Faults:

I purchased this Jaguar in 1996 with 106,000 miles - after doing research, I was informed by an import shop that the Jaguar had a complete off body restoration. The Jaguar is in pristine condition and has won nine first place concours awards. Everything works from the electronics to the A/C system. Only part I had to replace other than the battery was the crank position sensor. The Jaguar has been very reliable and turns a lot of heads. Color is Crimson (deep dark red) with a beautiful lite tan interior that is flawless.

General Comments:

The 1988 & 1989 XJ40 Jaguars were very high tech for its time, there were a lot electrical problems that gave Jaguar a bad name in the early years. 1990 to 1994 Jaguars were very reliable. I will list the following areas for potiential problems.

Check A frame for rust thru around the rear axle.

Check for heavy rust on the front cross member that supports the radiator.

Check wheel bearings - especially the early years, replace with better quality bearings.

Check the boot - the lip is notorious for severe rusting or water leaks.

The 2.9 engine is a dog - move up to the 3.6 engine, better performance & very solid engine.

Door handles are prone to breaking, lube them.

Faults:

Worn out sensor for computer

Rough idle, U-joint needed to be fixed.

General Comments:

An amazing car

Gets you to the corner much quicker

Handles beautifully

Cabin is amazingly roomy

A true bargain.

Faults:

Coolant Leak: I had to spend a fortune (for the labor charges) to get the coolant leak fixed.

Power Hydraulic Leak: Ever since the coolant leak rip-off, I have started working on the car myself. I am trying to figure out the source of the leak, though its intermittent and minimal. The brakes work good otherwise, but has a low pressure every now and then.

Door Handles: The rear door handles are a problem for all xj40's. They go bad and have to be replaced, if one wants to open the rear doors from the outside.

Its not a big deal to change the same or open the doors from the inside.

Air conditioning: The heater for the car works very fine, but the Air conditioning is very poor. It takes a while to start blow out cool air. It doesn't bother me a lot, as I can always lower the windows/sunroof and get some fresh hot Arizona air. :)

General Comments:

If you like a Jaguar and can spend time, money, energy, all your patience, your love & affection and maintain her well, then she can be a beauty.

An xj40, specially the 1988 & 1989 are notorious for breaking down & draining your bank balance. But, its not always true. If she is maintained well and taken good care of, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

An xj40 is totally awesome to drive. She is smooth, quick, comfortable, spacious and seductive.

The xj40 is available at a great price. However, it doesn't end there. You would have to spend a lot more for her to run well, as most of them around aren't maintained well.

Faults:

Head gasket at 145K.

Differential at 150K.

Various ancillary units.

I have noted that Jaguar has upgraded all the replacement parts to new-type specs, so they should never fail again.

General Comments:

Excellent design, beautiful styling, very high quality and comfort. They don't make cars like this since Ford took over! Excellent handling for a heavy car. The perfect blend between a performance and luxury car. Not hard to work on after you learn how. Engine uses no oil at 155K miles, and original transmission still shifts beautifully. The 1988-92 XJ40 (XJ6 in the U.S.) is available used very cheaply, which is good for used purchasers like me. Find a really good private mechanic.

Faults:

Replaced all hoses and belts.

Oil pressure gauge rewired.

A door panel was replaced.

A complete tune up.

General Comments:

Leather seats and wood panels are very pleasing on the eyes and back.

High maintenance car, expensive to keep in top running condition.