1986 Jaguar XJS V12 from UK and Ireland - Comments

What was right with it??

Owned the car for 5 years and spent £13,500 on repairs and servicing. If anything goes wrong it costs a fortune to fix, and as my car was built by monkeys after a few beers the car was in for repair about once every 8 weeks.

The main dealers are expensive, useless and rude.

A very nice car to drive when working. Could do with an extra gear as 3 are not enough.

Ventilation is useless even when the aircon is working.

Only ever buy as a hobby car.

Concerning the Jaguar dealership comment. Where I live, there are only two dealers. The one I checked charges $85.00 an hour for labor. I also discovered that owning an older Jag (1987 XJ6) did not seem to impress them. Since this is case, the shop manual and some good old fashioned determination are a Jag owners best secrets for survival.

I was very interested to see the comments about the American Jaguar dealer's perception of the owner with the older car. My business partner and I both have modern company vehicles and the main dealers are interested. He also has a Silver Shadow and the RR dealer can't do enough for him. I go to my Jaguar dealer with my 4.2 SIII and they don't want to know. Is it arrogance, or complacency? The independent Jaguar specialist seems to me to be the answer.

I am a rookie at the Jaguar experience. I have found a few things wrong with my XJS. Having only 48000 miles on it, it sure does have a lot of problems.

Under the hood it has an oil leak on the valve cover.

Power steering hose just ruptured.

Has some low RPM drivablity issue.

The rest of the car has had some interior electrical repairs.

As far as I am concerned, these problems are normal for a performance vehicle. Professional race teams rebuild their cars every race. Since I am a mechanic, a few parts will take care of any problems that may come up. I feel that to own a Jag you must be mechanically inclined or have a fat wallet. When it comes down to it, this car is one of the best cars I have had the pleasure of driving.

I totally agree, only buy a V12 if you know what you're doing!

Unlike me! The repairs when ever anything goes wrong are costly, especially the air conditioning which cost over £1000 to repair.

Oil leaks are the norm for a car of this age and can cause serious damage.

Once bitten and all that, I won't buy another Jaguar again (which is a pity).

I am the former owner of a 1986 Jaguar XJS V12. What can I say... when it ran, it was like no other car I have ever driven, it had speed and incredible weight and power.

Unfortunately, it was in the car shop most of the time, so the times when it ran were few and far between. I bought it used, but supposedly in good condition. Within a month the head gasket blew. Then the alternator, then recurring problems with the cooling system. It constantly overheated, even on short drives.

I had the thermostats replaced twice, a new water pump and a new radiator put in at the advice of my Jaguar Certified Mechanic. The car still ran hot and would frequently have radiator fluid leaking from the overflow valve. I brought my car back to the mechanic because it "smelled hot" to me. He said it was a hose, which at this point, was always his answer.

Two days later, I blew a valve about three blocks aways from my office as I was leaving work. Needless to say, I was pretty upset with my mechanic. I spent $3000 getting that valve replaced which I was told would take one week, but took him three weeks because when he put the engine back in, it would die whenever he tried to start it.

After this it still continued to overheat and as a matter of fact, the day I drove it about three miles to a car dealership to trade it in, the car dealer met me outside and as I opened the car door radiator fluid was pouring out of the overflow valve on the driver side. Needless to say, the trade-in was off!

All I can I say about this car, I would still have another as a "fun car" but not for day to day driving. And find a good, reliable mechanic, don't necessarily trust the "Jaguar Certified", the guy I went to ripped me off and never fixed the problem!

I have had the pleasure of owning a Jaguar XJS V12 HE. And have found this to be totally reliable everyday. I wouldn't think of owning anything else. Possibly something else British, but that would be it.

I had a 1986 Jaguar Vanden Plas that was absolutely beautiful. I spend a lot of money on air-conditioning, a cracked head, electrical problems, you name it. I traded it in at a Jaguar dealership and I love my new Jaguar XJ6. The burlwood is not as ornate as the 1986 Vanden Plas, but overall it's great! I think Jaguar's have really improved greatly. The dealership that I use treats me wonderfully. They are so professional, totally displaying true customer service and showing everyone dignity and respect. I lived in England as a child and developed a love for Jaguars, hot tea and Cadbury chocolate so I will probably always drive a Jaguar.

I've owned a 4Ltr 1993 XJS for 2 years and I can honestly say that it has been the most reliable car I have owned, the only car I have had that has passed 2 MOTs instantly!. I've been lucky enough to find a good ex jaguar mechanic which keeps the servicing costs down, and it is the most impressive car I have driven, smooth, comfortable looks great and has the performance you would expect from a great GT. don't let the comments above put you off, find a good example (After 1992 if you can so you're not getting the british leyland cars) and enjoy what I believe to be a future classic.

I have the pleasure of owning an 1986 XJS 5.3 L V12. I bought this vehicle a year and a half ago. At that time it had 90,000 miles on it, now it has 98,000 miles. Up until now I've had no trouble with it. Now a few things are causing trouble, the windshield wipers don't work, the fuel gague is incorrect, a couple of burned out lights (not fuse or Lucas). The car is almost twenty years old, I consider this just old age. It is the most fun car I have ever driven. Nothing better in the twisties and fast on the straight aways. I have just bought an 2000 XJ8 as my sedan. I believe Jaguar is the only way to go.

01/2008...I bought a 1986 xjs v12 about 3 months now and the car shows 63000 miles. The heat when turned on goes to air condition in a few minutes after. I have not found out what the problem is as yet as its now winter. Any suggestions will be welcome. I like the car and it drives well. I too am seeing some signs of oil when parked and then moved.