I bought my '99 XK8 last year for $10k. Had about 78k miles on her but the previous owner had to install a new engine ($11k) when the dealership didn't replace the tensioners when he told them the symptoms. Very sad for him. He bought the car in '04 for $30k and spent at least another $30k in repairs... the dealership raped him. I was the beneficiary of all that. Poor schmuck. I put a new set of tires on her and learned how to top off the freon. Otherwise, no issues have cropped up in the past year. I plan to install new front brakes/rotors and while at it, clean the sensors to try and rid myself of that ABS/Traction Control warning. Other than that, I haven't spent a dime and don't plan to. When something major happens, I'll probably just offer it free to good home, and go back to a Volvo. But until then, I'm high stylin'!

 

There are always repair horror stories, usually caused by dishonest repair facilities and owner ignorance of maintenance/operating issues. In general, these cars are very dependable and well built. Except for the tensioners and water pumps in the 4.0 cars, they are better than most cars. If the tensioners, water pump and tranny fluid are kept up along with the normal lubrications, filters and oil changes, they are very durable. As with any car, if it is dogged or poorly maintained, it will bite back.

 

I seem to recall a thread on the site where owners were asked how long since their last major repair...that might help offset some of the feeling of impending doom with owning a Jag

 

a few of my own observations, based on initial buyer's regret when mine failed on the way home from purchase, and I got on this forum....

Remember, this forum, like many others, attracts people searching for answers to problems they are having with their vehicles, and those who have experience with solving them. Thus, the fact that you see more threads about issues than not is understandable.

That said, there seems to be some very basic things that were engineered poorly with the first gen XK8/R, and thankfully these issues with fixes have been documented here and there are many who have been through these issues to help. Where else can you get such free, worthwhile education and guidance?

With all of the talk of how much it costs to maintain, remember this: You are driving a $70,000 car that you probably purchased for 1/10th that. Mine, aside from the remaining things wrong that are more annoying than dangerous, it drives and feels and looks much like it did when it came off the showroom. For $7-8K you could buy a new Kia, and be vanilla plastic boring boxed driving. Or, you can pick up a gently used XK, and be surrounded by leather and fine wood, power accessories galore, have respectable performance and excellent handling, and be behind the wheel of what is a sexy shape and definitive head-turner.

Me, I have gone from being pissed off at my purchase when things immediately broke, to loving every moment I am behind the wheel.

 

I made a mistake buying a 1997 XK8.

The mistake, however, was not in any cost of repairs or anything of that sort.

The mistake was that after researching, I wanted the newer 05-06 body style modifications, Recaro seats, supercharger, and ebony black (not metallic black) finish along with the Sepang rims. So I went ahead and purchased an 05 that met as many of my criteria as possible. Now I'm completely happy.

As for the costs of maintaining either, they should be approximately the same... I spent a hell of a lot more getting a low mileage 05, nearly 4x the price of my 97... and that would have gone pretty far in repairs and upgrades on the 97.

The early XK's are a bargain, and even though they have a few more potential issues, finding the right 97-98 XK with all the major issues addressed, you can have a daily driver that runs fine... even though there will be a number of annoyances... little leaks and things that need to be taken care of time to time, you're still doing pretty well.

FWIW, the parts can be a bit pricier, but it seems to me that an XK isn't any more expensive to keep maintained than any other new-ish model car from any of the major manufacturers.

 

I have a 97 XK8 convertable that has 120,000 miles on it. I do most of the repairs myself in the winter so I can take my time. Water pump, power steering and all heater hoses along with the thermostat tower. I'm 56 and slow but I enjoy the satisfaction of doing it myself, with the help od All-Data for the techinical info. They are great cars, a thrill to drive, and at 56 I don't turn the ladies heads but my car still does.

 

This is amazing, it's 2023 and I'm in the same place as porkenstein - I built plastic models of cars, had a '68 XKE I built on the shelf above my desk at college, reminding me why I was doing it. Now I found an apparently special one, very well maintained and documented with under 70,000 miles, and more than $14,000. In 2023.

So I wondered if there are any updates here, or are the main things owners see still the tensioners, water pump, and hydraulics? Is porkenstein still here to give a look back?

 

The best advice I can offer is simply this: If you can do the vast majority of maintenance and repairs yourself, then your financial risk is significantly less. But if you must pay someone else (even a well-respected indie shop that is not out to gouge every customer) to do most maintenance and repairs, then you should run away and not look back....

 

If all you are buying is looks.....

I bought my 01 XK8 coupe so that I could just look at it from different angles whenever I wanted to, that fact that it runs and drives really well........for me that's gravy

 

+1 on Jon89's comments.

If you are saying the asking price of this 1997 XK8 is $14k then it would have to be very special. You could get a newer, well maintained 4.2L model with service records for that kind of money. I bought a nice driver level+ 1998 this year for half that amount.

 

Thanks for the post. It takes me back to the root cause of my purchase 13 years ago. Some challenges, but no regrets.