1998 Jaguar XJR V8 Supercharged

Summary:

Fragile

Faults:

Number 8 piston keeps bashing the electrode on the spark plug, causing it to run on 7, probably crank wear.

Smokes like a chimney on start-up and whilst running.

Air filter box is filling with oil, probably worn bores causing back pressure.

Windscreen wiper parks where it wants to and sets off by itself.

Steering judders and the car has new brakes all round, and has had all bushes checked and steering tracked and wheels balanced.

General Comments:

I have wanted a quick 8 potter for ages and thought that the Jag V8 supercharged would be the one. After having the S-type, I enjoyed the traditional English character and thought of staying with the manufacturer. I am used to running around in run of the mill stuff, for example I had a 180,000 mile 1043cc VW polo and thought now's the time to treat myself, but I wish I hadn't.

The XJR has a full service history up to the last minute, so what the heck is it doing giving me all this grief in so little miles?

My 21 year old 1.0 litre VW Polo was a better workhorse and I treated it like a dog. All I can say is that I am very disappointed and this car has cleaned me out without giving me any fun..

You don't expect to buy a prestigious marque of this calibre and have these types of problems at such a low and well maintained mileage. Beware.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 4th February, 2006

1st Mar 2006, 19:52

Geez! Do you burn the tires off at amy given opportunity or what?

Seems like problems that would be attributed to hard wear.

31st Jul 2006, 14:57

Sounds like Nikasil issues, new engine time!!!

26th Nov 2007, 13:07

I have a 98 xjr with all the typical Nikasil signs: rough starting, smoke on start up, oil in air intake. It still runs well. We'll see how it plays out; probably not well. I wish I had known about this when I bought the car. The cost of an engine replacement is equal to what I paid for the car. That being said, I still love Jaguar. It's just a shame that they used Nikasil lining. 15 pounds lighter = short life span. Not a good equation.

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1998 Jaguar XJR supercharged 4 litre

Summary:

Awesome car, pathetic customer service

Faults:

The car has been absolutely brilliant. The dealer has been completely unprofessional. They "lost" the service book. They do not return calls, always complaining that they are "too busy". I have since learned that this is not uncommon for jaguar dealers. Also, there have been several bodywork defects that were clearly "covered-up" before selling.

General Comments:

From my experience, I would not recommend using a Jaguar dealership to purchase your dream car. E-bay offers similar models at £3-5K saving on approved dealers. Obviously do your own homework, as these cars can be expensive when they go wrong. What I am saying is that, from my experience, buying from a registered dealer is no guarantee of quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 23rd July, 2005

5th Aug 2005, 04:25

Having owned various cars, I can honestly say the only dealer network who treated me at all like a valued customer during and after the sale was a Mazda dealer, and that was when buying a 3 year old MX-5. Ford, Audi, Jaguar and Volkswagen were all awful, and Peugeot were truly diabolical.

I go out of my way to avoid main dealers these days. Unless I ever decide to buy another Mazda, I have vowed never to buy a car from one, or get it serviced by one. Manufacturers can't legally demand the latter for the warranty any more as long as genuine parts are used and any failure was not due to botched work. I always use independent specialists who are both grateful for your business, and need it. They tend to try a lot harder as a result.

I'm sure there are good main dealers out there, but in my experience they are few and far between.