Hey guys, first time poster. I really don't know much about the mechanics of cars, especially knowledge of when to get oil changes and all that maintenance stuff, my father, however, would know. What I'm posting about is that I'm looking at a USED jaguar xf. I found a nice 2009 supercharged for a low price of $12,899 and it's about an hour drive. This car is so low because it has around 96k miles, and of course I'm going to schedule a test drive and have a mobile inspector check the car. However, I researched some more and found that many, and I mean MANY people write about having problems with the transmission getting stuck in any of the modes (specifically park) or electrical problems, such as all these warnings. However, that's probably a small number of people compared to the total number of 2009 jaguar xf owners.
I also found a Jaguar 2010 xf premium, and I found that this car has much fewer problems, but still a few people reported some minor problems. Of course, the price is a bit more, the cheapest ones I can find with about 70-80k miles are about 16-17k. My budget is around 20k for a car, since I'm trying to leave around 10k for insurance and any other maintenance fees. I was wondering if anyone has owned a 2009 xf supercharged with over 60k miles or 2010 xf premium with the same. Is it safe to buy the '09 supercharged? Or is it better to chip in $3,000 and buy the 2010 premium. I really only drive about 15 miles maximum per day, mostly to school or my part-time job. I know a jag is a little too much for driving so little, but sub-18k is a steal. Thanks for any possible info.
Also, many people complained how the nearest jag dealer was 200 miles from them, but there's one about 30 minutes from where I live if that helps with anything.

 

Most of the stuck in park issues were due to a dry solder joint on a circuit board in the shifter. Was an issue with the 2009 cars - should have been replaced years ago with a technical bulletin or recall

Like all luxury cars they are expensive to maintain. If you don't do work yourself you should find a good independent. Dealers are v expensive

Some 2009 models are suffering from failing differential - a very expensive repair. So if you go that route have it checked thoroughly

My bias would be the 2010 with fewer miles and it's a bit more updated and the 5L V8

If your budget is 20k what about finding a lower mileage / newer model instead?

 

Thanks a lot, seems you're very educated on this subject!
Acceleration is always a fun thing, so it definitely falls between the 2009 supercharged or the 2010 premium. the '09 has a 0-60 of 4.9 and the '10 premium has 0-60 of 5.0. So pretty much no difference for the daily driver. And I looked some more and found a 2010 premium with 80k miles for just under $16k. The rest of the 2009-2010 xf's are 19k+, and as I did say my budget is 20k, I'd definitely like to stay a few thousand under that :\ However, this jag with 80k miles looks solid and the dealership is about 1 hour away, so I'm gonna schedule a test drive for sure. Thanks again! I'm thinking more about the 2010 premium now instead of the '09 supercharged.

 

Thanks. I've had my 2010 XF Supercharged for the past 4 years or so - partly learned from my own experience but mostly from the excellent input and guidance from the people here on the forum
If you haven't done so, I'd encourage you to just read back the threads over the past say 6 months. Will give you a good idea of the topics. Rest assured it's biased to issues (people rarely post to say I drove to work this morning and the car drove fine..). But you'll get a good view of the concerns from on here

Have it inspected. Look at brakes and rotors - they aren't cheap to replace at dealer prices and are eaten pretty quickly. Full set all round is prob 2k at dealer. Could use it to negotiate
Check for any warning lights, stored codes etc
Listen for sunroof rattle or creaking. Check all the electrics - audio, tpms, Bluetooth, display etc
And pull the car fax and service history. Well maintained I think there are very reliable. But some people don't care for them like they should

Good luck!

 

Pull a CarFax on them. A Carfax may not show everything thats been done, but it could prove to be an interesting and informative read. The Carfax I pulled on my XFR showed all the major problem areas had been addressed, and most dealers will give it to you free or it will be where they might advertise the car for sale. If you have to PAY to get the car looked at, Jags repairs get expensive REAL fast. And hopefully we will be seeing pictures of you and your XF soon.

 

The 09 Supercharged will have way more options standard vs. the 10 Premium. 20 inch Volan rims are standard on the 09 SC and are by far the best looking compared to any other Jag rim (my opinion). If you are interested in performance you should go with the 09 Supercharged. The supercharger is going to give instant throttle response and more torque down low when you want it. You get the supercharger whine at wide open throttle which is fantastic. The supercharger allows you the option of swapping pulleys to get more power (not an option on a NA 5L). Exhaust and intake upgrades will always give you way more power on a forced induction car vs. a NA car. The 4.2L has been around for a while and parts will be cheaper/easier to find vs. the 5L. The 4.2L use standard 5w30 oil and is easier to change (suction system needed/recommend on the 5L?). The 5L has issues with waterpump failures.

The rear diff is the only major issues on the 4.2L that should be of major concern. I'd get under the back and look for any leaks on the diff case where the axles go in. Drive it around with the radio off and listen for any odd noises in the back under acceleration, cruise, and turning. Replace the rear diff oil immediately if you buy it (5-10min job). Contamination in the oil from the factory is what caused the issues.

 

well it also kind of sounds like the rear diff is a problem on the 5L as well.

also be aware that the leather dash starts to ripple and bubble.

 

>find a good independent.

That is the MOST important thing to do. Your car WILL require service and you DON'T want to have to rely on a dealer. Before doing anything else try to find a conveniently located independent shop.

Otherwise look for a nice used Lexus GS.
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You dreamed of a big star -
He played a mean guitar -
He loved to drive his Jaguar...

So welcome to the machine

 

If it's a pre R41865 vin then you might have a shoddy diff. Check the seals for leaks.

I actually really like the 4.2 partly because it just takes regular Castrol that I can grab at the local auto store

 

I've always heard that contamination in the diffs is what led to premature seal wear and ultimately diff failure due to lack of gear oil. But I've also read that there was a design flaw on the diff that causes the differential to score the driveshaft. If that's the case, replacing the fluid over and over again in an attempt to get rid of the contamination wouldn't help (at least that's what I think).

My plan is to basically repair seals whenever they fail until the repairs become so frequent that it just makes sense to grab a used post R41865 Diff.

So far I've replaced the output and pinion seals at 105k km and then the passenger side output seal at 139k.