Comments: 1-15, 16-21
From the day I bought this car, something was wrong. I only ended up owning it for 11 months and I put in over $9,000 worth of repairs (and nothing was wrong as of the day I bought it). I had to replace all four rotors and pads (they all warped) for $1,300, the fuel pump for $1,250, all the O2 censors for $500, the engine fan (both of them) for $900, the AC for $350, multiple circuits (they kept blowing which in turn blew out my tail lights and every time I replaced them, they blew again) for who knows how much money when you add all them up, and many other problems. Not a month went by when I did not have to take it to the dealership which charges $90/hour for labor and adds (they specifically told me) 25% onto the cost of every part. I tried to take it to other places, but they refused (including Ford dealerships which obviously own Jaguar) because they all said they were not trained to work on Jags. On top of this, an oil change costs $95 on a Jag XJ6. I almost never made it out of the shop for less than $500.
This is by far the worst car I have ever owned or can even imagine owning. I do not know how they are still in business when they make cars this poor quality. Even the myth that Jags are fast is false. this is one of the slowest cars I have ever driven. It was extremely smooth at high speeds (over 100 mph) but it takes too long to get there. Forget taking anyone off the line, my Jeep is 10 times faster than it from a stop. The one and only upside to this is that everyone at the dealership is extremely nice and they have great customer service. I had previously driven my dad's Jeep and have since bought my own. I have never had any problems with it and will never buy anything different again.
This man obviously bought a cheap Jaguar not that appeared to be in good running order. If you don't have the money to take care of a jag don't whine about service costs. I had an 88' XJ6 and it cost me $6000 a year. Also driving a vehicle over 100MPH isn't a great way to keep it in shape. Everyone knows that Jags aren't more expensive to buy, but to maintain, also the 88'-94' XJ6 was built on the now infamous XJ40 frame is notorious for having problems especially in the electrical and computer systems. Also, Jaguars that are properly maintained are quite fast and nimble for their size. my 88' took 7.1 seconds to get to 60MPH which is actually faster then the manufacturer's listed time of 7.4. In conclusion, this is a classic case of somebody buying something and not truly knowing what they were getting themselves into.
I agree with the previous poster. A friend of mine was looking for an XJ6 and he knew exactly what he was getting into and what to avoid. He also was on good terms with a Jag mechanic. He found the car he wanted and understood it wasn't a Lexus as far as reliability.
As you imply, Jaguars are always tempting buys because they are always so cheap as used cars. But maintenance is definitely the killer.
I am shocked that you had so much go wrong with your Jaguar. My 1993 XJ6 was purchased by myself in May 2000.It has now Cushioned me for 215,000 Miles and all I have needed is a Radiator, Hoses, All Brakes, Four sets of Tires, Coolant Sensor, New Heater Control, and Rear Suspension Work. One finds it hard to raise a grumble when one has had such sterling service. I purchased mine from a Jaguar Main Dealership Premise. Where did you purchase your own Sir? Of Course it goes without saying that I adhere to all Dealer Servicing Requirements. Money well spent in my case, would you not agree? I do wish you luck, hopefully you shall be caught up with the prior owners obvious neglect post haste.
I am the original poster on this car. Sorry it took so long to get back. In response to the first comment, how can you say that $6,000/year in maintenance is fine. It is not that I could not afford it (I paid for ALL repairs immediately with a check), it is that I should not HAVE to pay that much to keep my car running. I now have 2 Jeep Grand Cherokee's (1996 and 1998 for my wife) and neither one of them has any problems. My 96 Jeep has 135,000 miles on it now (85,000 when I purchased it) and I have only had a couple things go wrong with it (water pump at 115,000 and exhaust rusted through at 125,000). My 1998 has had no problems as of yet (currently has 75,000 miles on it). This is the way a car is supposed to be...RELIABLE! Every morning when I go out to start it up, it does! There is never any doubt. Every morning with the Jag I had to hold my breath wondering if it would start up. Money was not the issue, reliability was. I was not expecting a Lexus (which I hate by the way, I feel they are the most over priced cars you can buy), I was expecting a car to get me from point A to point B, every time. Every one told me that Jags were not very reliable so I didn't expect too much (I did purchase a $2,000 warranty with it which did not help too much). Somehow, I was still disappointed. To the man who has well over 200,000 on his Jag, I am happy for you. You obviously lucked out and found one of the good ones. I will never make the mistake again of buying one.
In the past I owned a 1988 Jaguar XJ6 known to be one of the worst and experienced negligible problems. The only issue I ever had was a blown upper radiator hose and failed fuel pump which was replaced with a used unit for $40 myself doing the labor. Also I would like to point out that I was a teenager at the time and ran the car quite hard. With regards to older jags being fast my mother at the time owned a 1985 XJ6 and I have personally driven it to speeds of 140+ mph with little effort.
I own a 1994 XJ6 and have had air conditioning problems non-stop for two months now. However, my Jag is an amazing car. I recently had it up to 200 KPH or 140 MPH before I backed off for fear of a speeding ticket. It is incredibly quick and smooth especially in sport mode. The electrical is a bit fussy, but nothing overall. I have the Alpine green exterior colour and people comment on how beautiful the car is. It only has 98,000 kms or 57,000 miles on it. I'm hoping it will go another 150,000 more. Just watch out for both radiator fluid and oil consumption on these older XJ6's. My Jag is the hottest car I have every owned and I have had them all: Japanese, English, American and German.
I got a 88Jaguar XJ6 from my dad's estate. It's costly if you want to keep this vehicle fine and efficient. Luckily I knew a couple of mechanically inclined people, who desired taking on the beast and achieved some moral victory. If you have extra expenditures, the drive is as good as sex. You forget that you're way over the speed limit. (Be careful) Love it or leave it that's a Jaguar.
Hello sir.
I also have a beautiful jag.
I love it, but the car has been off the road a long time while we work out WHY it's not running.
The problems started not long after second hand purchase.
We have had it in the electrical shop and all is good; fuel is pumping in the right places and we are stumped about why it isn't going, but only turning over.
if you can tell me anything useful, I would love to know what have we missed?
We have oil and petrol all going where it's supposed to.
Completely stumped.
Michele
To Michele: You didn't say what year and model Jag you have. I had a 1983 that did the same thing. Turned out it was a relay that is mounted on the firewall. It was a "cold start" system relay. See if the shop checked those as well. I hope this helps,
Mark.
I recently purchased a 1994 XJ6 and have replaced the fuel pump. I did also replace a taillight and a front amber light. I purchased a better battery to give more cranking amps. My biggest problem is when it is very wet outside it does not start well and may require a boost. There is some water leakage on the front passenger floor and in the trunk. The circuit fail light (#25) comes on a lot at this time. Is some circuit catching this water and if so, where do I start looking to stop the water.
I am browsing for hints - mine is a 95 xj6 and I adore her, but had problems with the timing and she runs VERY rich.
Having sorted the cam chain tensioner she has just blown the emissions computer off the wall on M.O.t - any ideas?!!
P.s. - computer says she appears to be running on 4 cylinders, but shes definately firing on all 6.
Cheers Kerry-Joe.
If you're thinking of purchasing a used XJ6, which are beautiful vehicles, take note of which region of the country the car has come from. If the vehicle has come from the snow belt you may expect some more expensive electrical problems than say a dry climate car. Be aware you should have some mechanical ability when purchasing ANY used vehicle more than a few years old. As far as late 80's and early 90's XJ6's you might want to stay away from 93 and 94 as they are known for electrical gnomes no matter where there from. The best bet is to purchase a low mileage as possible vehicle or a Grannies car. The other option would be a stored vehicle. All problems can be addressed on these vehicles, but if you have a short fuse and a lot of money to spend on different problems maybe you should invest in a much newer Jaguar. Good Luck.. Jag Lover.
I have a 93 XJ 6 which I bought in 1996 with 41,000 miles on it. I now have 185,000 miles and the engine shows no sign of quiting. Yes, I have had problems, but once I got the car "caught up" as one mechanic so aptly put it, the large repairs diminished and I have had the pleasure of driving a car that is widely admired and paid for to boot. What is the sense of putting a lot of money in it only to sell it to someone with it almost "caught up?"
I would caution any used Jaguar buyer to get on from a dealer if possible, catch it up, and enjoy the car for awhile. In my case, I am in my 13th year with it and it really gets more beautiful with age.
PS: My favorite Jaguar quirk is the requirement that I take my fingernail and click the gas cap lid plunger in 3 times before locking the car in order for the lid to lock properly.
I have a 94 Jag xj6 great car, but runs rough.
I bought an 89 XJ6 a year ago. Great car, runs wonderfully. Some minor electrical quirks, but nothing I'm concerned about. I love this car, and when I wear it out, I'll get another one.