Hi all... long-time E-type owner here (S1 FHC with RHD) with a general question for the X400 group:

My darling partner has always wanted a Jaguar and has decided that she wants an X-type. Besides the usual used car things to check out (rust, service records, etc), what specific things should we be on the lookout for? My car knowledge ends around 1973 so anything would be helpful.

A related question is, she is seeing a few X-types in the 2002–2004 range, with about 80K miles going for $5000. Does this seem reasonable? And what kind of immediate maintenance should be done (besides the usual changing of fluids)?

Thanks in advance!

 

hello there.

Also an E type S3 and XJS owner here. My X type is my daily driver and I really enjoy the car. You can definitely work on this car yourself except for maybe computer stuff.

the weak point of some of these cars are the transmissions and transfer cases, so make sure those are operating perfectly and change the fluids and indicated in this forum the first day you get the car. Also change both battery cables on day one IMO. other than that the suspension is not the best. I have had two X types now and I wish they had a better suspension. I am always chasing a clunk it seems like.

but overall good cars, great traditional styling and still “modern” IMO

 

fvc, like Spike said, the X-Type is a good car. I highly recommend taking it for a test drive. If you hear a box of rocks in the front end, run away from it as the transfer case is about to let go and that is going to be about a $3000 bill to fix. Also, since you are from New York, I would look really hard at the door sills. If there is a spot that these cars are going to start rusting, it is there. Another one of those expensive fixes because this part of the car is structural. Takes a little bit of work to replace by a body shop.

You can work on this car. Don't let the computer scare you. You know more about this car than you think. Besides, you have us and we can walk you through just about anything. As for things I would be looking for:
-transfer case making lots of noise
-the car is known for vacuum leaks, don't be afraid to buy a car with a vacuum leak (Code P0171 or P0174). This will be an easy way to talk the price down "since you will have to take it to a shop to be fixed". Bah, most of the parts are $15 and takes about 10 minutes to replace relating to this problem.
-Look at the rear tires, specifically the inside edges. If you see excessive wear there, odds are, some suspension work is in your future. There is the "Thermo Mod" that will help some of this tire wear. But, the forward/lower arm is known for going bad and will cause the wheels to angle in as you are driving. A test you can do is find a long sweeping turn in one direction. Take the turn at say 25 mph (easily controllable speed) and then give the car a little bit of gas like you were going to pass someone on the curve. If it feels like the rear end is going to come around on you (it won't), that would be a hint that this lower/forward arm is bad and needs replacing.
-Pull the e-brake before driving the car. After the drive, put your hand by the rear wheels. Are the brakes warm or HOT!!!!! Some cars seem to have this problem, others don't. My X-Type was one that did. The e-brake lever loved to freeze up on me. So, I was replacing a brake caliper about 1 a year. You will also find that after engaging the e-brake, the next time you engage it, you will feel like you are pulling it up really high. If you feel this, this is a good thing to talk the price down.
-Decide if you want the built in Nav or not before buying. Installing after the fact can be done, but for the cost, you could get another car, not to mention the heartache of changing wiring and adding all the goodies to make it work.
-Decide if you want the 2.5L or 3.0L engine. The parts are the same. Both motors are going to get about the same mileage (2.5L will get slightly more, about 1 mpg) and make about the same power. The difference is where they make the power. The 2.5l motor needs to be wound up to make the car perform. The 3.0L, you just ease into the gas and away you go. The 3.0L makes tons of low end torque.
-If the car has HID headlights, park the car in front of a wall and turn them on. See if the headlights are pointing straight forward or if they are angled goofey. As the cars age, the headlights seem to have their internals fail, which causes the headlights to either point into the sky or at the ground 5 feet in front of the car. If you can do some work yourself, the repair kits are like $20 a headlight. Otherwise, you are looking at a few hundred to get a used headlight assembly which may have this same problem. Another good point to use to drive the price down. I'm sure the person selling a car with this problem knows what it cost to fix and is why they are selling it.

I enjoyed my X-Type. It was a great highway cruiser. Didn't have to work on it any more than any other car. Just had its quirks.

As for price, If the body is in good shape, then $5000 on an 80K mile car is on the high end. I pushed my car out to 188K miles and it was still going strong. So, don't be afraid of higher miles. These motors should be good out to 300K miles unless it has been abused. But, that is true of any motor.

 

Brilliant analysis by Chris (Thermo) . . . who, IIRC, just about designed and built these cars, such is his epic knowledge!

I support all his comments, but add a note regarding the transfer assy + Jatco auto box. Beyond the 2.5L and 3.0L, later models (not sure if NA saw them) included the 2.1L V6, which was strictly Front Wheel Drive rather than AWD. With some apprehension of transfer issues, my first X-Type was this 2.1L and we loved it. Nippy and agile around town, comfortable although with long-legged driver and front passenger, rear legroom was limited. In time, as fears of drive-line failures abated, I chafed at what I came to feel was a lack of that Jaguar 'punch' in performance. Putting aside my bias toward the Jaguar marque, it was and remains a dupilicate of so many modern front wheel drive cars . . . safe, reliable, but a trifle pedestrian, and that should get me banned by many who rightly love them!

As yet another E-Type 4.2L S1 FHC (the best!) owner, I became intrigued as to what driveability benefits the AWD cars offered. Living here in Australia, we don't live under snow, ice and glaciers for 9 months of the year. Our big issue is sun fade, especially of the darker paint colours . . . think Arizona! Finally, I threw caution to the winds, and swapped the 2.1L X-Type for my current MY06 3.0L model. Living (dangerously?) with transfer issues in the far more powerful 3.0L has been a breeze and an experience I must recommend without reservation. These machines really do corner at speeds (and with grace) that will astound!

Interestingly, fuel consumption and running costs are similar across all 3 models. No; it's not an E-Type . . . nor the far more human friendly XK8/XKR . . . but this late series 3.0L AWD is about as good as they come in a compact. We have 3 female acquaintances, each with late 2.5L or 3.0L AWD X-Types, and another with a BMW 3 series. They all love their choices (yes, the Bimmer lady also) but bemoan what they see as lacking that X-Type character in Jaguar's current offerings.

Their advice tends to mirror mine, as well as what I read often here (and inferred from Thermo) . . .

• buy the latest you can find . . . it stands to reason that a model built over an 8-9 year era was constantly improved, sometimes by big re-designs, but also incrementally. Moreover, and our Aus/NZ market showed this abundantly, towards the end of model run, Jaguar threw just about every option available into Luxury models to move remaining stock;

• low mileage is not the be-all guarantee of quality in these used cars . . . more important is the detailed inspections that Thermo has advised, and repeated test drive of sufficient examples to give you a comparative confidence. Somewhere in the E-Type forum, you will read my experience of the worst Jaguar I have ever driven . . . a concourse quality early 3.8L in the hands of son of the original owner, and with less than 10,000 verified miles on the clock. Your best X-Type will have regular and fully documented service entries, a full set of owners manuals and full set of 3 keys;

• this may (or may not) translate into a price of US$5,000 (or more), but I can safely assure you that what you pay up-front for the latest, best maintained, example is small beer compared to some workshop costs that can mount up quickly to make good a poor example.

Finally, let me add my assurance that an active presence here, soaking up the knowledge of so many proven gurus, is of enormous benefit.

Best wishes [fvc] and, in due course, we look forward to hearing (and seeing pics) of your wife's new acquisition.

 

cat, unfortunately, us in NA never got to experience the diesel or the 2.1L cars.

As for designing the X-Type, I was a little too late to that class. But, the XE, I feel like I was one of hte engineers working on the car. Provided lots of input and even got to see the car the night it was released in Earl's Court. I have a big write up about the XE that night. If/when I get rid of my XJ, I am pondering an XES, AWD, with the supercharged 3.0L motor. I got to test drive one and wore the kitty's claws out. The car drifts pretty nicely. The professional driver in the car with me complemented me on the test drive. It was a fun car, but for the price of what I want in the XE, I could almost get a brand new XJ.

 

Not sure you missed a great combination in the little diesel X-Type, whereas the magnificent 2.7L Twin Turbo Diesel V6, as fitted to many later S-Types and XF makes for a superb, long legged tourer. The 2.1L V6 X-Type is a great town car, but as I suspect and you confirm, never entered NA.

What this means for our OP [fvc] is that you will short circuit the roundabout way I came to the AWD X-Type.

Best wishes for your search.

 

We saw a 2002 2.5L (83K m) yesterday, which seemed OK except that the undersills consisted mainly of disintegrating rust. Also, I think we are now concentrating on finding a 3.0L model. Are the sunroofs a known problem with leaking or are they fairly reliable?

We are going to see a car in PA today; a 2004 3.0L (71K m) that claims to have full service records, then another in CT to see a 2006 (81K m) that looks to be promising as well. Everyone's advice is of enormous help in honing down what to look for.

We also found an 2005 Estate Wagon (for $4000 w/ 99K m in Long Island), but isn't on our short list because the seller says the Check Engine light 'comes and goes'.

 

From a slightly different perspective, you might take a look at 2004-2008 4.2L S-types. These cars have a driving experience that is closer to what people expect from a "Jaguar" I have both X-types and S-types, and I like to drive and the feel of the S-types much more than my X-type Estates. I consider my X-types to be fun beater/commuter/winter cars, and my S-types the more refined luxury car, Some owners prefer the X-type's looks, - smaller XJ style body versus the S-types retro style body. The S-type has much better designed suspension than the X-type, (but you still have worn bushing issues similar to the X-types.)

The X-type is AWD, so it is better for year-round driving in places that get snow.
No one has mentioned that it is preferable to get one with DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) if you are in snow country.

 

Practice your FASTEST possible acceleration when walking away from this . . . sorta like that time you popped the clutch at 4,000 in first gear in the E-Type! Seriously, repairing sill rust in these cars can easily double your purchase price.

Great; my choice also. No weight or fuel consumption issues, but seriously better performance. Also, shift points (and non shifts) on mine and another 3.0L compare more favourably to 2 friends who have 2.5L. although this is a small sample.

Mine has the sunroof. Never looks like leaking, so short answer is 'totally reliable'. Long answer is 'one of the car's best features' as its multi-action functionality is best understood by experimenting with all its rocker actions as well as fully open during test drives.

If, if, if . . . all else is equal (and that is rare) then I would grab the later 2006 in a heartbeat, and as Chris [Thermo] suggests, that extra 10,000 miles is irrelevant. My MY06 has done 220,000Km (that's about 140,000 of your miles) and looks, feels and drives like new. In my book, that is a great testament for a 15yo classic.

Examples with CEL issues can prove a bargain, or a nightmare. Plan to take a generic OBDII tool (I have more expensive options but use the ELM with Torque app on smart phone) or, as a minimum, use the X-Type's inbuilt ETM (press/hold trip button; ign on) . . . but again, as a 'new to X-Type' owner with so many to choose from, why bother? Aim for the best up front.

Best wishes, and keep us posted,

Ken

 

I concur looking for an X-type vehicle that has the service logs with it. One of the main service events occur between 120,000-150,000 miles, which is spark plug and timing belt replacement. To get at the rear bank plugs, the manifold is removed. That service, if not done yourself, can easily cost the amount you paid for the car. But once done, you're good for another 150,000 miles. The 3.0 is solid, except for gasket leaks. Be sure to check underneath the car for any fluid leaks, especially the transfer case. A leak shouldn't disqualify a sale, but it certainly is a negotiating point. Just plan to get it fixed. If the leak is coming from the transfer/engine matting surface, the transfer case will need removal to fix. There is adequate forum discussion on the transfer case issues.
As mentioned earlier, watch for corrosion at the lower front door sills, as the windshield drain gets clogged and drainage suffers. Check to make sure both engine radiator fans work properly.
Parts are generally still available without problem, though going through the dealer results in premium prices. Service done by the Jaguar dealer will also reflect the premium rates. You can work on the vehicle yourself, but sometimes it's just easier to pay to have it diagnosed properly. Depends on how you value your time and having the right tools.
The sunroof has not been an issue for me on either of my x-types.
The wood veneer has issues of hairline cracking primarily if its been parked outdoors.
Keep in mind that most cars advertised as being 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 or 07 or whatever are the year the vehicle was first registered. I see a lot of 06, 07, and even 08 advertised with corresponding higher prices. Problem is that is not when they were manufactured and therefore should not have the inflated price. Look at the data plate on the driver door to get true dating and negotiate from that date. Below is the list of X-types sold in the U.S. (Source: https://carsalesbase.com/). Note that Jaguar discontinued exporting the X-type to the U.S. approximately April of 2007. Many cars sat on dealer lots for awhile.
Year Number Sold
2001 9,765
2002 33,018
2003 26,772
2004 21,542
2005 10,941
2006 5,214
2007 3,198
2008 431
2009 9
Total 110,890
If you find one with the navigation system, the last software update was 2012. So any road/street changes after that will not show up. I'm not aware of any alternative map updates available.
The used market is in the range of $1,500 to $5,000 for the sedan and a little higher for the estate. There has been an uptick in prices in the past year, as most cars have seen due to the pandemic, inflation, what have you. It doesn't necessarily reflect the actual value but dealer greed. I do believe it is still a buyers market right now. In another 5-10 years it will become a seller's market.
Good success with your purchase.

 

I bought mine with 130,000+ miles (2017). Had a CarFax with all yearly maintenance records from owners. Drove from NJ to Utah w/o any problems. Trans shifted a bit quickly on acceleration between a couple of gears and same on deceleration (not really a jerk but hard). Changed fluids, been great (more info on my thread w/pics). Rear needed front rear lower stabilizer bars. Front did the entire "a frame" (ball joint part) and front sway bar links. New tires because didn't align it from back first to front (unknown the X requires this). The ubiquitous "t" cooling hose failed and replaced. Battery died and replaced. MAF died and replaced. Fuel pump died and replaced.
Really mostly expected with age and miles. The only one that ate at me was evap leak that progressed until I couldn't clear it at all which ended being the inexpensive rubber hose from the fuel fill line to the gas tank which happened pretty soon after I cut a hole to replace the fuel pump and I had to pay an ex jag tech owned shop to drop the tank to fix a $50 part for $850.00.
All in all not really that bad and it's a great driver. I wouldn't sell mine unless something catastrophic happened to it now. Not much could/should go wrong being properly maintained. I have 144,000 on it now.
Btw, mine had a new starter and new tires put on by the dealer before I bought it. The previous owner had "Thermo'd" the rear upper stabilizer bars and it had new looking bilsteins on it.

Rust = RUN not walk away!

 

cat, one of the members does bring up a good point. In mid 2004, jaguar changed the style of transfer case in the X-Type. The earlier cars (2002, 2003, early 2004's) came with a viscous clutch in the transfer case. This always ensures 1 front and 1 rear wheel has power at all times. Starting with the redesign transfer case, they went to an open differential design. What this means is on dry pavement (where all the wheels spin at the same rate), all 4 wheels get power delivered to them. But, in adverse traction situation, once one wheel starts to spin faster, it tends to take all the power, making it spin even faster and the other 3 wheels to coast. This was "corrected" by having DSC (Dynamic Stability Control, you will see the button on the center console near the shifter). This is an additional system installed in the car that limits the power and also applies the brakes as needed when wheel slippage is sensed. This helps to maintain power to all 4 wheels. Few of the redesigned 2004's had it, a fair number of the 2005's have it, and pretty much every 2006+ car will have DSC. So, this is definitely something I would be on the look out for based on where you live.

 

They only imported 1605 of the wagons to North America, making it a rare cat indeed.

A CEL that "comes and goes" can be something very simple (like, say, an $18 gasket and 10 minutes under the car). If you can talk him down a bit, and it's otherwise in good shape, I would buy it.

 

Hi all... well, my sweetie ended up looking at four X-types and buying the best of the bunch. It's a 2006 3.0-model with 82,000 miles; 1-owner (but sold by a third party without much on the way of records). Interior—in very good shape, exterior is great, minimal rust under the door sills, drives great. She loves it.

That's the good part. The bad part is that warning lights started to come on less than 50 miles after she bought it—both Powertrain and Check Engine. I'll start another thread for advice on how bad this could possibly be.

 

Before you start to panic, you need an OBD II reader, and a good multimeter (for checking voltage, etc). And you want to write down what they tell you.

1) Check voltage with the car off, then again when the car is running at idle, then finally with the RPM at about 2000.

2) Pull the OBD codes. then clear them. They will tell you what the computer thinks is the problem(s).

 

After much deliberation, my sweetheart decided to keep the car. So far, that has entailed diagnostics from 3 different shops, and as of right now, having the trans pulled and rebuilt. There are still some other issues to sort out, but otherwise, the car seems solid.

In our quest to solve the powertrain light issue, a question came up about changing the ATF and transfer case fluids. I'll post it under a new thread.

 

2002 X-Type 3.0 Sedan

Babied by older folks, garage kept and never seen winter, I'm going today to look at a used 02 X-Type 3.0 Sedan in Toronto. Is there anything I must be weary of, especially at this point in its existence? I will be buying it with service records and in certifiable condition if the purchase is made. I'm looking to be spending 3000 to 3500 on it and want a summer ride which can be relied on and will not destroy my young wallet. The car has 128000KMs.

I've read a few points in this thread today and van safely say, I'm extremely happy to have this resource in the research process!

Thanks in advance to anyone who has time to respond today!