looking at buying a XJ 2004
#1
08-07-2012, 12:49 PM
looking at buying a XJ 2004
hello all. this is my first post.
i am looking at buying a XJ 2004 4.2l v-8 it has 85,977 miles on it. it has a pretty good carfax
the purchase price is $12,600
i am not that familiar with jaguars could any of you tell me his or her opinions.
for most cars 85000+ miles is a lot. do you think i will be doing a lot of repairs on a car this old?
for the most part i will be using it as a daily driver any advice is appreciated thank you in advance...
i am looking at buying a XJ 2004 4.2l v-8 it has 85,977 miles on it. it has a pretty good carfax
the purchase price is $12,600
i am not that familiar with jaguars could any of you tell me his or her opinions.
for most cars 85000+ miles is a lot. do you think i will be doing a lot of repairs on a car this old?
for the most part i will be using it as a daily driver any advice is appreciated thank you in advance...
#3
08-07-2012, 02:21 PM
Veteran Member
Also welcome, though I think this forum would be more appropriate:
XJ ( X350 & X358 ) XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR 2003 - 2009
XJ ( X350 & X358 ) XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR 2003 - 2009
#5
08-11-2012, 05:18 PM
hello all. this is my first post.
i am looking at buying a XJ 2004 4.2l v-8 it has 85,977 miles on it. it has a pretty good carfax
the purchase price is $12,600
i am not that familiar with jaguars could any of you tell me his or her opinions.
for most cars 85000+ miles is a lot. do you think i will be doing a lot of repairs on a car this old?
for the most part i will be using it as a daily driver any advice is appreciated thank you in advance...
i am looking at buying a XJ 2004 4.2l v-8 it has 85,977 miles on it. it has a pretty good carfax
the purchase price is $12,600
i am not that familiar with jaguars could any of you tell me his or her opinions.
for most cars 85000+ miles is a lot. do you think i will be doing a lot of repairs on a car this old?
for the most part i will be using it as a daily driver any advice is appreciated thank you in advance...
I've moved your post from the X-Type to the XJ section where it will be seen by more members with this vehicle.
Good luck with the search.
Graham
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jeff (08-16-2012)
#6
08-12-2012, 11:43 AM
I bought an XJ 2004 3.5L back in 2009 for about $16,000 and 48,000 miles and for 3 years the car never gave me any issues whatsoever. It now has 65,000 miles on the clock which is not much for an 8 cyl.If you read my recent posts, you will see that in the space of 5 weeks I had to spend the equivalent of half its purchase price (Dubai prices BTW so only one dealership available-no independent jag dealers) to deal with air compressor issues, suspension issues and get a new body control module. Although I may have been unlucky, I understand that 2004 models had generally more faults than later models.
Good luck with your purchase.
Good luck with your purchase.
#7
08-12-2012, 11:52 AM
I bought 04 XJ8 year ago with 79000 mil. Now I have 88500. No problems so far.
I just flush my transmission yesterday like some people recommended to do after 85000 mil.
One issue. My back up sensors stop working. It looks like is the module.
What I hear the weakest spot is the air suspension.
I just flush my transmission yesterday like some people recommended to do after 85000 mil.
One issue. My back up sensors stop working. It looks like is the module.
What I hear the weakest spot is the air suspension.
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jeff (08-16-2012)
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#8
08-17-2012, 11:22 AM
I would suggest that you try and get a later vin number than a earlier one if possible..ex vin numbers such a g00-etc is older and usually fall around dec-jan of 2002-2003 manufacturing.Some of the 1st batch vins had some small issues... The higher vin numbers ex g300-etc would be my advice.Also make sure if available see if they have any service records for the car...Until we hear from you,happy shopping.
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jeff (08-22-2012)
#9
08-17-2012, 04:03 PM
Member
Looking at buying XJ
I, too, bought an 2004 XJ8 VDP back in February of this year. Mine had 110,000 on the odometer but seemed to have been well maintained. So far, I've only had to replace a suspension control arm. I have been very pleased with my purchase and I love to drive that big cat. I know there will be problems on the horizon but hopefully, I will derive much pleasure from driving it until they occur.
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jeff (08-22-2012)
#10
08-18-2012, 02:58 PM
I bought my 04 VDP 2 months ago and I'm very happy. I sold my S-type for this car. So far I've replaced a leaking air strut and upgraded to ceramic pads. I've had my repair shop change the brake fluid and my XJ is 100%. The leaper was broken and the dealer replaced it as part of the purchase agreement. My XJ has 78k miles and I plan on putting many years and miles on her. Best of luck with your decision, but the XJ is a great luxury car.
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jeff (08-22-2012)
#11
08-27-2012, 12:16 PM
Veteran Member
I'm a bit late posting as I've just got back from a holiday in Germany with my X350 3 litre, (2387 miles round trip @28.4 mpg overall, not bad I think). I tried a stretch on the autobahn at 100, but not for long. Hey I'm an old man now, and the wife also gets a bit panicky at a speed like this.
As to a purchasing one.....
These cars are absolute bargains secondhand, but can suffer some problems like all cars. There are a few known and fixable issues. I have had mine since May 2010, and have taken it from 30k to 61k miles. No major problems have been encountered but some minor things.
The air suspension is reliable, but the air compressor is a known short life component at around £300. Think of this as buying a couple of tyres. Some owners have had air spring failures in the US but generally this is not a huge problem in terms of all cars suffering, but a problem in terms of replacement cost. However aftermarket suppliers now supply at less cost like Arnott Industries in the US.
The transmission is, as stated earlier, a ZF item, and is noted as going the course, (like over 200k miles), but Jaguar seemed to slip up when it came to the control software, which apparently is not produced by ZF, but by the car manufacturer with advice from ZF. So far I have had to have 2 software reloads, but it is still not perfect but OK, the problem mainly being at warm-up with slight hunting of the transmission. Later cars will probably be better as more service experience will have been gained by Jaguar.
There are generally no issues with the engine, or the driver line
Suspension bushes are a common wearing item, in what I call "unfair wear and tear" because they don't last as long as one might expect, and replacement costs have been excessive, but again, aftermarket suppliers have come to the impecunous Jaguar owners rescue with (1) cheaper parts, and (2) replacement bushes themselves. One thing I am convinced shortens the life of these bushes is the use of large diameter wheels, (19" and 20") with very low profile tyres. The tyres pass too much road vibration into the suspension instead of absorbing. I swapped out my wheels from 20" to 18", and this transformed the ride comfort too. The smaller wheels still look good BTW.
Other issue which affects mainly cars in the cold and damp north is filiform corrosion of the aluminium underneath the paint in certain locations. This is unsightly, but not a car-threatening thing, but can be costly to fix depending on where it occurs.
Hope this hasn't put you off, as these are superb cars, really !!
As to a purchasing one.....
These cars are absolute bargains secondhand, but can suffer some problems like all cars. There are a few known and fixable issues. I have had mine since May 2010, and have taken it from 30k to 61k miles. No major problems have been encountered but some minor things.
The air suspension is reliable, but the air compressor is a known short life component at around £300. Think of this as buying a couple of tyres. Some owners have had air spring failures in the US but generally this is not a huge problem in terms of all cars suffering, but a problem in terms of replacement cost. However aftermarket suppliers now supply at less cost like Arnott Industries in the US.
The transmission is, as stated earlier, a ZF item, and is noted as going the course, (like over 200k miles), but Jaguar seemed to slip up when it came to the control software, which apparently is not produced by ZF, but by the car manufacturer with advice from ZF. So far I have had to have 2 software reloads, but it is still not perfect but OK, the problem mainly being at warm-up with slight hunting of the transmission. Later cars will probably be better as more service experience will have been gained by Jaguar.
There are generally no issues with the engine, or the driver line
Suspension bushes are a common wearing item, in what I call "unfair wear and tear" because they don't last as long as one might expect, and replacement costs have been excessive, but again, aftermarket suppliers have come to the impecunous Jaguar owners rescue with (1) cheaper parts, and (2) replacement bushes themselves. One thing I am convinced shortens the life of these bushes is the use of large diameter wheels, (19" and 20") with very low profile tyres. The tyres pass too much road vibration into the suspension instead of absorbing. I swapped out my wheels from 20" to 18", and this transformed the ride comfort too. The smaller wheels still look good BTW.
Other issue which affects mainly cars in the cold and damp north is filiform corrosion of the aluminium underneath the paint in certain locations. This is unsightly, but not a car-threatening thing, but can be costly to fix depending on where it occurs.
Hope this hasn't put you off, as these are superb cars, really !!
#12
08-27-2012, 12:45 PM
Veteran Member
I'm a bit late posting as I've just got back from a holiday in Germany with my X350 3 litre, (2387 miles round trip @28.4 mpg overall, not bad I think). I tried a stretch on the autobahn at 100, but not for long. Hey I'm an old man now, and the wife also gets a bit panicky at a speed like this.
As to a purchasing one.....
These cars are absolute bargains secondhand, but can suffer some problems like all cars. There are a few known and fixable issues. I have had mine since May 2010, and have taken it from 30k to 61k miles. No major problems have been encountered but some minor things.
The air suspension is reliable, but the air compressor is a known short life component at around £300. Think of this as buying a couple of tyres. Some owners have had air spring failures in the US but generally this is not a huge problem in terms of all cars suffering, but a problem in terms of replacement cost. However aftermarket suppliers now supply at less cost like Arnott Industries in the US.
The transmission is, as stated earlier, a ZF item, and is noted as going the course, (like over 200k miles), but Jaguar seemed to slip up when it came to the control software, which apparently is not produced by ZF, but by the car manufacturer with advice from ZF. So far I have had to have 2 software reloads, but it is still not perfect but OK, the problem mainly being at warm-up with slight hunting of the transmission. Later cars will probably be better as more service experience will have been gained by Jaguar.
There are generally no issues with the engine, or the driver line
Suspension bushes are a common wearing item, in what I call "unfair wear and tear" because they don't last as long as one might expect, and replacement costs have been excessive, but again, aftermarket suppliers have come to the impecunous Jaguar owners rescue with (1) cheaper parts, and (2) replacement bushes themselves. One thing I am convinced shortens the life of these bushes is the use of large diameter wheels, (19" and 20") with very low profile tyres. The tyres pass too much road vibration into the suspension instead of absorbing. I swapped out my wheels from 20" to 18", and this transformed the ride comfort too. The smaller wheels still look good BTW.
Other issue which affects mainly cars in the cold and damp north is filiform corrosion of the aluminium underneath the paint in certain locations. This is unsightly, but not a car-threatening thing, but can be costly to fix depending on where it occurs.
Hope this hasn't put you off, as these are superb cars, really !!
As to a purchasing one.....
These cars are absolute bargains secondhand, but can suffer some problems like all cars. There are a few known and fixable issues. I have had mine since May 2010, and have taken it from 30k to 61k miles. No major problems have been encountered but some minor things.
The air suspension is reliable, but the air compressor is a known short life component at around £300. Think of this as buying a couple of tyres. Some owners have had air spring failures in the US but generally this is not a huge problem in terms of all cars suffering, but a problem in terms of replacement cost. However aftermarket suppliers now supply at less cost like Arnott Industries in the US.
The transmission is, as stated earlier, a ZF item, and is noted as going the course, (like over 200k miles), but Jaguar seemed to slip up when it came to the control software, which apparently is not produced by ZF, but by the car manufacturer with advice from ZF. So far I have had to have 2 software reloads, but it is still not perfect but OK, the problem mainly being at warm-up with slight hunting of the transmission. Later cars will probably be better as more service experience will have been gained by Jaguar.
There are generally no issues with the engine, or the driver line
Suspension bushes are a common wearing item, in what I call "unfair wear and tear" because they don't last as long as one might expect, and replacement costs have been excessive, but again, aftermarket suppliers have come to the impecunous Jaguar owners rescue with (1) cheaper parts, and (2) replacement bushes themselves. One thing I am convinced shortens the life of these bushes is the use of large diameter wheels, (19" and 20") with very low profile tyres. The tyres pass too much road vibration into the suspension instead of absorbing. I swapped out my wheels from 20" to 18", and this transformed the ride comfort too. The smaller wheels still look good BTW.
Other issue which affects mainly cars in the cold and damp north is filiform corrosion of the aluminium underneath the paint in certain locations. This is unsightly, but not a car-threatening thing, but can be costly to fix depending on where it occurs.
Hope this hasn't put you off, as these are superb cars, really !!
I wonder if climate truly plays that much of a role, In the US the air struts fail. The ONLY time the compressors fail is if a car is driven with a leaky strut (which causes the compressor to work relentlessly) Picture a person trying to keep a balloon with a pinhole constantly inflated.
80k miles seems to be about the average life for an air strut, the front ones seem to fail more than the rears. But there are very few x350's that have covered 100,000 miles on 4 original air struts.
The plastic coolant recovery tanks also fail here. They ALL deteriorate and start to leak, and eventually blow the small hose off.
I don't think its as much the low profile tires that hurt the bushes as it is the sheer weight of the car. Jaguar decided not to put poly bushings in the car so it wouldn't feel like a sport pack BMW. Every car going over the road is subject to the same supension energy. How much the manufacturer choses to design the suspension to absorb and how much is transfered to the cabin is different.
You cant have a car that rides like an Xj8 does, and weighs what it does, without wearing out some suspension components.
Take care,
George
#13
08-27-2012, 12:54 PM
Senior Member
#14
08-27-2012, 02:01 PM
Veteran Member
the sheer weight of the car
The aluminium XJ saloon weighs less than the smaller S-type. My old 1980 XJ, which weighed nearly 2 tonnes, did not wear out its suspension bushes and bearings at anything like the rate of the X350' and had 205/70 R15 tyres, i.e an aspect ratio of 70%, or double that of current low profile tyres.
I rest my case
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