Battery leaked and destroyed trunk
water pump failed twice
dead battery twice
sunroof track failure
door lock failure
sporadic stalling at highway speeds.
I was plagued with a stalling problem for over a year which the dealer denied and no-one could diagnose. The vehicle was terribly unsafe to drive on the highway. I was forced to go to an independent mechanic who solved the problem by replacing the throttle body with one from a 2002 model. Thankfully this solved the problem. In October 2004, I received a recall notice from Jaguar regarding the same problem. I forwarded a letter to them with my costs to diagnose and solve the problem which they have declined to pay. They are in complete denial over the solution to the problem and are making excuses rather than live up to their responsibility to produce a safe vehicle. Anyone who has received this notice should know that the vehicle stalling problem will never be corrected without replacing the throttle body completely with a newer model. Don't be duped into a software upgrade solution.
Hey man I have a 1994 Jaguar I just bought not too long ago. I've also owned older models, I am a Jaguar enthusiast. The thing is with the Newer Jaguars they are made by Ford. Any Jag I have owned that is a ford model has been junk. Nothing but problems. If you can find an older one in mint condition you would have a second opinion on these cars.
Interesting fellows you are. Here in the US, the current thinking is that pre-Ford, the cars were all junk. Largest precept is that they used to arrive on the dock and not start due to electrics. Check eBay for current market.
Kirsch
san francicso, ca.
I think the poster identifying himself as a "Jaguar enthusiast" is in the US.
He also doesn't know what he is talking about. Check any quality survey of Jaguar models pre- and post- Ford buyout of the company and you will see what I mean. Ford invested a lot of money to make the quality competitive with the luxury Japanese and European marques, which it definitely was NOT before.
Just another example of thinking that if they were bought by an American car company, the quality would go downhill. In this case, utterly unsupported by any factual information.
Well, as far as I concerned I have to say, that my Jaguar XJ8 is a car without any problem. I often drive on highways in Germany. There exists no speed-limit and so I know how fast my car is - about 240 Km/Hour.
So I can`t understand that there are problems with driving US-Highways. Maybe the Jaguar does not like to go so slow the hole time of use.
Rent a test-area for a few hours a month and take a fast ride!
I would stay clear away from ALL 1997 Jag XK8 or XJ8 with the early 8 cylinder engine. These early V8's had faults which they were resolved in 1999/2000 models onwards. In comparison the older XJ6 (1995-96) are extremely reliable with the old Jaguar V6 engine these last forever and are 100% reliable before replacing them with the 'Ford' V8.
I think you mean in-line 6 cylinder engine.
Jag never put a V6 in the XJ range.
Interesting site, thank you. I may be wrong, by all means correct me, but was of the opinion that Ford bought Jaguar in about 1988-89? So don't quite follow the earlier comment from the 1994 owner eulogizing pre-Ford cars. Also anyone I have spoken to says Ford caused quality to improve markedly through its investment.
I am a recent 1998 xj8 3.2 executive owner. Too soon to give a thorough review, but a superb motorway car with almost zero driver fatigue even after several hours, excellent interior and staggeringly good value if bought wisely. Steering is a tad light at very high speeds and not really a country lanes car at speed, but a very good place to be in a traffic jam.
The new Jaguar V8 is of a great design, one of the finest in the world, high performance with refinement.
It is fully Jaguar's own design - there's no such "Ford V8" in Jaguars (thank God). On the contrary, Ford applied some of the basic parts from this engine in its Lincoln, and those Lincoln engines were manufactured by Jaguar in the UK. Yes, indeed, Ford did (1990 onwards) contribute to quality improvement, reflected in XJ6/Sovereign model year 1992 and later.
If you are buying a Jag with a V8 from 1997 to 1999, check:
1. Engine wear (as usual with any car) : look for rough idle, blue smoke when starting etc. This important as in some less developed countries with high sulphur contents still in the gasoline, the sulphur did harm the engine bore coated with Nikasil (this is a race car design adopted by Jaguar and BMW for their new V8 engines in 1997. Actually it is much better than steel liners, as the engine is kept in near-new condition for much longer, better performance, economy and environment). Most Western / European countries haven't had high-sulphur gasoline on the market for years any more. Under ten cases, mainly in the US 1998 or 1999 reported, though much inflated street talk goes around.
2. Timing chain tensioners (two, secondary) should be changed into the metal ones now available, to prevent damage (cost 300 euro). If you don't, at least watch for any engine-front chain rattle sounds and repair immediately, otherwise you might end up repairing the bent valves.
Same goes for the thermostat, worth changing to be sure, otherwise, if stuck closed will cause overheating and easily damage the water pump impeller, which leads to more trouble. Serious overheating is very dangerous to a modern engine. Any unusual high reading, no matter how small, and the temperature issue should be taken seriously.
3. Year model 1997-98 have had some throttle electric motor failures, shutting down at full speed. Might be worth changing to a 1999 or later part.
As you see, some small issues in a very reliable car. And, these are pretty much ALL the issues.
But, do the maintenance vigorously, otherwise the cat will bite you at your wallet!
The 2002 throttle body does not fit a 1998 as it is air injected...I'd go see your independent mechanic and ask how he made it fit. It is completely different.
I own a '98 XJ8. Have had the throttle body repaired, but now have a broken timing chain. Further, the car has failed a leak down test so the dealer has recommended a new engine. This, in a car with less than 60,000 miles on it - at least it will look stunning in the junk yard!
We just bought a 1997 Jaguar XJ Sport V8, 3.2 litre for 3500 pounds sterling, about 6500 dollars US. It has 100,000 miles on it, but drives and feels like new. I can see why people who paid the new price and then had problems would be upset, but the wife is delighted with her choice and I have no beef.
I would advise you all to let someone else take the risk of paying for these things new- better to get a proven one at a fraction of the money. Luckily no one ever listens to me, or the supply of cheap luxury motoring would dry up.
I purchased a 98 XJ8 on Sunday, Oct. 29, Monday Oct. 30 the Gear Box Fault light came on, it was as though there were no 1st gear. We took the car to the dealer, they ran a diagnostic, took care of the recall on the throttle, and replaced a brake switch. Said we needed to take it to a transmission place. We purchased the car for $8700, spent $242 at the dealers, and am now spending $2000 for a new clutch boot. Hopefully, this will take care of everything, I would love to drive it! It only has 72,000 miles.
I just purchased a 2000 XJ8 4.0. It's a sweet ride. Nice on the highway and you should see the looks from the kids with their modified Honda's when my 4-door luxury car leaves them behind at the traffic light! My only complaint would have to be that when I put the key in the ignition I always seem to hit the windshield wiper control and I usually say a few choice words when the wipers come on. Other than that little inconvenience I am very happy with this car.
For a few years I owned a gorgeous, 1989 saphire blue XJS. Never in my driving life have I experienced such a solid ride. I miss that XJS. I think it's the sexiest car on the road.
However, at this time interested in a late model XJ8 sedan providing more seating space and a few more reliable amenities.
I've found a beautiful 1998 XJ8. Drives just as solid and smooth as my beloved previous XJS.
I found this site and I'm so disappointed to hear of some of the experiences others' have had, specifically with the 1998 model year of the XJ8.
I guess I need to go with 1999 or newer, right?
The $ is certainly right on older Jaguars.
Ellensburg, WA.
Well, let's put it this way. One auto magazine had a loaded XJ that suddenly decided to "have a stroke". Its air suspension freaked and the car was half jacked up. The car was undrivable and had to be flat bedded to the dealer.
This was a model year 2005.
If you get any Jaguar make sure it has a warranty.