I have been looking at used XJL's extensively for a while now and initially I saw the issue on a car thinking it may have been damaged or whatever and on to the next, but now I am seeing cars left and right where the hood is closed unevenly with a gap on one side. What can you tell me about it, and should I let it deter me, or is it easily corrected? If so, I would think people would fix it before putting the vehicle up for sale cuz it looks jank as hell.

 

x351 have lock on both sides of hood and if you drop it too low it happens that only one side locks resulting that the hood sits bit higher on other side.

 

So if I am seeing cars like this, is it that something is bent in there or they just didn't close the hood correctly? This will happen to every x351 if you close the hood wrong?

 

The bump stops inside the engine bay are probably mis-adjusted. There are 4 bump stops, 2 each side, and are simply rotated to the correct position.

wombat

 

Yes. If you drop the hood from 10cm the both locks do not nessesarly enagle. Happens me time to time. Then i just gently push that side down with my palm. (unless its dirty, then i just pull the level again.
If one side of the hood do not ever lock, then the stopper bumbers are wrongy adjusted.

 

What I do, I stand in the middle of the car while I lift the hood with both hands parallel to my shoulder and let go of the hood. Hood always shuts perfectly.