Used Jaguar X-Type review and buying guide (2001 to 2009): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Jaguar X-Type should you buy?

Buy the X-Type with the soundest sills you can find, because sill rot is the fault that decides every one of them, saloon or estate, from 2001 to 2009. The rot starts on the inner sill and works outwards behind the plastic mouldings, so a car can look tidy until it's well advanced. Cars from the 2004 model year were improved, but that didn't cure the problem, so a later car still needs checking underneath.

Steer clear of the last cars on 2008, 2009 and 59 plates. Build quality slipped as production wound down to its end in July 2009, with much of the workforce working their notice, and plenty of those cars sat in storage compounds for a long time before anyone bought them. That puts the sweet spot between the 2004 model year and the last cars registered before 2008, which get the improved sills without the end-of-production problems.

The estate arrived in 2004 and its list of problems mirrors the saloon's, sills included, so choose between them on body style alone. Neither is a good bet if you need to tow: the removable towbars weren't fitted at the factory, and getting their electrics to work with the car is a known headache that isn't worth taking on.

Which X-Type engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.5 V6 with a manual gearbox is the pick: it's smoother and sweeter than the 3.0 V6, though it's clearly down on pace, and the X-Type is a better car as a manual than as an automatic. Four-wheel-drive models have had transfer boxes fail, and the manual drivetrain has a bit of a drone, so listen for it on the drive.

The automatic on the 2.5 and 3.0 is the one to avoid, as failures climb once the cars pass 4 years old and every X-Type is far beyond that now. A fractured clutch piston inside the automatic has turned up as well. If you still want an auto, don't change its fluid yourself: the level can only be set with the gearbox at a particular temperature using diagnostic kit.

The 2.0 and 2.2 diesels are the riskier engines. Failures of the diesel pump, which can take the injectors with them, were on the rise on both by early 2010, some of the first diesels shared the troubles of Ford's Mondeo TDCi 130, and a high incidence of dual-mass flywheel failures hit the 2.2 diesel in late 2009. Most don't have a DPF, but facelift 2.2 automatics got one as standard and so did every 2.2 from late 2009.

What should you check when viewing a used X-Type?

Get under the car with a torch before anything else and press hard along the underside of each sill: sound metal stays firm, rotten metal gives or crumbles. Look along the top and bottom of the plastic sill trims for bubbling or brown staining seeping out, and go through the MOT paperwork for sill corrosion advisories, which come back and get worse on this car. Fresh underseal or welded patches along the sills deserve a close look too.

On a four-wheel-drive 2.5 or 3.0, turn the steering almost to full lock and inspect the inner shoulders of the front tyres, which can wear unevenly and badly on these cars. Rear tracking with too much toe out also chews the inner shoulders, and some alloy wheels without a continuous rim can't be set on laser equipment, so ask how the alignment was done. Underneath a V6, check the bottom radiator hose has a screw clip rather than the original wire clip, which can pop off and dump the coolant.

On the drive, feel for a slipping clutch or a first gear that's hard to engage; one owner of a 2004 2.5 four-wheel drive traced that to a failing dual-mass flywheel and clutch, and paid £1,400 to fix it along with a new sump and oil cooler. Listen for whining from the drivetrain or steering rack, and on a V6 for a rumble from the front, which can mean the crank pulley damper is starting to separate.

Check the boot lock works, since moisture gets into its solenoid, and watch for headlights dimming on their own or hesitant running in slow traffic. If the ABS and DSC lights are on, see whether the brake lights work, because a blown fuse can set both off. Ask for proof of recall work: the indicator warning lamp on 2001 and 2002 cars, the yaw rate sensor and handbrake lever on 2004 cars, and a short circuit fix on 2003 and 2004 diesels.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Jaguar X-Type X400 (2001 to 2009) worth buying?

Yes, as a 2.5 V6 manual from the 2004 model year up to the last cars registered before 2008, provided the sills are sound; skip any V6 automatic. It's a Mondeo underneath, but the softish suspension lets it handle well, and the 2.5 is sweeter and smoother than the 3.0. Every X400 carries the one flaw that decides a purchase, sills rotting from the inside, and the 2004 improvement only reduced it.

There's no mileage on record for when the drivetrain faults strike, so go by age and symptoms instead. Automatic gearbox failures on 2.5 and 3.0 cars were rising once they passed four years old, showing up as slipping or flaring between gears, harsh or late changes and lost drive. On the 2.2 diesel manual, dual-mass flywheels failed at a high rate in late 2009, and four-wheel-drive V6s have had transfer boxes give up.

On a diesel, hard starting, cutting out or a rough idle can point to the fuel pump, and a failing one can take the injectors with it. On a 2.2 manual, a rattle at tickover that stops when you press the clutch, or judder pulling away, means the flywheel's on its way out. On a four-wheel-drive V6, a clunk as drive takes up or a whine that changes with speed points to the transfer box, and on any V6 a puddle under the radiator means checking the hose clip.

What does a used Jaguar X-Type cost to run?