I'm really interested in purchasing a jag xf. My friend purchased one and had a ton of problems with the shift knob getting stuck and leaving him stranded to rattling and creaking noises to electronics malfunctioning and in reading reviews I've seen horror stories online but also realize that most people leave bad reviews online and you don't hear the majority of good ones. But I absolutely love this car and I figured this is the best place to get an honest opinion regarding the reliability and maintenance from people who still own the vehicle. Are the problems mentioned the norm or just a rare occurrence? Anything I should be looking out for on carfax or questions you think I should ask? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

Welcome to the forum Jstizzle,

I've copied this from your Intro for advice from members with this model.

Graham

 

You can start your research here by telling us the year of the XF and model version.

 

Sounds like it might be an early '09 that had the shifter problem. Those were supposed to have been corrected via warranty. Wonder if this car's owner missed the recall notice. Should be easy to check.

However, besides that, these cars (and the S-Types before them) have been amazingly reliable. Plus the price/class advantage certainly favors them over Mercs, BMWs, and Audis.

And always remember, one of the nice things about driving a Jaguar is that whenever you arrive people notice!

You can't really say that about the other cars in this class.

================================================
Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '08 S-Type 4.2 "Satin Edition" (250.06 whp / 259.67 torque)
Past Ours: '05 X-Type 3.0/auto Jaguar Racing Green

 

Well if the car is out of warranty you better plan to DIY the repairs.

It's very expensive to use the dealer. The good thing is the few problems there are have been solved on this list.

One thing I would watch for is the bubbling dash pad. It's expensive or can be and you should be able to see it if the car has that problem real quick. So just be sure and check it.
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1. Don't buy an early model XF, most of the problems were resolved after a few years of production.
2. Have the car completely checked by a Jaguar specialist or the Jaguar Dealer BEFORE you make the purchase.
3. Buy an extended warranty for peace of mind and to avoid any potential costly repairs.
4. Obtain a CARFAX report.
5. The newer and lower the miles the better!
6. Have realistic expectations. These are luxury performance cars and are just as good or better than the others in this category (Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, BMW). If you want a car with the best reliability get a boring Honda or Toyota not a Jaguar.

Once you buy an XF, use an interior windshield cover and tint the windows to avoid the bubbling dash issue mentioned earlier as the dashboard is leather. I use my cover even if I go into the store for 10 minutes!

 

What part of Florida are you in? The dealer here in Jacksonville is actually pretty good... they frequently throw me some swag and knock the price off my service. And I didn't buy my vehicle from them either...

I have a 2010 XFR which I purchased in 2012. I had the differential replaced under the CPO warranty. I also had my dash bubble up... Jaguar paid for the dash and misc parts and I had to pay for the labor. Other than that the car has been completely reliable, and a joy to own and drive.

 

I had the first 2009 in the USA....no Joke,lol. And put 39k mile with no problem and I have a 2013 that I ordered brand new with 29k miles with no problems.... They both been great cars. Shameless plug I want to sell the 2013 6cly Supercharged that has every option but adaptive cruise control with a msrp around $70k? Frank

Edit the 2009 had dash pad replaced and both have had the filler tank tube for gas replaced also.

 

Notice the mileage mentioned and relative to your car. After these cars get some miles (75,000???) on them, you can potentially have some expensive repairs. I have worn out a bunch of Jags as daily drivers, and I love them all, but if you don't DIY almost all the repairs in their later post warranty life, it will be very expensive. And most extended warranties dont fix the shifter stuck, the heater broke, the rear sensors constantly squawking, the TPS warning you that you have a flat perfectly inflated tire and on and on.

If you are sensible and want a good reliable car, I suggest a Honda or Toyota. If you fancy yourself a sport and are able to cope emotionally with some car drama from time to time while you are tooling around town in style, going fast and living large, the JAG-U-WAH is for you.

 

As a new owner of a 2013 5.0 Supercharged, and a "connoisseur" (ahem) of pre - owned vehicles, my advice would be to look at CPO. With several other cars I have gone down the path of Carmax and their extended warranty, which is not bad...however you'll pay an extra 4k or so, and sometimes getting things fixed is a gamble. There is a lot to be desired in terms of the condition of their cars when they hit the lot, and the same can be said for many other dealers.

If you do not go CPO - then make sure to have a reputable independent check the car out before purchasing. Likewise with a private party purchase. If either hesitates on a mechanic giving it the once over, walk away.This will help to allow you to make an informed decision and get a Jag that's been well taken care of and reduce your risk of capitol outlay and disappointment.

 

Regarding the CPO which several have suggested... I am was the 3rd owner of my car. I bought it from a Toyota dealer, which had NO idea the car had a CPO warranty. The CPO showed up on one of the two used car reports I got (CarFax or Autocheck... can't remember which but it showed on one and not the other). They also were completely unaware of the options my car had (suede cloth headliner, ACC, lighted door sills, etc.), so I was able to get the car at a great price considering the CPO and other options that were "thrown in."

Long story short... if you look around you can get a car that is CPO from a 3rd party and not have to pay the additional fee from the dealer.

Cheers, Will

 

The thing is all cars in this high end category have issues. Just do your research as you are and you will be fine.

 

well ive owned 5 jags, loved them all ,current is a 2010 XF s/c .just sold my 2006 STR , never had any issues ,normal stuff, new brakes, tires, radar detector

 

I have a 2012 XF Portfolio and absolutely love it. I bought it used (had 27K miles on it) but still under warranty. During my first year of ownership I did have a few problems: broken water pump and a leak in the back window that resulted in my rear view camera being fried. They had to replace it. That being said, I don't think that I've had any more or less problems than I'd expect with any other car. I don't regret my purchase for a second. Consider making sure that you have some warranty left for some additional peace of mind. The more recent year cars (2012+) tend to have less problems (I've heard).

 

I had a 2010 XF Portfolio for a little more than 5 years which I bought new. It was/is a great car. I put 59K miles on mine and traded it Saturday for an XJ. Mechanically, the XF was flawless. I had some minor interior gremlins, but the warranty covered it all.

I put better brakes on it (EBC slotted rotors and Redstuff pads), which also put out less brake dust. I drive the car in the winter with Bridgestone Blizzaks, but other than that, ran it stock. The B&W system was amazing in that car (better in some ways than the 1200 watt system in my XJ). It was too good actually. I blew my left ear drum with it in 2012.

Regarding the knob sticking, you can buy the knobs online now for about $200. It takes about 20 minutes to swap it out (I had to take apart my center console once which required removing that knob). All you need are some screwdrivers and a torx set.

I prefer the 2010-2011 models to the later models for several reasons. First, those models were before the black rubber on the interior surfaces. Those years also had the 5 liter engine standard, which sound amazing at idle and had infinite power. No lie, I got 27+ MPG fuel economy at 85 mph. The interior of the car was amazingly quiet, which made talking on the phone way easy. The newer models have better software/graphics and connect to more phones. Today, a low mileage XF goes for low to mid 20's.

Also, not everything shows up in carfax. I bought a certified used Acura MDX last year that had a clean carfax but also clearly had a front end damage at some point. Plus the prior owner was a smoker, which took some time to eradicate.

Minor gremlins I had after five years in my XF:

1) There was a double vision issue on my driver's side mirror. They replaced it under warranty. This probably left the factory with this issue, which one could not see unless it was dark out with headlights in the mirror).
2) My driver's side windows did not remember auto settings. They replaced the module under warranty.
3) My driver's side seat heater/cooler motor burned out. They replaced it under warranty.
4) The radio did not save satellite radio presets. They updated the unit software.
5) Overhead console light came on intermittently. They replaced the circuit board under warranty.
6) Glue broke down on center dash fascia material. They replaced this under warranty.

All in all, I had really pretty minor stuff--not a single mechanical issue. Even the battery, after 5 years (and all the Jag electronics) was good in November when I had it tested. I was a Nissan guy for 13 years before the Jag. I had way more routine issues with my Nissans than my Jag even though I take good care of my cars.

Good luck to you!

 

Thanks for all of your help I really appreciate it! In my area I can find a used 2011 xj for around 6k more with the same mileage as a 2011 xf. I'm really debating spending the extra cash for the xj its beautiful. Any thoughts on that Pelly since you did trade in your xf for an xj?

 

The short answer is that it depends. I think the XF is a better driver's car. The XJ has much more luxury/comfort.

Having just put about 500 miles on my XJ in the last 5 days, here's what I can tell you. They are completely different cars to drive. The XF is much sportier and handles better. Perhaps that is somewhat related to the fact that I'm used to driving the XF. The XJ is a completely different ride. It is much smoother and I do not feel as many bumps. But the car is not as agile either. The XJ's steering is a bit touchy compared to the XF. Both have really a good turning radius. The exhaust on the XJ is a bit quiet, but that's not all bad for its purpose. Some members here have modified exhausts that sound great.

On the interior, the XJ is definitely the winner hands down both stylistically and in features. Massaging seats. The seat warmers are amazing. Gauges are better. Bigger screen. You can play DVDs. The rear seats have a lot more room too and independent climate controls, which the XF lacks.

Surprisingly, there is a ton of usable trunk space in the XF. The XJ's trunk either appears smaller or it is smaller than the XF and the seats do not fold down (they did in the XF). The B&W sound system in my XF was great. In the XJ, I'm still learning it. The XJ does not read all folders on my USB drive but the XF had no problem reading all folders. Not sure why this is the case.

In summary, if you want to drive the car and test is performance, go the XF route. If you want comfort, go the XJ route. If it were my only vehicle (which was the case when I bought the XF), I'd probably go the XF route because it is more versatile. I have another car I use today for the fun stuff...