I need your opinion on purchasing a 1997 Jaguar XJS with high miles.......(110,000 miles ).

Would a car with this mileage have problems?

The interior and exterior appears clean ( no rust on exterior ). I have read this model had problems with; engine performace (Jag replaced some),poor mileage due to engine, rear shocks problems, poor tire wearing,etc.

I now drive a Dodge Intrepid (160,000 miles) as my every day car. Would the high mileage '97 XJ6 be reliable ( without a lot of repairs )?

Looking For Some Good Opinions

Lee-

'94 Conv. XJS
'99 XJ8L

Submitted by iola@primus.ca on Mon, 05/23/2005 - 11:04

High mileages on a Jag should be accompanied with a complete service record. Most high mileage car are well maintained and went to complete servicing from head gaskets to wheels bearings. I also encounter low mileage cars in worst condition than then the high mileage ones, surprising you may say! Nothing worst than sitting machinery, those I stay away.
Logically a high mileage car is owned by a loving enthusiast that will take care of any small problem immediatelyàwell I suppose. You may need at one point to revisit the engine and transmission, but again if the oil changes were made regularly, w/t should be at a minimum level. Remember, ôIt is not the mileage you should worry about, it is the previous owner!ö
Regards
Jacques

Submitted by NE52-32043 on Mon, 05/23/2005 - 10:05

Lee,

First, Pascal has asked this over and over -- please post model specific questions to the appropriate model forum.

Second, is it an XJ6 or XJS? You say two different cars in your posting. In either case, the answer to your question depends on a lot of different factors. Are they highway or city miles? What part of the country? Was the car garaged? Most importantly, do they have all of the service records and was the car serviced regularly per the service manual? What mechanical problems has the car had over the years and how were they addressed? Was it ever in an accident?

Unless you get answers to all those questions, and have the car evaluated by a very experienced Jaguar mechanic, it's hard to say how reliable the car will be. There is no reason why a high mileage XJ6 or XJS should not be reliable if it was well maintained, was never in an accident and got a large proportion of its miles on the highway.

Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
'70 XKE FHC
'69 XKE OTS