Saga of the Jaguar XF fix

It’s fair to say that Jaguar’s reliability history has been, well, a mixed bag. And while we praised our tested XF for being a sporty sedan with strong acceleration and notably nice interior fit and finish, our Jag hasn’t been without its problems.

Case in point: After only 12,000 miles and less than a year in service, the fuel door wouldn’t open and the power driver’s window malfunctioned – it goes up, then comes down an inch and stays there. Ultimately, the window requires a number of switch operations to close it fully.

We called the dealer who told us to bring it in and they’d fix it while we waited.

So I took the car in. While I was there, I found out that there were a couple of outstanding recalls on the XF and it was also due for a free scheduled maintenance. The dealer even offered a loaner (hmmm, can you say “420 hp XKR?”) and said that everything should be ready the next day. Unfortunately, I was handed the keys to an old Isuzu Ascender--twin to the Chevrolet TrailBlazer. When’s the last time you saw an Ascender? Our last tested TrailBlazer had very un-Jaguar-like handling, braking, fuel economy, noise levels, and atrocious fit and finish. Sigh.

But I needed to get to work, so I took the keys and was off.

The next day the dealer called and said the car needed a new window regulator. Unfortunately, these were on back-order. So I waited a week for the part to come in; I was again told that the car should be ready the next day.

The next day the dealer called and told me that the parts that arrived to fix the XF were marked incorrectly and what we really needed was still on back-order. It may be another 1-2 weeks more before they get it.

Thankfully, I have lots of other cars to drive--the Ascender is not exactly a sweet ride--but I imagine that regular Jaguar owners wouldn’t be amused at commuting in this outdated SUV for several weeks while making payments on their cat. At least the Isuzu’s windows go up and stay up.

Meanwhile, we wait and wait until the right part comes in for our Jaguar FiX…stay tuned.

--Rick Small

Comments

[foster]

I found your comments on Jaguar reliability frankly sad! How come Jaguar comes near the top of JD Powers reliability year after year? I have an XF it will be a year old next month yes I had the fuel cap problem and I called at my dealer with no rendezvous arranged and it was fixed in 15 minutes! I would call that bloody good service, yes things can go wrong with anything but this is my third Jaguar and all I can say is fantastic reliability and I pay for my cars! I have two friends who bought the new Audi A4 one had to have a new engine after a month and the other a new gearbox, thats what I call a problem but maybe you just forget about the cars produced for people with a sheep mentality, they can do no wrong!

[Cale]

I would have taken the Ascender back and insisted on a proper loaner for my XF.

Just my $.02.

[Michael]

I'm quite familiar with getting ancient clunkers as "courtesy" cars, and it can be an advantage--it makes your own car feel that much better when you get it back!

foster:
-I don't think there was anything "sad" about CR's comments, since they were drawn from survey results and experience with the test car.

-If you look up a few more reliability surveys, you'll find the results follow a pattern--which does not generally coincide with JD Powers.

-How can you claim excellent reliability on a car that's only 1 year old, and that has already had a fuel cap problem--which was also experienced by CR? Waiting for another decade will give a better idea of what a reliable car is. My car sees a couple of repairs once a year after thirteen years of salt-infested snowy winters and hot summers.

[Roger]

I've also owned an XF since March 08 and have had few problems and very good service. I did occasionally find the fuel cap difficult to open, and it was replaced in the recall when I took the car in for a service. This is the seventh Jaguar I've had since 1983, and I've felt they were all pretty reliable, but what has kept me buying Jaguars has been the outstanding service from the dealer. Plus the cars are always a joy to drive. There are probably faster, sportier, or even more reliable cars out there somewhere, but none that combine the driving experience, comfort, looks and superior service you get with jags. I really hope that the new Indian owners of the company will keep up the tradition.

[larry]

My wife bought and FX because it is pretty and had neat gadgets. I begged her to lease it rather than to buy it. Good thing she leased it. It has had a multitude of issues that never seem to fully resolve. The navigation system sucks. When it gets lost, it says you are out of gas! I suspect that is code for go to a gas station and get a map. The car has stalled while driving etc.... yes, it is beautiful. That is all I can say. Meanwhile, I bought an Infinity G35x and couldn't be happier. No trips to the dealer in 11,000 miles. It is extremely fun to drive and all wheel drive. I almost NEVER get into the Jag.....