Jaguar XJ40 2 year ownership update. Is Jaguar reliability a myth? What does it cost to own a XJ40?

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Jaguar XJ40 2 year ownership update. Is Jaguar reliability a myth? What does it cost to own a XJ40?

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Күн бұрын

After 2 years and 25,000KM, has this 1994 Jaguar Sovereign held up to the reliability stereotypes? Many people assume Jaguars, especially old ones are unreliable. Find out in this video and get a better understanding of the costs associated with vintage Jaguar ownership.

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@petermccann7933 7 ай бұрын

Had a 89 2.9 in BRG everyone loved it.....once you have had a Jag there is no going back

@Earcandy73 10 ай бұрын

I have owned by 1993 XJ40 for 12 years. The color is glacier white with a barley interior. I love this car. It is rather ironic that my fuel cap was also accidentally kept by a filling station a few weeks ago. I experienced rough starting after a significant rainfall. Fortunately, the tank was almost empty, and I solved the problem with a complete refill. I have replaced wheel bearings in the past. I have also changed the rubber bushings on the struts/dampers by myself. It is not that difficult. I repaired my leaking air conditioning system by replacing the evaporator coil which is behind the dashboard. This is very involved, but I was able to do this on my own also. Your car is beautiful. You will find it very difficult to purchase another in such condition. I would keep it instead of replacing with the XJ-12. The fuel economy is worse, and they are not that much quicker.

@raycroal 10 ай бұрын

I own a vee 12 and i would second that opinion, vee12's are great to try from time to time but not all the time, i would much rather have an immaculate 6 than a less so 12

@DanielJett 9 ай бұрын

V12 is WAY more complicated to maintain and repair. Stick with the inline 6 cylinder.

@charlesmclean9089 8 ай бұрын

I now own a 1995 and 1996 X300. There is a drain line in the fuel port that needs cleaning about once per year. It's black and about quarter in diameter. I pour 50/50 mix degreacer soap and vinegar in the drain tube. Plug the lower end of the tube so that the 50/50 mixture can sit in the tube for a minimum of about two hours.

@Only.gmail_ 2 ай бұрын

@@charlesmclean9089 Hey how is the gas mileage? V6 definitely, and how is the gas mileage ?

@murphman76 10 ай бұрын

Gorgeous car! I am fortunate to have a 2002 Vanden Plas which has the same basic body but with enough refinements for it to be a very reliable car. We drive it regularly. I will mention that the air-conditioning is the most robust that I have ever experienced in a car. In 105 degrees a few summers ago, it still had us chilled to the point that I had to turn it down!

@gregharvie3896 5 күн бұрын

Hi from Sydney, Australia. I have owned 3 Jaguars in my lifetime. When almost 19 yrs old I bought a left-hand drive 1965 4.2 ltr Jaguar mk10 , affordable only because it was LHD in a country where in July 1976 all cars had to be RHD or be de-registered & off the road. I knew where I could lay my hands on an almost free donor car to provide all the RHD components & with help from my just retired industrial engineer grandfather do the conversion. Being a metric car with kilometres, it had 52,000 ks on it when I bought it, I used it as my daily car and added 153.000 klms in my ownership so it had over 200.000klms all up when I sold it and it gave me NO GRIEF, EVER my friends then new 1975 Datsun 240K Skyline gave him mega trouble, its electrics were the issue eventually leading to an under ash fire when it was still under warranty, plus my girlfriends then brand new Toyota Corona needed rust repairs under warranty as well !! With the Toyota Corona needing a new left rear door skin, and a new rear valance panel between the rear taillights as it had rusted out around the taillight mounting points. Meanwhile the giant Jsg mk10 kept on going like a Swiss watch. I replaced it with a rare series 1 long wheelbase XJ6 a very late special-order car that was not completed until January 1974 by which time early series 2's were on the road, I kept this for 32 years, it had 18,200 miles on it when i bought it and when sold to a mate in 2012 32 yrs later, 189.000 miles on it and it also had performed flawlessly. Sold only because I had just bought a one owner 1967 Jaguar 420G/mk10, with a complete log of every CENT spent from October 1967 until November 2012, plus it had a mee 50,020 miles on it, almost like new. Over the past almost 12 years I have added 40,000 miles to it. In that time, I have bought it a set of 5 new tyres twice, a set of brake pads, swapped to an electronic distributor, and bought 2 new electronic fuel pumps (but I have not fitted them yet) otherwise it has been engine oil and petrol. So for an almost 60yr old car the '87 420G/mk10 has been super reliable, it has done long trips over this giant country, and I have never worried about reliability. I grew up as a kid around Jaguars as mum bought a new 1961 model mk10 when I was 6yrs old, and replaced it in early 1971 with a new 420G version of a mk10, both of these were her daily cars. The late XJ40's were basically a X300 with older body pressings, and here in Australia the 93/94 XJ40's & X300's are deemed the most reliable affordable Jaguars for those on a budget, before Ford cost cut some of the quality out of the X308's . To me the neat tidy traditional square cut dash of the xj40 & x300 looks way more high quality than the dash of the x308 which almost looks like it has melted in the hot Aussie sun !! and the Ford type plastics in the x308's get a horrible sticky, tacky feel to them as well as if sugary sweets have melted and stuck onto the plastics in the car. Here in Australia a good x308 will sell for near half that of a good late 93/94 xj40 or a x300 as the 4.0 litre slant 6 is seen as a way, way better engine than ANY of the v8 engines in the x308 series as all of them had issues when new and who knows whether those issues will bite you should you buy one as an older car also the GM automatic transmissions in the late xj40's & x300's seem to give way less trouble than what was fitted to the x308's

@classicsonly2525 4 күн бұрын

Great story! Love it. I also have a 02 XJR and as you say, the interior quality is not the same as the xj40, agreed that with Ford came cheeper looking plastics and interiors.

@ThirdAlternativ 10 ай бұрын

Another great video on the XJ40! 2023 also marks my second year of owning my 1992 XJ40 Sovereign. Although mine was in overall pretty good condition when I bought it, they can hide their problems very well. After a few weeks I heard a knocking sound coming from the back suspension. Had all the rear suspension bushings replaced, only to end up with a new set of noises coming from the rear axle. Also had the rear wheel bearings replaced. Of course one of the front wheel bearings failed on me, without any warning sounds, just like yours. I also had to source a new wheel hub. I would say the engines (at least the 4.0) are pretty solid, but the suspension and steering rack (along with alignment issues) are the XJ40 weak points and should be overhauled every 10 years or so. Oh yeah, and I forgot the AC... A good XJ40 is still a wonderfull thing, and beats its German equivalents of the day by far IMO, but most that are left have been sitting for the last 15-20 years, which doesn't do any car any favours.

@mikestone1129 7 ай бұрын

I have owned my US-spec 1994 XJ40 for the past 24 years and 125,000 miles. It now has 198,000 miles (375,000 km). I obviously love the car and while it has required repairs and refurbishing over that time - it is not a Toyota Corolla - it has to me been worth the cost of ownership. Great car!

@sackvilleweldingservices 7 ай бұрын

That is a very nice example indeed. Great to see that you look after it. What people forget or choose to accuse is that Jaguar's are the only cars with faults and corrosion. Also, people should remember that these cars are now 30years old so stuff ages just like humans do. Nothing, but nothing gets better with old age, not even wine because it turns to acid (vinegar).

@dispergere 10 ай бұрын

i have a 94 XJ6 3.2 imported from france actually from département 92 here to germany. 220000km on the clock but still lovely to drive. feels a bit underpowered sometimes but it is a pleasure on the autobahn. cosmetically it needs some work done but it passed the german MOT without any problems first time after standing around for 6 or 7 years. didn't start one time when the air temp sensor broke so that the fuel/air mixture wasn't right. and the diff was howling so i got a new one. i wanted to buy a 93/94 4.0 for much more money but i got the 3.2 offered so cheap i had to buy it. did a trip to Lunéville last month, trip computer said 9.2L/100km. One day i'll get a 4.0 but i'm very happy with my 3.2 for the moment. tax is 502€ a year, will drop to 191€ next year, 300€ insurance, average fuel consumption between 9 and 12L/100km. lovely car but it's always the same that people have this believe in jaguars not being reliable, parts expensive, working on the car a nightmare and the fuel consumption somewhere around 15L/100km+.

@martinpopov6174 26 күн бұрын

To sum up: 1994-XJ40 by now 30 years old: when you buy the car replace preventatively: all fuses, rack and pinion, AC lines, radiator, TPS sensor, MAF sensor, spark plugs, fuel pump, transmission filter and oil, differential and oil, grease up all u-joints < spray every 6 months all suspension bushing to keep rubber soft). Get rear and front hubs from donor car and replace bearings on the donor hubs. Have them ready to replace if original fail. The whole experience will cost you less than $2000, but you will have a well worked out car. *that price reflects if you do the work yourself* If with a mechanic , double by $1500 plus labor.

@jamesh7571 4 ай бұрын

Shewww it's always 3 things going crazy at the same time... Such is Life, lookin forward to seeing those short shorts ur talking about, can't help it jags are special in my book!

@davebudd1429 6 ай бұрын

I'm lookin g at a 91 version of this car. I really appreciated hearing your experiences with it. Bon voyage

@gvamedia 7 ай бұрын

I have driven my 1990 Xj40 for 15 years every day. I bought it with 80k kms when it was 16 years old and put 200k more on it in that time. Having several XJs from Series 1 to X308 I think that the early 90s XJs are the pinnacle in Quality. Later Models probably have some bugs fixed but bring a ton of others and the V8 brings a whole lot of new problems. And to drive I like more the 40 which does not pretend any sportiness. When I bought it and drove the 300kms home I was seriously surprised how the Jag glides along - like the great old citroens.

@jarmelo2006 9 ай бұрын

OMG!!!!! My favorite car in the world!!!! Jaguar XJ40 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@condadodealhamahomes 7 ай бұрын

I drive an Daimler XJ40 from 92 as a daily, probably 2-4 times a week, great car no problems at all, apart from the usual stuff like bulbs, oil, filters, tire pressure, etc. Fuel economy is as expected but on long highway trips you can get 1:10. My aircon is leaking now, but thats not a big thing for me. I added the XJR stabalizer at the front, to minimize roll and I have 17 Inch BBS on Pirellis installed as well and installed an new XJS matching wooden steering wheel which is a bit smaller then the original one. Handles easier and really complements the interior. I completely renewed the suspension springs and dempers, rubbers, but that hardly made a difference with the old set which was installed and last but not least I also added the rare Arden headlights, which gives the car a total different look, much nicer to my opinion to have double round headlights on each side.

@ecpnothnagel9121 8 ай бұрын

The XJ40 remains my dreamcar. Growing up my dad had a Daimler so I basically learned to drive in an XJ40 and I can still feel the sensations, the sounds and oh the smell of it. Don't buy one if you're not well off but if you are, it's a piece of art that can reward you with a sublime experience as well. Considering the price of some modern "art" this is an absolute bargain.

@classicsonly2525 8 ай бұрын

Love this!

@marknelson5929 9 ай бұрын

Upon discovering your channel, coincidentally a 1993 Daimler XJ40 with 122,000Ks is newly parked on the street just around the corner with a 4 sale sign on it here in Sydney. It looks immaculate (clearly has been garaged) and is only a 2 owner car - never seen it before and I assume the seller has parked it there due to the high foot and vehicular traffic.

@E34Benzin 9 ай бұрын

Moral of the story: Don't lend your car to the woman.

@garethhanna9173 9 ай бұрын

I ran a 1994 Daimler XJ40 4.0 for 6 years. The most reliable car I've ever owned, nothing save a failed alternator went wrong with it. The Ford investment really showed in the cars built from 1992-1994, they were probably the best built cars on the road at that time.

@MrAjtaylor1 4 ай бұрын

Gorgeous 😍 looks brand new!

@newblackdog7827 4 ай бұрын

Yep! I own a 94 XJ40 4.0 Sovereign, one of the very last made. When you have bushings changed have poly bushes fitted. You loose a tiny bit of ride quality, but gain re stability and they last much longer than traditional rubber.

@nigel.w 9 ай бұрын

The car looks fantastic. I think you may have trouble finding a V12 in as good condition and as sorted. But I understand that if you've become very enthusiastic that you want what is arguably the epitome of the model.

@classicsonly2525 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for your fantastic input. I was also intrigued by another comment reminding me the performance figures vs. the v12 and the difference is not spectacular.

@nigel.w 9 ай бұрын

@@classicsonly2525 You appear to have such a great example of the car with the final version of the classic racing six that I certainly wouldn't sell before a twelve in similar condition came along. Even then, you'd need to think hard. The twelve is even more thirsty, and you need a mechanic with experience of the twelve. It's not that the twelve is so complicated, but it appears complicated, and certain issues can be complicated to resolve. An inexperienced mechanic can create more problems than they solve. Of course, the twelve is very smooth and it's iconic, and can sound fantastic with the right exhaust, but the six is also a perfectly balanced unit, and all you need is a competent old-school mechanic. I think you need to be very committed to own a twelve. I would also anticipate much bigger bills with the road trips you do. Then again, all cars love to be used. Whatever you decide, my only advice for all cars is to change the engine oil regularly, at least every 10,000 kms or annually, and not to neglect changing the gearbox oil, at least every 130,000 kms, maybe even every 100,000 kms would be a sensible precaution. All the best!

@andrewprettyquick2070 Ай бұрын

the dip/beam modules... understeer... otherwise the perfect car.

@phillipreed5702 8 ай бұрын

The fuel thing..not the cars fault. The xj40 is known to have front wheel bearing issues...you keep an eye on them.

@alejandrosequera7655 6 ай бұрын

Great Videos I do love Jags have always been in love with thw 1994 XJ 40 there's something special and unique about them, is ever selling it let me know I live in the Netherlands, the shorts look great 😝.

@flightofthefelix8820 3 ай бұрын

How many XJ40's are there in France? I have a Daimler version (1990) and a house in the Tarn to which I will be moving permanently in the next 3 years and I will bring my Daimler with me.

@ivanfernyhough3851 9 ай бұрын

Thats a great xj40,you really dont want a v12 version.the 6.0 litre they put in these just wasnt as refined as the 5.3 in the older cars.the 4.0 litre is allmost as smooth,allmost as fast and way more economical.i think you might be disappointed, i no that i was.wouldnt have another v12.i have a super v8 x350 now and thats astonishingly good.have had 5 xj40s,my 4.0 litre daimler was my favorite out of them.

@ccs48 10 ай бұрын

Great videos on your xj6. Wondering about restrictions for The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker. What number sticker did it qualify for and any restrictions going into Paris with the car? Thanks

@R.EARNHARDTT 8 ай бұрын

I recently purchased a mint 1990 xj6 sovereign and ma abs lights and the brakes are heavy, also there is a slight hum coming from the back. Was wondering if you could help me find tha source of these problems !

@classicsonly2525 8 ай бұрын

Starting in 1990 the brake master cylinder is combined with the booster, pressure accumulator, brake fluid reservoir, anti-lock unit and hydraulic pump into a single unit. The pump operates electrically. Check the function of this unit, as it sounds like yours has failed. Buy a refurbished unit. The hum from the rear is very common and most likely coming from the differential. Have it checked/ flushed to see if the noise goes away.