I am new here. Currently considering purchase one Xj8 (2000) for my first car. These jags are quiet expensive in Australia (around 15000AUD or 10000USD), but i absolutely love the XJ8. Looing at one have around 150000kms (100000miles) on it. It is a dealer car and labled as full service history. The car look just perfect inside and out, really beautiful.

I have done some research on x308, I think the one i am looking at avoided the nikasil problem and the throttol body problem, also it fitted a upgrader timing chain temsioner. Dont know if the transmission problem is very common on those high milage vehicles, but this car havent got a transimission rebuild or replacement, quiet concerned about the transmission.

I really love those jags and I am a bit tight on budgets, how much will it usually cost for the maintaince each year?

Also how many miles can I expect on the XJ8? Will it successfully cover up to 30,0000miles? And it there any other common issues that may cost heaps of $$$?

Looking for help, thanks a lot!!!!!!!

 

I have 3 of these. To keep these cars running you pretty much have to be a Jaguar mechanic as a hobby. If you do all the work yourself it will be very expensive to keep one on the road. If you hire a mechanic, it will be outrageously expensive. Also, consider buying a truck that can haul a trailer big enough to put your Jaguar on. This will pay for itself in towing bills pretty quickly. Make sure to teach your wife to drive it so she can come pick you and your stalled Jaguar up. If you ever really need to go somewhere, you can take the truck. Always keep an ice chest with beer in it in the car, so you have something to do while you are waiting to get picked up on the side of the road. Audio tapes with language lessons are also good to have. People might be so impressed that you speak French that they will excuse you for not showing up.

 

The one thing you'll find, is that even if it's been kept up until now, as the miles add up, the problems will start to compound. For example, I purchased my 03 XJR with just under 100k miles. Initially, it was fine. Sway links... no big deal. Oh, shock mounts, easy enough. But now as I'm over 200k, it's been a constant chase to try to keep up with things. And that's not counting a transmission worry that the non-SC models would've had in my mind. The maintenance has been relatively low UNTIL now. And I disagree a little with one thing on the previous reply. Doing the work yourself, doesn't make it expensive to keep on the road. It's really not - with some exceptions - horribly hard to work on or expensive for a lot of things. But there ARE a few big ticket repairs, like the throttle body sensors and things, that are just nothing you can do much about but pay to fix. On mine, that's the single largest issue I've been facing. And there's just nothing I can do about it. However, yes, most mechanics will charge even more because of the model, and depending on what parts they're sourcing.

With proper upkeep, 300k is not out of question. But it is a car that if you do see something creeping up, take care as soon as possible, otherwise the list just snowballs.

 

I found it to be an easy car to work on and to maintain. That said, I didn't have an A band issue in the transmission or a problem with the throttle. Most other issues you find on this forum I found over the time I owned the last one. Most I fixed, some twice as I found a better answer (shock mounts, water pumps), doing the work myself. Some things that required lots of muscle, big tools, and a lift, I sent to an independent; some work I found the dealer was better at (tire balancing and alignment). But for the most part, an easy car, not very complicated, although overly designed in some cases. The real problem was soft parts, plastic especially. Interior plastic is an English word meaning crumble! The biggest problem that I have seen in seven years reading this forum: finding parts as this X308 model gets older and older.

The good news: this forum -- an encyclopedia as it pertains to this model, and contacts anxious to assist.