I need some opinions because I'm by myself (my husband passed away) and my female friends are not into cars.

He had an 2002 X-Type 3.0, which we loved, and I sold it after he died. I have a 2004, which I love, with less than 50,000 miles. (It's approximately 48,600)

Here's my dilemma: The only thing non-functioning on this car is a glitch in the computer, which has rendered my cruise control inoperable. It's been that way for 7 years but it's not a problem because I very rarely take long highway trips. The tires are 10 years old. The tread is excellent but they're starting to leak air. I have never flushed the radiator (it has "permanent" antifreeze). I could spend a couple of thousand dollars to replace tires/antifreeze and maybe a few other things but I'd still worry that age would cause a breakdown of something and I don't want to be stranded. If I take it to a mechanic can they tell when something is going to go bad? I need peace of mind traveling at night by myself.

I don't know what to do; I change my mind almost daily. I know I'm going to have to get another car eventually but I still enjoy the heck out of this one.

 

It sounds as though very little maintenance has been done on the vehicle since you have owned it and it doesn't sound as though you will be doing repairs yourself.
Repairs for modern cars are expensive and finding a good Jaguar mechanic is daunting. Your coolant is long overdo "lifetime coolant" means until your engine overheats and destroys itself. No coolant last forever.
With the known amount of money you need to spend for new tires engine coolant change and after 14 years the rubber components are starting to wear out and will soon start acting up.
The decision comes down to whether you like the car enough to spend money on it. If it isn't that dear to you replace it with a new car. Either way the options are going to be an expense, so it is a decision of the heart not the pocketbook.

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Welcome to the forum rendirr,

Good to have you with us at Jaguar forums.

Unless you are considering a new vehicle, perhaps better the devil you know .....?

Follow this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x-type-x400-14/ to the X-Type forum for help, advice and information. The 'HOW TO' thread at the top is a good place to start for information on regular issues.

Please remember to add vehicle details to your Signature to help others to give relevant advice. Go to the User CP button on the left of the top menu bar, then Settings & Options under Your Control Panel. Select Edit Signature and enter the details.

You can also visit the US Midwest Region forum by following this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/us-midwest-39/ to find other members in your region.

Enjoy the forums.

Graham

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Welcome to the forums.
We can't know all your circumstances, advice will differ wildly. Good luck.
Enjoy the drive.

 

The very first thing you Need to do is get new tires!! I can tell you first hand what happens driving on 10 year old tires that came on my car (at the time I had no idea they were so old)! Near disaster that's what.

However, 48,000 miles is just well broken in; still tight enough to be quiet, but loose enough to spin easily. You should be able to get another 150,000 from it easily. And, you already know this car! Quite a lot to be said for that.

For all that other stuff, follow the link GGG has posted for you. Those members will steer you straight.

Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

Welcome.

I agree with the already said, especially from Elinor. Take the time to do the tyres, and the "catch up" stuff, without going overboard.

The mileage is so low, that the car is still on the "newish" side.

Graham is also spot on, "the devil you know" is better than another used car, for sure.

Other members in your area will know who is the "go to" for good care of this Jag.

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums rendirr,

Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.
If you need help with getting around and using the forum follow this link for some help Forum Help

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!!

 

I really get it about overthinking vehicles. If it's a car you like, it'll be some effort.
Otherwise go get say, a new Subaru and one day you'll look at it and say what did I do that's not me.

A couple basic things either way:
1) Always have AAA Premier. Always have a celphone. That eliminates 90% of problems on the road you'll have.
2) Know the car a bit so no one can bamboozle you. It can be as simple as reading the manuals and looking over maintenance forums.
3) Set up a schedule of things that need doing when, and do them.

As Avern1 said, maintenance has been deferred, So replace the tyres, get a coolant flush, and skip the cruise control for now.
Drive it more. Cars work better when driven more, so enjoy it.

cheers, Tegan

 

Many thanks for the replies and good advice. I have decided to keep the car, get new tires/radiator flushed and always have a cell phone and membership in AAA for piece of mind, as someone suggested. I know it's going to be a struggle to find a qualified mechanic other than the dealer$hip but I live in the Chicago area. If you can't find it here, it probably doesn't exist.

I LOVE this quote. So true! Jaguar; it's more beautiful, worth less, and will cost more to fix than almost any car I meet on the road....

 

Remember to ask questions in X-Type forum before spending money on repairs. Mechanics can get carried away with other people's money!

We have a very loyal group of X-Type owners here and if they don't know the best and cheapest way to fix any particular problem then not many others will.

Graham