Hi All
I am considering taking my first step into Jaguar land. I've never owned one and my dream car if money was no object is a premium XK!

Recently my old Ford is looking its age and time to get a (new) second hand car.
I've got one that has entered my radar: 2010 Jaguar XF, 3L V6, Full service history, 120,000KM (~ 85,000 miles) on the clock.
The price is extremely good. I would expect to pay around 80% more than on offer.
The problem is that I'm not really able to get the car reviewed for obvious problems or issues or damage from wild driving. I can test drive and review all the paper work, but I can't leave it at a garage for, what we call, a "prepurchase inspection."

The owned said there's a problem with the central locking, but I'm not so worried about that. I suppose I'm more worried about whether there could be some nasty priced, but expected maintenance issues that I need to address with its age and mileage.

I know it's really hard for anyone to know whether it could be great or could have some issues on the horizon.
Anything I should look out for and/or strongly consider if I effectively had to buy this car a little blind on what issue may lurk under the bonnet?
The owner says other than the central locking, drives beautifully and everything is good.

Any help and thoughts welcome
Matt

 

Hi Matt

The XF line is well designed and underwent a lot of long term testing before it hit the road. The cars are usually reliable, especially from 2013 onward. However it is an aging luxury car that can put relatively high maintenance costs on the owners pocket, probably more than what you used to pay for the Ford - on the other side also the ride is probably better than the Ford.

There are a few weak points which you want to check before buying:
1. coolant system: Plastic tubes are prone to split with age and loose coolant. Not quite sure about the 3.0, may have a different piping system. Its worth to check if the coolant level is where it is supposed to be and sniff around for any coolant leaks. Wrap a long screwdriver with paper and stick it in the V-alley. Must come out bone dry.
2. most engines have no oil level dipstick, but only an electronic level that needs to be manually activated. Result are engines that ran low on oil. Listen for tapping noises when the engine is cold. Run away if the car was warmed up for you.
3. rear brakes are notorious for rusting and vibrating. Check for any scatter marks on the disks.
4. electronics can be pretty complicated. It may be a simple micro switch in one of the doors that does not tell the security module that the door is locked, or a battery on the way out. But it could also be a more serious issue which requires expensive programming tools. I suggest to check every of the little electric gimmicks to make sure the dead central locking is the only issue you have.

Usually if the price is too good to be true then it is too good to be true and you are better off with a car that has all repairs done - full service history unfortunately does not prevent the engine from blowing up because of low coolant or oil levels.
Chris

 

Lots of other threads on here incl recently on what to look for. The V6 is pretty solid if looked after. Some known issues on central locking - typically a door actuator (usually drivers as it's used the most). Sometimes wiring harness to the boot/trunk. Both relatively easy fixes

But as mentioned it is nearly 12 yrs old now, and lots that could be in need of attention. That said you could buy a more expensive one and still have issues
Why can't you get a PPI done? That would offer a lot of peace of mind

I would want to be sure cooling system is good, no oil leaks, and no timing chain rattle.

 

Thank you kindly gents,
Today I went for a test drive and "tragically" (joking) I was blown away.
The interior is in very good nick and looks like the original purchaser bought some internal things which have lifted it up.
By the way, on the rear of the car, there a badge which said "XF" on one side and a badge which says "R" which some colour things on the other side. What does the R mean?

Anyway, drove it cold, no noises, pulled over after a good drive, no oil smells, no coolant smells. The tyres replaced 12 months ago, the brakes done 6 months ago along with the discs which look like they were polished yesterday. The guy has had it for 3 years and previous owner was original purchaser - guy in his mid 50s in a suit who seemed conservative. I like that because it makes me confident that he didn't thrash the bejesus out of the engine when it was new, but anything is possible.

Transmission flies in and out of gears flawlessly, smoothly and wonderfully.
The only issue was the central locking thing. I can describe it further: front driver, front passenger and rear passenger all went at the same time. When he pushed the lock button on the remote, you could hear it trying to lock all doors and then there was a "beep beep" from the horn. If you push the button on the external door handle, it make a noise then the alarm goes off. If you open the door when its (supposed to be) locked, the alarm goes off. Any guesses are welcome though it does feel like something a good jaguar mechanic will fix without much fuss and expense.

This is about as good as I can do. I cannot help but smile when I've thought back about today's test drive, though first time driving a jag and coming from a rough riding Ford.

I'm in a quandry! It is old.... and while everything might look ok now, it could present a funky issue in 18 months and I'm in for thousands. Though am getting the car cheap, so holding a kitty for a few curve *****..... If anyone wants a final stab at talking me out of it, now's the time!!!

As a side note, several jag specialists have told me not to buy a 4cyl 2.2L Turbo Diesel. It sounds like the car is simply too heavy for an engine that small and being diesel is not as good as petrol. This swayed me towards a 3L V6 which came very highly recommended, even with some age, over a more modern 4cyl engine of any kind.

Best Regards and real sincere thanks for your feedback. It's my decision in the end but nothing frightening is jumping out at me. In fact.... when I read about the XF and spoke to a mechanic or two, sounds like there's been more problematic models in the past and it seems well endorsed

 

My experience with my 2009 XF supercharged is a negative one.
I bought the XF Supercharged 2.5 years ago from a Jaguar Dealer in Houston for 15,000.
I have since spend 16,000 for repairs. I pick it up today for another 1,600 for engine repairs. I am past thinking I have completed all the repairs. It is a 2009--an older car.
I wish I had not bought it. My mistake.
Just my experience.

 

I find it interesting that people seem to don't like 2.2 diesel engines - because, on the other hand, unlike with their V6 siblings, there are very few (if any) reports about serious failures with those engines. I have 2.7 V6 engine with 207 hp, and the most powerful 2.2D engine has 200 hp- the difference in numbers is not big, and, from my experience, while 3.0D engines are more powerful, even with those 207 hp is still a fast car, so I think that 2.2D should drive OK. Well, reports say that 4 cylinder engines are rougher, which seems quite likely - my previous car before my XF 2.7D was Lexus Is220D with 177 hp, which is also 4 cylinder, and yes, Jag was noticeably smoother, and also without any significant lag on low rpm. And Lexus was no slouch either.
Diesel is fine, if you use it for mostly for higway driving, but petrol is preferable, if you do mostly city driving and short distance driving with low mileage. Well, I don't know the situation with car shops in your country, but where I live - in general, the prices for Jaguar repairs and for spare parts or more or less the same as for any other car, and there are also used car parts available as well, so I am not too afraid of any repair costs, apart from engine failure (which I experienced 100 000 km ago and learned my lesson about oil change and keeping eye on oil level). But if your car is petrol, I think there is nothing really to be afraid of.

I have been driving my Jag XF for 2.5 years and for 120 000 km,and my experience tells that in fact XF is pretty sturdy and reliable car, if you change engine oil often. And I compare it with my Lexus, which I drove for 9 years and for 300 000 km, and which has in general has one of the best reputations among car makers. And, before that I had Volvo S80 (2003) with 2.4D engine, which was also quite nice car, drove it for approximately 3 years and 100 000 km. Jag is not worse than any of those, pretty much the same as Lexus and Volvo from point of view of reliability and from point of view of costs.

 

Regarding maintenance costs of XF - I have not counted all of them so far together, but I consider them moderate, except for engine, which emptied my pocket by 3000 EUR. Apart from that - alternator repair cost me some 300 EUR, but it is a really painful job, so I consider it fair price. I also paid around 250 EUR for complete overhaul of rear breaks (change of rotors, pads, and repair of the calipers), which seemed fair to me, and around 800 EUR for brake and suspension overhaul I do not remember all positions), which seemed a bit too much, but still within boundaries of reason. But in general mostly it has been changing of consumables - oils, filters, tyres. Some of the work I have done myself, and if you enjoy servicing your car, Jag is quite OK for that.

Both Lexus and Volvo also required several quite expensive repairs, and also had their weaknesses. Volvo had problems with spidometer, electric windows, and with one CV joint, Lexus had quite annoying problem with air conditioning drainage, audio system, and it required quite regular DPF and EGR cleaning. So there is no really need to be scared about Jag, I believe, all cars have their problems, and Jag is more or less the same as others.

Also, Jag, despite larger engine and greater power ouput, has been consistently more economical than my former Lexus. Lexus usually wanted approximately 7 liters of diesel per 100 km, and only in very favourable conditions reached around 6.5 liters, but Jag is fine with 5.8 with most usual driving. OK, Volvo was unbeatable from that point of view, it easily was able to go below 5 liters per 100 km, but it was also noticeably less powerful (130 hp), while at the same time it never really felt underpowered.

 

Central locking issue sounds like door actuator. Search on here - they do fail. Not hard to replace. There is even a YouTube tutorial!

Car sounds great. As you say - yes something could (will) go wrong on a car this age. That's just the reality of a car as it ages. Plan and budget for repairs and much better if you can do some yourself.

 

Thank you everyone. I took the plunge and officially now own a Jaguar XF 3L V6. Loved driving it home. What a car (coming from ford)
When I bought it, the guy selling it said that he had three actuators that he ordered from the UK. Gave them for free. Assuming this is the problem, guess I'm down to just labour costs!
Thank you again, I'm now "in the club" and already looking forward to the next few years of ownership.
Tomorrow is the big day when they fix the central locking, but also plug in the computer to see whether things are good or bad beneath the bonnet. So far, though, seems great and for what it's worth, no warning lights, smells, odd vibrations, slow braking, weird noises. Frankly, it feels almost new!
Best regards
You'll be hearing from me more in these forums.
Matt

 

Congrats!! Post pictures soon

And let us know if any issues

Plus - if you get the bug to do some modifications!

 

SUCCESSSSSSSSS ..... Oh my god, I can breathe easily again!!!
The jag mechanic gave it a full review. I needed a new fan belt, coolant top up and rear passenger actuator replaced. Engine in great condition, transmission fine, not significant faults reported, no oil leaks, looks great and he describes the 3.0L V6 petrol as "bulletproof". Good for many more years and miles.
So relieved! Also mentioned that he sees several parts and bits and pieces that look like they've been replaced in the last 2-3 years, so car has been nicely maintained!
Can't wait till I pick it up and finalise registration. What a beautiful car it is.

 

Congrats! Sounds great

Note that these cars shouldn't lose any coolant. So monitor that closely. Overheating is death to these aluminum block engines. Even 30s can warp the heads. So if you continue to lose coolant then trace the issue. But hopefully it is all set now!

 

Thanks Britcars
Actually he said the coolant level had not dropped much at all, but said it was extremely diluted and he said Jags do not like 95% water for very long.
So he drained and filled it with proper coolant.
It's such a wonderful car. I'm finding myself popping out every couple of hours just to give it a little drive down the road.
I owed photos:

 

fantastic points, I'd also add to that gearbox issues I've come across a fair few with the xf box housing drive when a certain gear is selected (usual gearbox fault code is u3000)

Ben.

 

Looks great!!
(What's with the front left hand headlight??)

Would monitor oil level (electronic) and coolant regularly for the first few thousand miles so you're sure all is ok. But sounds like you got a great car
Looks in good condition from the photos

Happy driving!!

 

That's a big cat scratch!
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.
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I must thank you for this post, Chris. I have the XF on my RADAR as a future "fun car", and I like to have as much information about any car that intersts me before I select the right one. There's no point in choosing a car with no knowledge of what to look for. That's setting oneself up for possible serious disappointment. Case in point, it must have been ten years of consideration before I stumbled on THE right XJ40 and had absolutely no doubt it was the one for me. I have no regrets whatsoever, and want the same type of experience with an XF purchase. Thus, your post is absolute gold to me, and thank you for sharing this information. Be well! -Phil