I am 90% sure I want to get an X350 instead of a Japanese competitor, which shall remain nameless. As far as I can tell, most XJ problems are infrequent and easy to do (throttle body, headliner?), with the exception of the air suspension!

I will probably have around $25,000 to play around with towards the purchase of a car. I kind of want a 2005 VDP, but a 2006 XJ8 or XJ8-L is about the same price for the same number of miles.

I do not want to blow $5000 on replacing suspension parts, and I am quite picky about how my cars run (I like to keep them running like new). Do you know whether or not a 2006 model will be significantly more reliable than a 2005 model, given that the cars will have the same number of miles at purchase?

Thanks!

 

Hi, I believe that from 2006 the cars had some alterations made, they lost the side body protection strip on the doors and had different side repeater lamps, I think the glass was altered by replacing it with better sound insulated glass, have a search for any road tests around early 2006 or magazine articles as I am sure they would point out the improvments.
I have had some problems with the air suspension on my 2003 model but then again it has now done 142000 miles, best of luck, this is my 7th jaguar and I am hoping to get another one after Christmas, really great cars

 

I have an 04 XJ8 (X350) and have never had a suspension problem from new. Just remember that most inquiries here deal with problems, not issues that cause no problems.

 

From what I can see from reported experience in the UK and also on this forum, the main suspension "problem" on X350s is the cost of the parts if anything goes wrong. However don't forget that normal steel spring-based suspensions have problems as the miles build up and bushes and ball joints wear out. The springs themselves can also break. With the air suspension, there are the air springs - expensive, and also the air pump and associated gubbins, also quite expensive, but service exchange units are available at not too high a cost.

You just have to live with the air suspension quirks if you really like the X350 Jaguar. Other makes also have air suspension and probably be equally reliable, (or not !).

 

I have an 04 XJR, the air suspension fault used to come on a lot more in the winter. It also comes up a lot when you go over bumpy roads. It confuses the computer to which setting to use, so the reservoir just sets it to stiff and throws out a fault. I ended up replacing the front left shock, it helped quite a bit, but it still pops up as described above. Like Fraser said, its an annoying quirk you have to deal with with higher miled xj's

 

I used to get a car too low error every now and then especially when I'm stopped on severely uneven ground, even for a few minutes (my house driveway entrance is on a steep slope). I just changed my front suspension bushes (not the shocks) and the problem seems to have disappeared. The car does ride higher now (the bushes were significantly worn from what I could see) and really rides well. The bushes do play a role in this.