In about the 6 weeks that I have owned the car (in drivable weather) I have found that my XKR needs >$5000 in maintenance.


I feel like I just typed this story into another thread earlier today.


I paid $13,300 for my XKR with 98k miles, just before Halloween. Since that time I have found that my front wheels are bent, and that the wheels and tires on my car are not OEM specs. $1,300 for a complete set of refurbished Double 5 wheels, and $1,100 for 4 new Michelins. (All bought and paid for).


Also needs front brakes est at $1,400, and there is a knock in the front suspension, which I am guessing is a ball joint est at $650 based on maintenance history of the vehicle.


Throw in another $510 for misc shop maintenance and inspection charges that I've already paid.


This car does and will continue to look and run beautifully while I
own it.


For fun, I added up all the maintenance history that I received with the vehicle, and then added my own $$ as well for a total of $21,861 in maintenance over 14 years (about $1,500 annually). Although keep in mind that nearly $2,600 of that is between the original owner adding aftermarket wheels, and me replacing those with OEM equipment.

 

It's a little hard to tell whether you are upset or ok with those amounts.

FWIW, the front brakes and ball joint shouldn't be that expensive at an independent shop, those sound like official Jaguar dealer prices for parts.

 

Bought my 2001 Convertible with 86K in January for $8100. Seller indicated he changed tensioners. Turned out he only changed one side. Other side broke off taking timing chain with it. $2300 for that repair. Plus about $300 for new MAFS, hood release cables, fuel filter (original still on car) and miscellaneous. Still happy owner

 

Bought my '01 about 2 years ago with around 95k miles. Since then I have replaced the secondary tensioners as a precaution (~$600 and they were cracked). $240 for an alternator (labor mine), ~$700 for a new radiator and hoses (again, my labor), and $150 for a new expansion tank. There is also the approximately $0.25 cost of solder and $0.50 of silicon to repair my ABS board (best bang for the buck ever, thanks to this forum).

The rest has been routine maintenance required of any car: oil changes, flushed coolant, windshield wipers, brake pads, etc. I bought new tires a few months ago and I also treated myself to the RealGauge upgrade for water temp and oil pressure (not required, but highly recommended).

Scheduled for the new year is front shock mounts and a transmission flush. Both I consider maintenance issues.

Some of us forget that not only are these cars 8 to 17 years old, but they are high-end performance luxury GTs. They, like all cars in this category, require a firm maintenance schedule. Luckily, they respond well to being driven…often.

For less than $1000 a year I get to drive a comfortable, beautiful car that makes me smile even before I get in and turn the key. Great value IMHO.

 

You're right- those prices are from the Jag shop. I'll be taking the car in by this weekend to an independent mechanic for the wheels & tires, and I've asked him to get me quotes on both the brakes and the knock. I'll probably ask him to do everything at once.


Upset? eh, what's the point... I'm just happy to own this thing, and I'm really looking forward to getting behind the wheel again with the mechanics in proper order and good weather.

 

For the $6K I got from selling my wife's Miata, she now has a beautiful, freshly painted, low mileage (69K) XK8 with upgraded brakes, wheels and convertible hydraulics.


Not a bad trade, eh?


From this...







To this...

 

My impression from this thread is you are all restoring/maintaining cars from 2002 and older. Most other cars of that age look it and sound it. Our cars look great. Try to restore any luxury car of that age for less.......most are better left for dead. Jaguar never helps the situation by screwing people on service so that the sports who don't know how to open the hood get tired of paying the bill for routine stuff and just let the cars go downhill after the warranty period is up. Oh, and Jaguar ignoring known faults so that the 2nd or 3rd owner gets stuck with the bill. End of rant. I know my Volvo has cost me more in repairs, but then again has 100k more miles on it.

I'm glad you guys care enough about your cars to invest in them....

Tommy, big difference, huh? Is your wife still happy with the swap? Your father-in-law did a great job!

 

She drives the Jag way more now than she ever did in the Miata. Papi sure did put some love into that paint job, eh?

 

I'd say that was a mighty fine deal! Swwwweeeettttt!

Beautiful color selection...

Sandy

 

mJohn33

I'm with you on this one. Had to put about 6K back into my beauty, but keep thinking...

I'm just happy to own this thing, and I'm really looking forward to getting behind the wheel again with the mechanics in proper order.

Lovin it! After 10 or so years...

Sandy

 

Jag#4. I agree.

For less than $1000 a year I get to drive a comfortable, beautiful car that makes me smile even before I get in and turn the key. [And then a larger smile once you hear the engine purring and feel the smooth ride.]

Sandy

 

Oh, I did forget something. The shop also told me that my oil pan is severely banged up underneath. That est was about $500, and I plan to take care of that as well.


Outside of required and routine maintenance I will also be looking into replacing my satnav with the gauge cluster, which will run me about $250 if all goes well enough. The only thing that could stop me from doing this is if the replacement wood dash center panel I picked up on eBay is a terrible match to the adjacent panels (no, I did not bid on a complete set). Technology is quickly outdated, but gauges are timeless! lol

 

Well, since I first posted this, I've had the car completely repainted, new color, new wheels, (great deal on ebay) lowering springs (fronts were gone anyway, new shock mounts, I'd say all that was about 4500.00.
Now I'm turning my attention to the coolant leak. I know it's under the throttle body so hopefully it's not the valley hoses. Then the last engine issue is a small oil leak, maybe oil cooler hoses but probably the front engine seal. Ugh.

As for the interior, ive now got a airbag seat sensor to deal with, but it comes and goes so......... and I was going to do custom seats to get rid of the scuffed drivers bolster but I'm backing off that for a while. $$$. I did decide against having all wood refinished, again $$$$, so I wrapped with brushed titanium and put in an all leather steering wheel. Also added a little piano black detail so I'm happy with it. I may give in and send my old wood wheel and have it refinished in piano black.

I have a 2010 XF but unless its raining, I drive my XK8!!

 

My 2005 XKR has been a very cheap date so far, apart from oil, filters, S/C belt, rear shocker bushes & SRS module the rest went on toys i wanted (tools). The most outlay was £1200 on a SS exhaust, because i love the V8 sound that Jag basically killed off with the tone killing silencers & to help me find the SRS fault i spent £400 on a genuine Mongoose OBD cable & software.
So...£200 on the car & £1800 on toys for me! TS

 

so far so cheap. $1000 parts and $1000 in tools. Well there are the 3 skinned knuckles and a pint of O- But then again I have left mine stock, I thought about replacing the revolvers when I replace the tires but they have grown on me and they are still pristine. I really like the grill/badge on Philef's car but I'm afraid once I start.....

 

They're going to be classic some day, you heard it here first.

Seriously, who wants a used Pantera with aftermarket wheels? Or Ferrari, or, the list goes on.......



Oh-oh, here we go!

 

Absolutely Beautiful!!

As for the topic of this thread, so far I've spent about $4200 in the 10 months I've owned the XK. Worse, now the starter seems to be out (I don't even get a "click" when turning the key) and the roof needs repaired. There is evidence of the "green shower" as well as hydraulic fluid around the pump & disc player (which I haven't tried as yet).

 

Bought my 98 coupe with 70K for 6750 USD, tensioners were already done, spent a couple hundred on suspension parts and had the local exhaust shop cut the exhaust off at the cats and eliminate all but 2 glass pack tips at the rear (under 500 and sounds awesome with 5 mufflers removed), With a new set of studded winter tires my total cost to repair was about 1750, and I drive it year round through ice and snow in NH, now at 110 K miles. Absolutely reliable, the envy of all who see it, fast as lightning, best car I ever owned.

 

I love them Pirelli tyres are best

 

None of the Pirelli tires I've owned (going all the way back to the mid-1980s) have ever lasted more than 15,000 miles. Some have worn out between 10,000 and 12,000 miles. That's ridiculous given Pirelli's always-stratospheric price points. I'll never buy Pirelli again....