18 parts that will break on your Jaguar XK8 XKR or X100. 

I just bought a console armrest from the UK to USA a few weeks ago. Looks MUCH better than the cup holder version and it's like new! Besides no DRINKING in the Jaguar!

1:16 Cup Holder 3:11 Rear View Mirror 4:51 Air vents 6:19 Seat hinge cover 8:20 Tilt Forward release 8:50 Seat adjustment switches 9:30 Remote control / key fob 12:06 Boot Keyhole 13:15 Headlight condensation 15:50 Alarm Sounder 18:38 Timing Chain Tensioner 22:30 Air box mount 22:50 Air Breather tube 23:35 Coolant header tank 24:12 Radiator Hose 25:20 Tensioner Pulley 26:00 Suspension Mount Bushing 27:08 Water Pump

Thank you, John, I've just unplugged my Intelligent sounder thanks to your tip, hopefully I won't have to keep resetting my windows every day now!

I've watched your videos from the start. I'm the caretaker (5 years plus now) of a 2007 XK Convertible, 1 of 97 built, in Winter Gold, 56000 miles on the clock. I do car shows with it and drive it. love the car! Other than changing oil, tires, and battery, Zero things to fix, All original. Everything works! I drive it and enjoy it.

American spec 2001 XK8 convertible which spent early years in Naples, FL and Albuquerque, NM before coming to SF Bay Area (very hot climates). I've repaired or replaced all parts myself using your excellent videos John, and others on youtube. Thankyou. The 4.0L engine was used in the Ford Lincolns so parts can be ordered at Ford dealerships for half the cost of parts at Jaguar dealers. It now has 49k miles and I've repaired: 1) Weather stripping on right side where window meets top. 2) Visors. 3) Center mount overhead lights and mesh grill. 4) Valve cover gaskets. 5) Coolant overflow tank. 6) Fuel pump (this was a fun one). 7) Front shock mounts, bushings all around. 8) ABS/ATC Module. 9) 3 Batteries. 10) Clean ABS wheel sensors each year. 11) LED bulbs in dash. 12) Condensation in left headlight. 13) Air box mounts.

Sun visors are a certain break, but repair is relatively easy. The plastic hinge which houses a small metal piece gives way and the pressure from the metal that 'snaps' the visor in an upwards position no longer exists.

For anyone who is struggling with their key fob...I fixed my key fob with standard kitchen aluminium foil cut and glued on the worn graphite/carbon contacts. It works perfectly and it is extremely cheap! I fixed it last year and it still works fine.

As a 1998 xk8 owner for 11 years in the U.S. Your are spot on John. Love your content!

I have had to deal with most of your listed breakages John. Plus the hydraulic roof latch leakage problem.

I am pretty sure the same rearview mirror was used in an Acura tl model and can be had for a lot cheaper that way.

Great reminder John, thanks. Another one where ageing plastic is to blame is the thermostat tower on older cars - and also the ashtray cover in the centre console where the hinges break

Many (most?) of these issues apply to the XJ8/XJR (X308) too! Been there, done that.

Hi John, loved the "apart from the battery" strapline at the beginning. Here's my personal score (2005 car)... 1) Cup holder: no breakage yet, but that's because they're rubbish so I don't use it. 2) Dipping view mirror: still OK so far. 3) Air Vents: broken (must re-watch your video and fix them). 4, 5 & 6) Plastic trim: All in one piece but I do have a moulding that's dropped off and I can't seem to find where it's cone from! 7) Key Fob: both on their last legs. Again, I need to re-watch your video on how to clean/repair them. 8) Secret key hole: gave mine a clean after I saw your original video on the subject, so all good. 9) Headlight condensation: nothing too serious yet. 10) Siren: no issues yet. 11) Timing chains: not relevant due to age of car. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18) All good so far. Sounds like I've got lots of issues to look forward to! I would suggest adding ... Footwell plates rotting, due to those production line spigots not being removed. Need to change gearbox oil. Sticking radio aerial. Heater/aircon problems. Excellent video. Sorry I couldn't watch live.

Thank you very much for a most informative video, with a good, clear and relaxed voice and no annoying background music. I am about to buy a ‘97 XK8 coupe and will try to check all 18 items. Question : Do you also have a video on the up/down action of side windows and possible water leaks between glass and rubber weather strip? Thanks for sharing any info on this issue as well.

Bang on John! I've had at least a third of these crop up. A lot of mine are due largely to aged plastics but not helped by some gorilla action by what I believe to be " not very careful" mechanics. My centre console frame had lost all but one attaching hole, J gate cover had lost all four tabs, and so it goes on. Fortunately I've managed to repair and or replace most of it and I have to thank you in particular for your excellent videos and your reassuring explanations. There's not much to scare me on these cars now. People shouldn't be put off by negative comments, like you say.

Thank you so much for your videos! I feel lucky that since I bought my 1998 XK8 a year ago (85.000 miles) I only experienced the following (and still minor) issues you rightly mentionned: Rear View Mirror Seat hinge cover Boot Keyhole Headlight condensation Water Pump (+ thermostat), this one a more serious one, wishing that other things were fixed before I bought it (do not think so...), and waiting for more things to break and be fixed thanks to your channel... Love this car by the way!

Great video. I'm an avid watcher of your channel, and have seen the (separate) original videos pointing out the potential XK8/XKR issues. But, it is nice to have them grouped into one video. Thanks for the reminder!

Another great Video John. Thanks.

Once again a very informative video. Thanks John.

Thanks John for a very informative video.

Looking forward to playing XK8 failure bingo later. HOUSE!

Hi John, Another excellent video, especially for newcomers. I have been very lucky with my 2004 XK8 only had to fit (#10) a new alarm sounder and #14 (had three of those!). HOWEVER, I have just had my brake switch fail (actually the cruise control switch part of it), which gives a 'Check rear lights/ No cruise control' warning come up on the message centre. I found the solution on Richard Astley's channel. Just got to get my soldering iron out now to fix it.

Another good video John, thanks. I would also add the thermostat tower, hence most upgraded to metal at some point.

Hi John, always enjoy the videos. I’ve been lucky with my 2004 XK8 but have been replacing the various items before they give out. One issue I had that seems to plague a few of us was the headrest cable not working due to stretching. These cars are certainly a labour of love. Thanks for all you do. Cheers

Thanks John.

Another great video John, keep up the good work 😀👍 Dare I mention the green shower 🤔

Already broken on my XKR at time of purchase is the electric adjustable headrest. I've watched vids on how to fix it and, given my skills, the thought scares me so... I just leave it. Like many others, my CD changer has crapped out. I'm thinking about shipping it somewhere for repair but... it's not that important. I had to replace my coolant overflow reservoir (similar to what John showed in the video) and replace the switch behind my brake pedal. This kept coming up on warnings on the dash and made my cruise control unworkable. I am one of the lucky few that has a still working cup holder. One problem is the shallowness of it and the loose grip. When I accelerate (even lightly) my travel mug tends to flip backwards out of the holder and into the back seat. A good drip proof mug is recommended. I have arrived at a solution. I snagged one of our children's plastic drinking cups (nearly a pint? resembles a pint glass but coloured plastic with a design etched into it that actually aids in the holder gripping it). I insert the plastic cup first and my travel mug slips nicely into it.. The plastic cup stays nice and secure in the lousy cup holder and the travel mug slips easily in and out while utilizing the higher profile of the plastic cup to stay in place.

My 1999 XKR is solid - I've only had 16 of those 18 repaired. (missed the air vents and the alarm sounder). ABS module is another common one.

yes all of these I've had my 1997 xk8 from new the biggest was the gearbox which also needed a new torque converter at 100,000 and the hood fluid changing well done

Hi John! When I got my '04 I had both keys but only 1 fob. I went on eBay, found what I thought was a refurbished fob for only $15. When I received it, turns out to be a brand new aftermarket that was a dead ringer for the OEM fob save for the fact that it didn't have the growler embossed on it. It also came with full written instructions on how to reprogram both fobs (you have to do both to add a new one) and don't you know, it actually worked first time!

More top xk content John. If it hasnt been said before OCTOPUS hoses and all those pesky plastic Norma attachments. Invisible, untracable aircon coolant leaks. Aerials need replacing regularly. Also remind people about ensuring the rubber boot drains for the plenum are attached. Leaking cam covers. Holes in air intake duct (a real performance killer). All manner of rust issues. And much more.

Thanks John, On the ball as usual; # totally agree re the cup holder position/dimensions # yep, rear view mirror tide mark, managed to get a new OEM from Dave Roche in Scotland but cost an arm & a leg to ship to Oz. # key fob, followed your instructions & all good now # important tip re intelligent sounder, will disconnect & see how my battery goes # good tip re headlights, will pinch my wife's hair dryer as I do not need one ! # not sure if it is my pulleys squealing/ticking, but, it goes away when warmed up. May I add the rear internal stop light housing, totally cracked up, probably due to UV. These plastics have a lot to answer for !! Cheers

well, I'm sure glad this vid wasn't out before I bought my XK8 a couple of years ago. sure would have made me change my mind. however- perhaps some remarks are in order. it may well hinge on the point of "using" the XK8. doing 6000mls a year or more on one of those, or many cars that age, may be putting more strain on the car, or reducing the possibility of caring for her in the appropriate manner, than is ideal. so, from my perspective.... I really don't expect neither my vents nor my cup holders or seat switches to fall off, cause they are hardly touched at all. and certainly nobody is having a cuppa inside the Jag, to be sure. don't want any tea on the ivory leather, do we? I'd take a rather dim view on somebody kicking off that seat trim, but then- won't happen, nobody sits in the rear seats, never has, never will. why? the XK8 isn't "used" like that, but is part of a collection and if somebody will need to sit backside, there is a car for this. with rear doors. on the XK8, mileage averages to just over 2000 per year lifetime and appx 1000 p.a. since I've got her. 60'000 is a long time away, that'll take us 15years or so. however- these cars are old, 20years and counting so we're out of warranty, maintenance and replacing items is to be expected. things like suspension bushes, top mounts, water pump, thermostat and more could be named with most high class vehicles of that age, think Audis or BMWs, depending on mileage. hoses, gaskets, seals may fail, sometimes. if that's worrying, one needs to stay with much younger cars. like 2 or 3 years old. so for collectors intending to buy an XK8, I'd suggest not to be too concerned. every car has some weak spots, be prepared to handle (preventive) maintenance as required. some items do not apply to the later model 4.2ltr. in my humble opinion, the Jags of this era are surprisingly well designed, better than expected, in fact.

I've now owned 4 of these cars (2 xk8 conv, 2 xkr coupes) and here are the things that were broken / have broke! Cup Holder - yes on 2 cars Rear View Mirror- yes on 1 car Seat hinge cover - yes on all 4 Tilt Forward release - none Seat adjustment switches - yes on 3 cars Remote control / key fob - yes on 2 cars Boot Keyhole - none Headlight condensation - yes on 2 cars Alarm Sounder - none Timing Chain Tensioner - none (feeling blessed) Air box mount - none Air Breather tube - yes on one car Coolant header tank - yes on one car (hose) Radiator Hose - yes on one car (collapsed) Tensioner Pulley - none Suspension Mount Bushing - yes on all 4 cars! Water Pump - none Everything was a super easy fix, and not very expensive. I buy these cars in pretty rough shape and fix them up, so most are already coming with issues. The plastic hinge covers are easy to snag and break, if you are coming out of the back seats. When I get these cars I can knock out most of these fixes in a day! :)

Great vid John, I luckily only got to 4! But who knows what might go wrong next😅.

Hi John, my 04' XKR has the header tank in the same location but the outlets or inlets have a different layout to the non-supercharged cars with that 'hard plastic' line that comes out and joins another line of the same stuff that I think goes straight to the radiator - the join is somewhat different to yours and rather than heading back in towards the intake manifold as in your car, it heads straight towards the front of the car towards past and down under the ABS unit. I think that "hard plastic" line became brittle right at the join that exits the header tank and developed a leak there, at the L shaped junction (different to yours) about 50mm out from the header tank. Let me tell you that special anti-freeze/anti-boil which is orange in colour absolutely stinks when is drips onto something hot, could smell it inside the cabin, mine was pooling ever so slightly between the exhaust and it's heat shielding. I was out of town too so it was a real pain, I had a warning telling me to stop basically (something along those lines - the memory isn't what it used to be), I think it was a red light rather than a typical orange. I stopped straight away and rang my insurance company to send a breakdown assistance bloke out. He filled the header with water! It wasn't that low to be honest, the float did it's job. A real no no I think adding water though, I wasn't happy with that - he said it takes the red fluid, I had to correct him as clearly I knew more about my Jag than him, it takes that orangey OAT fluid..can't quite remember the specs but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I can't remember very well but I think I got a typical engine warning light but in Red, with a message on the screen like 'STOP now' or similar, I don't think I got an overheat warning though thankfully. I ended up slicing the line to create a nice new end and trying to create a new join, that line is very hard and easily chips away I found it was quite brittle. I used some adjustable hose clips but that line I think is meant to be heated then squeezed on to the outlet - not sure but the hose clips weren't great. I jerry rigged it to get it home then bought some 10mm rubber hose as per the stuff like on yours. Not a great day that was, all the other faults in this video I haven't had so far thankfully. I recently did my upper shock mounts - I got those yellow ones long before I seen your video series on them. They seem ok so far. I also did my transmission seals, she clunked/banged into first gear and also squawked since I owned her (those are common faults I believe too actually). I learned to drive to her nasty kickdown and even the squawk, just by being gentle mainly. Problem fixed, I wouldn't want to ever do that trans job again, I am supposed to reset the adaptations but that would probably cost my right arm, I had trans fluid all over me even though I used a shop hoist - a mate is a mechanic but he won't go near my Jag LOL, the process to fill the sump is a nightmare for 1 person I think. Anyhow, she has new mechatronic seals, new pan and filter etc. I know it's not a perfect fix and completely changed fluid as there is still fluid in the torque convertor and the cooler lines, but this is a breath of fresh air for a 20yr old car so I'm happy for now. Also recently, I did sway bar bushes and drop links. I have an annoying squeak in my right front shock, sounds like the spring resettling all the damn time, it's loud too, I haven't tried to CRC etc the area/s as yet, I think that's what I'll do first, it's weird, like when I stop I can push down on the right front and it'll squeak till it seems to settle, ( they are original shocks still too) the ongoing Jag fix saga continues...Oh yeah John, if you remember my platinum silver coupe and the big black stripe I applied to it, she's back to stock now. I think I liked it better with the stripe to be honest haha. For those who want to see my car with the stripe I found it in John's community section here: just copy and paste this link ru-vid.com/show-UCT2ZywCQe9dtTi2qvbQNEdQcommunity?lb=UgzK0So-GQj0bTqLJwl4AaABCQ --- of course a few people didn't like the wrap and fair enough too, oh well life goes on. My god I can ramble on...sorry mate. Cheers from New Zealand 👍

good thing i am a whatever happen specialist not hard do to timing just time patience and follow the directions .and do not use ebay junk it has its place but not in an engine

Hi only 18

Hi John Would you please explain why the ABS light is on and at the same time there is an alternating message that says “trac not available” “Adv not available” Also a rectangular red/orange light above that , all on the dash. Is it okay to drive car while these lights are on? Thanks for your advice. Cheryl with a 2000 XK8

My header tank needed replacing so got new one which arrived 2 days after someone rear ending me which will probably result in it being written off 😢

Looking at a 2003 xkr convertible with 100,249 miles. Asking price is $11,000 usd. Do you guys think the mileage is a tad bit too high for a new owner. Supposedly a 1 owner car

Hi John, my 23 year old XK8’s retractable roof is starting to fail. Very jerky and sticks on the way up and down. Do you have any advice on this please? Thanks.

I need a new cluster package for my 2001 XK8, yet I'm told they're no longer available, is this true? If so, what should I do, or where should I go to get help? I'm in Canada and I drive on the left hand side of the car in the right hand lane on the highway.

Beware of the hose roobin' under the hood...

These have to be one of the most frustrating vehicles I'm literally about to take a grinder to the bottom where spare tire sit cut it out just to access my trunk

Waist Seals.