I just bough a 03 jag xk8, it has 33,000 miles on it. I got it from a dealer in Coconut Creek Fl. (Lou Bachrodt Chevy).

The dealer said there was nothing wrong with the car. As I was driving it home to North Carolina I found the cruise control only worked some of the time. Then when I opened the window and closed the door it rattled like something was lose inside.

I went to open the glove box to get the owners manual, there was know latch on it. When I Finely got it open there was know manual. The sun came out so I reached for the visor, pulled it down and found the little door on the mirror gone. I found the car on auto trader.com.

I flew down to pick up the car from Fayetteville NC., had to change planes in Charlotte. When they pushed the plane out from the gate the engines would not start (737), this made me get into Ft.Lauderdale late. When I got to the dealer It was closing time so I didn't look at the car as good as I would have liked.

Anyhow after looking around I find that it seems like all jags have problems. The question is, is there any jags that everything works on? I'm hearing of lot's of transmission problems. Is anybody happy with there XK8's? Another thing you hear about is the top's blowing hose's. Does anyone have a car that works properly? I like the looks of the car, It rides vary nicely & it's fast. thanks for your opinion's. DM

PS Where can I get a original equp. owner's manual?

 

The cruise control shouldn't be a big issue, but you won't know until you have it checked. Likewise the rattle in the door, the mirror cover and the glove box lock.
If that's all you wind up dealing with, you did very well.

The convertables do have a history with leaks, I drive a coupe so I'm not real up on that, but this should get you started:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-problem-5663/

 

First off, seems like sour grapes to me. If you didn't have time to look the car over before you bought it, you made the mistake. Second, not all jags have problems. You are on a forum that people come to to ask questions about problems and fixes. Rarely if ever does a person join and say my car is trouble free. Check out any brand of car and the corresponding forums and you will see the same thing. Third, you just bought an 8, almost 9 year old car. It is used and will have problems as all aging cars do. It is rare to find a concourse level car for sale

Btw I am very happy with my car.

 

I'm very happy with mine, even with its issues. Keep your mind on the good points that you mentioned. Yes, they're beautiful and drive very nicely!

 

If you were looking for something as dependable as a Toyota, then the Jag probably isn't the right car for you. But if you want a beautiful work of art that is fun to drive and draws attention wherever you go, then there are very few cars that will beat an XK8/R. I bought mine a little over a year ago and I've been fiddling with it constantly ever since. It's never stranded me, so I consider it dependable. I wouldn't hesitate to take it on a 10,000 mile trip tomorrow. But it does require constant attention.

 

Both of my Jags have been mostly trouble free. My 97 XK8 lost a coil on the way to my first service, but that was easily replaceable. It has a few tiny oil leaks, but nothing to really write home about. It has 130k miles and was well maintained. My 05 XKR had a convertible top hose leak... it only has 32k miles on it now... other than the top hose leak, it has been trouble free.

I would trust either on a long road trip.

 

It really doesn't sound likethese are huge problems for a 2003 car, you really should have taken the time to check it out before doing the deal.

I'm sure the members will be happy to help you work through the issues and get them out of the way so that you can enjoy the car.

You can download the manuals from the sticky at the top of the section list.

 

My favorite thing after buying a used car is to go through it and attempt to make it like new. This means fixing the little niggles, changing every fluid that's accessible, greasing the half shafts, treating the leather, detailing it, getting all the service up to date, touching up the paint, waxing it, replacing the battery if it looks more than about 4 years old, if it has over 60k, I change belts and hoses , and on and on. Everyone to his own but this is enjoyable to me, it makes the car more dependable and gives a good start to the maintenance of it.

 

Very happy with my car and nothing wrong with it . . . at the moment. But that is due to constant tinkering with it. If you would look on the 'B' driver's column I suspect that you would find the car is closer to 9 years old.

Recent quote from Badkitty: "I have come to understand that owning a Jag is like owning a horse. There's no joy in it unless you love taking care of it."

Words to live by!

 

Pal.. I guess I can understand your frustration but..... It can get alot worse. You could be driving a Honda.

 

I can't complainin the last three years I had to replace only the hydralic hose for the convertible latch. I never had the dreaded green shower only a drop, and got it corrected immediately. I clean the wheel sensors once a year and basic maintenance. My car is eleven years old with 80,000 and it's holding up well.

 

My new 88 celica gts tranny blew 2 synchros at 10k miles.,,,

 

I'm on my second now. Like the good Rev, I wouldn't hesitate to put 10,000km on a trip. Neither had any real problems but due to the many systems there will be minor items to tune, clean and or replace from time to time. If you like tinkering and love driving, it's a great car. If you want to turn the key and go, you maybe should choose another.BTW, your 2003 has most of the real issues well behind it such as tensioners. Good luck in making your choice.

 

I guess that I'm a little scared of it, I really like driving it. It draws a lot of attention. It's the best looking car on the road. My first jag (1956 xk150?) was a vary fine looking car also, till it cough fire with me in it. The exhaust manifold gasket blew out and super heated the fire wall. I was doing 80 mph in second gear at the time. Kids do some dumb things. After the fire was out I started it up & drove it home. Thanks for all the help.
DM

 

I will throw my 2 cents in. First, I understand what you are going through. I purchased my 2004 XK8 in June of this year. I got a great deal, but even so, after my first visit to the *******, I mean, dealer, I was somewhat worried that maybe I had made a mistake. I had spent significant $ there and I knew I had more to fix. And then within days my top latch hose went. But, wrenching has always been a hobby of mine (although I have been away from it for a long time), and with the help of the great people on this forum, I started doing a lot of stuff to the car myself. I replaced the top latch hoses myself (VERY REWARDING), I installed the pressure regulator valve, I installed the convertible top remote module from whitexkr, I replaced the front sway bar bushings, etc. etc. And like others have said, I spent time reconditioning the leather and otherwise cleaning, waxing, & detailing. I too have done and continue to do as others have said, to "make it like new". As I did all of this, I sort of bonded with the car. I can't explain how, when, or what that means exactly, but thats how I feel about it. And driving the car is such a great experience. It is fantastic. Sure, I see little things I could do or improve, or fix. I guess I see that as part of the experience. Today it rained really hard on the highway and my foot got wet. I would have been really upset about that in my Huyndai, but with the Jag, I got home and tried to figure out why, now I am on a mission to fix that. It is an enthusiasts car for sure. What I am trying to say is that I think I felt the same way you did at one point, and now I am 180 degrees apart from that. Trust? It's coming with time, and with every day that I drive it and I don't have a major issue. But at this point, I have driven several extended (6 hours non-stop) trips, with zero issues. They are beautiful cars, let yourself enjoy it with the help from this community.
Steve

 

EXACTLY!!! I can't explain it, either, but in the year and 4 months that I've owned this car I've fallen in love with it! It has little issues and quirks, but I understand them now. It's like the car has a personality. This is the first car I've ever owned that I think I'll probably keep until I die. Even if I buy that Maserati I've been lusting over, I think I'll probably keep the Jag.

The car has become a hobby for me. I don't know what I'd do with my spare time if I didn't have the car to fiddle with. It's not that the car is broken and needs fixing, I just keep finding "upgrades" that I want to do. Since I've owned it I've installed a wind deflector, added a switch to keep the antenna down when the CD player is running, added a switch to raise the rear windows, upgraded the GPS with a Garmin unit, installed WhiteXKR's remote control top module, installed a bluetooth doohickey, installed the top resistor, fixed the headrests, cleaned the speed sensors... I could go on and on. I haven't yet had to fix anything that kept me from using the car. It has always been driveable.

 

Yeah, it's true. The vehicle spoke to me on some/multiple levels... I just fell in love with it. I've owned so many cars since I got my learner's permit in 1983... probably close to 30 by now. Only a couple I can say truly hit a spot like my XK8 has... enough that after a bit of research, I went out to buy my XKR.

It's not quite unique here... I've seen probably 20 different XK's in the local 10 mile diameter-ish area that I live, but it's the car that I've always wanted and didn't really know it.

I've loved similar body shapes for a long time now. I think my first comparable car was my 280z... and then later my 922. My XKR is my keeper. I'll die with this one.