of problems, disastrous costs when out of warranty. Neither would have one again.

I have had 6 Jags now (admittedly one is very new). I had some teething issues with our '08 XF which I think was rushed to the market, but they werent mechanical, more new features not working, then service guys not knowing how to deal with them. It was back to Jag a half a dozen times in year one then was trouble free for about 3 1/2 years. No dramas with the XKR save a faulty headlamp module, I had that to 60,000km. No dramas with the F type.

JagRag mentioned possibly taking the XKR over the F Type. I loved my XKR with a passion but it aside from the fact that it has 2 doors and the same engine to a lesser tune, it is a lot different to the F Type. The steering is very different and so is the transmission and suspension. The interior is a lot different as well. I actually think the XE (which I also really like, we are on our second) drives very similarly to the XK, power aside, much moreso than the F Type. The F Type is a much "sportier" (I hate that expression, but there it is) and connected drive.

 

iv had some issues...while under warranty JLR was responsive. Out of warranty i do all my own work, and i have also had a few issues...but the f-type is honestly not bad to work on, and if you do the research parts are reasonable price considering its brand's prestige. im 50/50 on another one. depends on the deal.

 

I wouldn't exactly hold Audi up as a benchmark of quality - they are made by VW, who has a reputation for lying, cheating, ad using poor quality parts. I used to work for Volkswagen and I currently own an 08 R32 (which I love - it's my AWD winter car), but everything on it is crazy-expensive and I have horror stories about their manufacturing in the late 90's and early to mid-2000's. As far as Audi, again, I used to work in the car business, and I have owned several 4-ringed cars. Each was expensive and required more work and money than any Japanese car - My last Audi purchase ended in an out-of-court settlement so do what you want with that information, but I went back to Infiniti's for almost 9 years and literally had like two minor issues on 7 cars. I was a bit hesitant about the F-type, but here is how I got over it:

Step 1 Push the Start button
Step 2 Engage Dynamic Mode
Step 3 Depress the Loud Pedal and then release
Step 4 Listen
Step 4 Repeat

Those steps also work for dealing with a long day at work or any other issue you may be dealing with, like worrying about maintenance or what your friends are saying. Also, look at the other decisions your friends make like who they date/marry, how they raise their kids, their financial independence, career choices, etc. Not saying they are wrong, but consider the source - I like my friends, but I wouldn't make about 95% of the choices they do......just sayin.....

 

On my 6th Jaguar (3 current) and all have been excellent.

Was reading a Consumers Report issue recently and they went on about the Info. system as being an issue. I found the fix simple and under warranty as it seemed to be software issues.

I believe the main reason for the poor ranking is it is based on the first 90 days ownership? .. when small problems crop up, but easily fixed. When customers are surveyed they would report these and in this case, it is pretty much the info. system.

Driving these cars is a great experience vrs. investment and for me, they are bullet proof.

The cost of ownership for me has been quite low.
Lawrence

 

Forgot to mention; I'm suspicious of the high ratings Porsche and to some extent BMW are receiving as I do know some of these owners and they sure do have issues. I suppose my suspicion is that (at least with the Porsche owners) they will not report minor issues as they are not wanting anyone to admit ( to themselves or others ) that their car has had any problems and want the brand to rank high, no matter what.

Simply conjecture on my part.

Lawrence

 

my first 90 days of ownership i had a o2 sensor replacement, so I'd figure it's stuff like that.

 

As others have stated, most people are still thinking about the dark days of British Leyland and the poor quality of most vehicles they produced. I have personally owned over twenty Jaguars beginning in the 1960s and have never experienced any of the legendary issues people talk about. I've found those who perpetuate the myths about Jaguar's poor reliability have never owned one, but are parroting what they've heard from friends or relatives, who again have never owned a Jaguar.

The other myth that keeps being perpetuated is 'German Engineering', which in my opinion is no better nor worse than engineering from many other countries. Myths are just that: myths. If other F-Type owners are happy with their vehicles, it's my guess that you will be as well.