Hello Everyone,

My son just wrecked my daily driving car and I thought this would be a good time to get an older XJ8. I have always wanted one but my concern is that I need to be able to get to work reliably.

My question is whether older (1999 - 2003) XJ8's can be reliable enough to use as a daily driving car or do I need to wait until the kids are out of the house and I can afford to have a second car that I can take my time to do repairs on?

Thanks for any input.

 

There are several common issues that need to be kept in mind for this generation, to either look to see if the previous owner had remedied them, or to budget them into considerations for buying the car.

Bad timing chain tensioners are a well known issue, if they haven't been all replaced (not only the secondaries) plan to replace them sometime soon, along w guides and chains. At the same time you should do a metal impeller water pump and replacement thermostat for preventative measure.

Naturally aspirated XJ's get the ZF 5-speed which suffers from A-drum seal failure due to pressure spikes from a worn pressure regulating valve. This failure requires a complete transmission overhaul. If the transmission has not been overhauled and works ok for now, I would plan to do the PRV kit to help prevent the A-drum failure. If the transmission has been overhauled, it should have got the upgraded A-drum with a stronger seal. As always, YMMV.

Aside from those things, there's lots of rubber bits with hoses and suspension bushings, that will degrade over time. Some plastics as well. Nothing particularly unusual for Jag there, compared to any other 15 year old luxury car..

The impression I've got is that the newer x350's (04-09 XJ) are more reliable as a point A to B car, aside from the air suspension, which usually isn't a catastrophic failure. Of course those come at a higher price point...

So those are the big things to consider, that said there's lots of people here who daily their x308's, and have for a while, I'm sure a few will chime in soon.

 

Depends on your upkeep budget basically. I daily my '03 XJR, have put about 60k miles in the last two years. Aside from catching back up the suspension refresh and the typical stuff, so far I have no complaints at all. Still turns heads in every parking lot. Keep it maintained, and you shouldn't have any problems, just like any other car. Keep in mind though, it will depend on what facilities you have if things do need addressing, as there are some tasks that could easily tie you up for a day. But, if everything is or has been done proactively already and it's a good mechanically sound example, there's no reason to be afraid to drive them. Tires aside atm, I would have no hesitation about driving it cross country at a moment's notice (have done so twice in the last year).

 

Welcome to the forum rosskell,

Sorry to hear about your DD.

If reliability is THE priority, then I'd go for the previous model 1995-97 X300 straight six XJ6 against an early X308.

I've had both. For desireability the X308 wins but for reliability it's the X300.

As with most Jaguars:

1. the later in the production run, the better developed.
2. a careful PO makes all the difference - always check the service history.

Graham

 

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I did find that nice how to of things to look at when buying one of these babies. It should be helpful but some of them are a bit above my pay grade.

 

I have an XJR-100, daily driver. No prob, as reliable as anything else I've owned and I've owned plenty over the years.

 

I understand your concern. My alternator failed two weeks ago on my way to a meeting where I was scheduled to speak. I made it, but barely and I was a bit distracted. I've had only minor things go wrong up till now, nothing that would strand me. But I realize that the car is getting old, not so much miles, just age. Everything made of plastic, rubber and vinyl is starting to deteriorate, seals leaking, bushings creaking, etc.

I wouldn't have bought mine at 11 years old if I didn't have a 2nd vehicle. I probably also would not have considered such an old car at all if I weren't a competent shade-tree mechanic. But now my 2nd vehicle is nine years old so next year I am thinking that I should retire the 308 from daily duties and get something new or at least much newer. Problem is, I don't really like anything newer in the luxury sedan class. Everything looks way too similar and nothing rides like the old Jag. I've been spoiled. If I decide to try and get a few more years out of it, I'll at least pull the motor and replace all the seals, gaskets and hidden hoses plus finally replace the primary chain guide (I did secondary tensioners the day after I bought it which is critical on any pre-2002).

If you do buy one, buy the 2003 as it not only had all of the engineering flaws worked out and corrected, but its three years less plastic, rubber and vinyl deterioration. For the money, I think its an outstanding value, but you do have to consider your situation vs the risk of unexpected repairs on any 13 year old luxury vehicle. Its probably not any more likely to break down on your way to work than a 13 year old Ford, but parts are not as readily obtainable as they are for a Ford and so if it does, its likely to be down for a few days longer than the Ford.

 

I've had three X308s now, 99, 01 and 02, and I've never had any of the "reliability issues" that so often appear on these forums. I drove mine every day on a 50 mile round trip commute and would regularly do 200+ miles at the weekend. I would tow race cars on transporters with them and in the snow I was one of the few cars still operating. Admittedly my current 02 car isn't a daily car, there are 2 reasons for that. Firstly the works car park spaces are too small to accommodate an XJ, my last one received a few dings and scuffs in there. Secondly, I have been given a small city car by my mother to use for local trips and going to work which allows me to preserve my Jaguar's bodywork. UK Car parks are harsh environments filled with selfish people.

They do require regular maintenance though and were not designed to go massive mileages between services like many American cars are. Oil changes every 6K, Suspension Bushes roughly 25K depending on local conditions and driving and as mentioned it would be a good idea to get the transmission fluid replaced and the modified valve installed. On the subject of that, many other cars have the same transmission and suffer from the same failure. BMW, VW, Audi and Range Rover all used the unit.

I think something for you to bear in mind is how the AZ sun will effect your car. I've been to AZ many times and on one trip I saw 45C in the shade. Our friends there had a Chrysler Concorde which was sun ravaged, and before that they had a 70s Cadillac Coupe De Ville which looked brand new, but only because it had been painted twice in it's life and the seats and dash top had covers on them.