It looks like it may be time to retire my beloved old X-Type.....
Problem is....I'm on a tight budget but my next car HAS to be another Jag. (I'm sure I don't have to explain why on this forum!)
I've found a VERY cheap 04 X350 3.5V8 (few scuffs, interior could be cleaner, stuff I can live with) FSH (haven't seen that yet) 1 owner, but a massive 172000 miles. Anyone here bought something similar with this kind of mileage? I'm aware of some of the common issues (CATS,gearbox,bushes) but after reading on here, it seems that warning lights can be intermittent - my worry is that I won't necessarily see any lights on a test drive, even if there is a fault. I'd be buying from a dealer, not the original owner. I have one chance to get this right & would appreciate any advice from someone who's bought a high mileage X350 "cheapy"

 

Hi Ic3566,
About 5 years ago we bought a salvage title 04 XJ8 from a wrecking yard on the cheap. Looked clean but had a crumpled hood and front bumper and misc from a slight front end mishap. No airbag deployment and seemed to run smooth so we rolled the dice. Mileage was approx 179000. After body work, it was a champ. Other than brakes, front wheel hub/bearing, coolant resoivor, waterpump and themostat and belt, it is still going strong at over 220,000 miles. Have given the car to our daughter and she loves it. Told her I was 40 years old before I had my first Jag. ( XJS) The car will go to car heaven when it finally gives it up!

 

Thanks for that! I'm very familiar with X-Type issues, but this is a way more complex car! Had a closer look round it today, ran the engine whilst parked (sounds sweet!) here's what I found:
The dealer was pretty honest - The suspension warning light does pop up intermittently - as does the park "e" brake warning. The service history only goes up to 137000, probably not been touched for the last 35k miles. The oil on the dipstick didn't look too good & there was also a faint smell of petrol on the dipstick. There have been what look like filler repairs in the boot when I lifted the carpet (although no signs of current water ingress) Also, there's a pipe that goes from the air tank next to the battery, through the floor of the boot (I'm assuming it leads to the compressor at the front) Although there's no corrosion, I can see the road around the hole this pipe passes through - normal? The bodywork on this car is far from perfect - scratches scuffs, small dents - but I could drive this away for £1500 GBP. A better example X350 same year would be around double this. Further comments/opinions I would be very grateful for!

 

3.5 L V8, I thought they were all 4.2. Very reliable engine.

 

The X350 3.5 litre that the editor of the JEC magazine once had got up to 220k miles before a deer wrote the car off. These cars will take the miles, but clearly a car on 172k needs to have been kept well maintained. It does sound as if this car, although cheap, has been neglected, and this is fatal for a complex car like this. Best look around more.

 

The suspension light could be just the compressor seal but you would need to scan it to be sure.

Is the pipe that you mention plastic about 6mm OD?

If so it may be someone has replaced an air line the lazy way and routed it

under the car which is ok pro tem.

The E brake is above the rear driveshafts, subject to corrosion and could be a PITA to replace.

Do you need this vehicle to get to work every day? If not then the pressure is off.

It's a lot of car for the money.

 

The pipe coming from the air tank was about 6mm yes & the hole it passed through did look "DIY" though neat & rust free. I'd be a little worried water & dirt could get in here though. I couldn't hear any escaping air anywhere & the compressor was very quiet. A push on the front suspension didn't reveal anything apart from maybe a little less resistance on the driver's side (UK) No heavy commuting to work, but it would be my daily ride & reliabilty is key. Despite the poor condition of the oil, the engine sounds fabulous - all the electrics work & it has the premium alpine sound system. This could be very difficult to walk away from!

 

If the car drives well, and the price is "right", there is no need to be scared, but do be aware that it is likely you'll need to do something fairly quickly after buying it. The air suspension warning is not going to go away. The 3.5 litre was a very nice car. You say it is cheap, but how cheap is cheap ? A member of the JEC Cheshire group up here in Cheshire has a very nice 4.2 for sale, but this is in the £5000 range, and reasonable mileage, (less than 80k).

PM me if you're interested.

 

Cheap as in £1500, very cheap indeed! I browse extensively & I've never seen a road legal X350 anywhere near this price. (6 months MOT) The car is more than a little "scruffy" and definately somewhat neglected but the sound of that V8 has me smitten! I had been considering another X-Type, or maybe an S - but this is in a different league altogether. I'm sure I'd love the 4.2 even more, but at £5K, I'd have to sell a kidney.......;-)
I should also mention I found signs of a little oil seepage in the engine bay, around what I think may be VVT sensors. (one either side of the engine) Anyone know if this could be serious or just a leaking gasket perhaps?

 

VVT seals are a 5 minute job includind the time it takes to remove old seal, clean and install. Probably the fastest, cheapest, and easiest repair you will make on a Jag!

 

Have you made a decision yet? I've been bit by the Jaguar bug again after purchasing an XK just 9 months ago and owning an x350 for several years now. I'm looking at a very similar one to yours with the same issues (suspension/park brake fault) and 200,000 miles for right around $2000 here in the states. Either that or a 1998 XJ8 with 110,000 miles and a rebuilt trans and newer timing chain tensioners for $1000. This'll be more for work to run the miles up in.

So many good deals to be had out there if you look around...or are they? Interested to see what you decide to do. Our x350 has been rock solid reliable, but then again, has under 100,000 miles.

 

Still not made the decision, I'm on a tight budget and a big repair bill could wipe me out so I have to be careful. For the last 3 years, I've been trying to make my old X-Type into a new car part by part - spent a huge amount on new suspension, now the clutch, transfer case, propshaft & rear diff are starting to fail @ 97K miles - totally uneconomical repairs, so I'm trying not to make the same mistake again. After reading up on here, I'm not too concerned about high mileage on an X350 engine. The V8 I looked at roared like a beast & ran beautifully @172K miles. The park brake & suspension faults do worry me though - A compressor seal is nothing if that's what it is, cheap repair. A blown air spring is another matter. Even used replacements seem to be very expensive here in the UK. It seems the park brake repair could be difficult also. I've not yet decided if I'm going to take the risk or hold out till I can afford a better example. The X308 is also a beautiful car, but I've decided to go for the X350 - even a neglected one would probably cost me less to maintain than my X-Type! Like yourself, I've been totally bitten by the Jaguar bug, I can't contemplate driving anything else. Will update on here if I decide to buy the high miler. Good luck with your purchase - as meirion1 says in the comments above, it's a lot of car for the money!

 

If the purchase would take all your dosh, then I would not recommend you buy this car. Remember they were an up-market luxury saloon with a high price. The car depreciates but the spare parts prices don't. The engine is not what is likely to cost you money, it is the suspension bushes that are notoriously short life and even if the air springs are OK, these bushes can end up costing you a lot of money to fix. However the prices are not as bad as once was. I just had my local Jaguar main dealer service the car, (I live a mile away). It cost £199. They advised me an off-side rear lower wishbone bush would need fixing within 12 months, and quoted £240.68 incl. VAT to fix. When these cars first came out in 2003 under the Ford empire, these arms were quoted as £460 plus fitting !!

 

For a main dealer service, that seems like a great price. Also the bushes, whilst not cheap, aren't massively expensive either. I must have averaged £1000+ per year on maintainance for my X-Type - replaced every control arm, shocks/springs the whole lot! It sounds like on balance, I may have less bother with an X350! (and I'd have the added pleasure of driving a flagship V8) I'm considering holding off & saving an extra £1000 for a better one, there are quite a few out there. I'm capable of some astounding mathematical gymnastics when it comes to justifying Jaguar ownership on a small budget! Will update this thread when I've decided - thanks for all the advice.

 

Update - I've decided not to go with this particular car. On balance, too much work needed. I've found a few much better looked after high milers, including another 3.5 with 198k but no obvious faults. I've also found a 2004 XJR with 230k, full service history & verified mileage. God help my budget if I go for that one, but it's stunning beyond words!

 

In the X350 section of the JEC magazine last year there was a letter from a chap who had bought one on 450k miles!!! It drove nicely too.

 

Update. I'm glad I held out to gather more funds & find a good example. Today I became the proud owner of an '03 plate X350 4.2 V8, 132k miles. Mostly good bodywork, immaculate black interior, alpine system etc. few minor issues - but most importanly, no gearbox or air suspension faults (that I could find at least) Fabulous car, massive power & torque. Returning 23 mpg (my old 2.5 x type only did 1-2 mpg better!) Time to update my sig & profile pic!

 

No reason for it not to get to 250k miles or even more, but you'll have to do a few jobs on the way, and nothing usually serious if the engine and transmission holds up as they usually do.

 

Well, I cover only about 5k per year - so if I keep it until 250k, that means it'll last until I'm around 75 - I'd call that a good deal for £2500! I'm sure I'll have many questions for the forum over the coming months - loving the car.

 

Hi all can anyone tell me what is a better engine out of the 3.5 or 4.2 thanks