Greetings gentlemen,

I plan to buy XJ6 2008 (currently 50000km) and keep it for 5-6 years.
It should be the main car, with:
-almost everyday usage
-average mileage of about 15000km per year
-cold climate (Moscow, Russia)
-average quality roads

Could you please tell me what repair costs I should expect every year?
I understand that there are other accompanying costs as well such as maintenance, insurance, tax, fuel but they all are ok and I can handle them.
But the repair costs are something unpredictable.

Please share your experience, what are your average costs per year.

Thanks in advance.
uch

 

Hi Uchovovan

From my geography lessons, Moscow has very cold winters, and short, very hot summers. The very cold winters could affect the air suspension as the cold makes rubbers and seals stiffen up.

It is very difficult to predict costs for Russia, few of us know anything much about your country. However, there are a number of internet suppliers that ship internationally which I assume includes Russia. Of course there will be the Jaguar agent in Moscow, I am sure, but he will be selling at Jaguar main agent prices which most of us secondhand owners find a bit too high, and I suspect this is the case where you are too. On the other hand, there may not be many or even any independent Jaguar workshops if there aren't many Jaguars around to fix in Moscow, so you may have to stick with the main agent.

Your yearly kilometrage is fairly low for a Jaguar (15000 Kms = 9375 miles) so you will be servicing once per year (Jaguar interval is 10k miles or each year).

Anyway, for a car running in Moscow, I would anticipate the following will be needed within the next 3 years: -

- an air suspension compressor - does not last very long, but available fairly cheap on the internet, and an easy swap over.
- air spring lower bushes, four of these, one per spring unit. These four take the full weight of the car so don't last long. Cost little on the internet, and not too difficult to swap out.
- suspension bushes - especially the ones on the rear lower wishbones. Jaguar try to sell you the complete wishbone with bushes for far too much money, but again internet suppliers cut this by 50%, and also the bushes can now be obtained separately if you can find someone to swap them out.
- rear brake discs and pads, (maybe the fronts too unless already done). Rear brakes are used instead of limited-slip differentials these days so the car applies them not just you !!
- possible minor cosmetic corrosion remediation caused by aluminium filiform corrosion, but as yours is a very late car, this fairly unlikely unless you run it around when there is a lot of salt on the road.

You might have difficulties with an air spring itself, but whilst some US forum members have had this, my local independent Jaguar shop here in England says they have never had to replace one, and the first cars are now 9 years old.

Suspension bushes seem to wear rather too quickly, and my personal opinion is the fitment of large diameter wheels and low profile tyres causes this because the tyre no longer filters out the high frequency road shocks. What size are the wheels ? 20" is the worst for ride quality even if they look 'cool'

Air suspension can be get bit lazy in very cold temperatures. Do you have a garage in Moscow ?

As regards labour charges, I would expect Moscow as the capital to have expensive labour charges for fixing cars, especially rarer foreign makes like Jaguar. No doubt Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen are very common, the Germans are everywhere !!

To be honest these cars don't have all that many issues, it is just the cost of parts to fix those there are that upsets people. The cars depreciate until we poor people can afford to buy them but not the parts, unfortunately, although the aftermarket on the internet is now very competitive. Also lots of stuff on eBay.