The Jaguar XJS is a popular sports car from the mid-70s era and was launched in 1975. The XJS was developed and launched as a successor to the legendary E-Type. However, the car failed to match its predecessor’s popularity, design, and sporty appeal. Despite that, the XJS had its niche customer base and was one of the cheapest sports cars to have a V12. While the E-Type was more focused on driving experience and performance, the XJS was luxury-focused while keeping the performance part intact to a certain extent. While the XJS still suffers from the notorious reliability issues it came with since the beginning, the gorgeous design, the handling, and the comfort make it an expensive and popular classic today.
- The infamous “Marelli ignition failure”
- The quirky vanity mirror and trip meter
- Notorious rusting and corrosion problems
- It is comfortable
- A unique classic due to low sales
- Engine overheating
- Problems with electrical systems
- Still an affordable V12
- Dubious reliability
- It influenced the Aston Martin DB7
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10. The infamous “Marelli ignition failure”
Several owners of the Jaguar XJS faced the notorious Marelli issue and it was quite a serious one. The issue was that the Marelli ignition system would malfunction and the fuel pump failed to cut off the fuel supply. As a result, the excess fuel would flow to the heated catalytic converter and catch fire.
9. The quirky vanity mirror and trip meter
The Jaguar XJS isn’t without its quirks though. The car had a rather uncommon layout of its vanity mirror. To access it, you need to open the glove box and it will appear from inside. Additionally, the car’s trip meter is required to be reset every 999 kilometers. Now that’s some quirks.
8. Notorious rusting and corrosion problems
This is probably the worst thing about the XJS. The car is quite old now and is quite prone to both rust and corrosion. The major areas of the XJS affected by rusting are the frost wing section, the metal frame of the windscreen, and the taillight sections as well. While getting a used XJS, do look out for corrosion and rusting issues extensively.
7. It is comfortable
While the Jaguar E-Type was all about sportiness and driving experience. However, its successor, the XJS here, is quite biased towards comfort. As such, the car had one of the nicest interiors of its time. On the inside, you’ll find premium leather upholstery and glossy wooden trimmings. Even though the blogger-than-average steering wheel would get in the way of ingress and egress, the spacious and comfy cabin would make you forget that.
6. A unique classic due to low sales
While Jaguar intended to achieve better sales numbers with the XJS compared to the E-Type, the plan did not work out as expected. When it was launched, a majority of the buyers of the XJS belonged to the senior age group and it reflected the car’s elegance. However, the oil crisis directly affected the car’s sales figures.
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5. Engine overheating
Engine overheating and white smoke issues were common with other Jaguars back then and not only the XJS here. The prime reason for the overheating was excessive coolant loss accompanied by oil leaks. Moreover, the V12-powered XJSs faced this issue extensively since the coolant loss and oil leaks affected the motor more than the I-6.
4. Problems with electrical systems
After the overheating issues, another well-known and notorious issue with the XJS was its electrical fault. The car had no proper wiring harness and the loosely laid out wires over the motor made the car prone to electrical issues due to the heat from the engine.
3. Still an affordable V12
Even though the XJS has several negatives holding it back, the V12 models are still one of its strong points. The 5.3-liter V12-powered XJS is still an affordable sports car with that powertrain as compared to the V12 supercars of the present day.
2. Dubious reliability
The Jaguar XJS is one of the lowest-rated cars out there in terms of reliability. Behind the elegant design and the luxurious cabin hides the notorious issues that the car throws often. Other than the electrical and overheating issues, the XJS has transmission-knocking issues and power loss from the motor as well.
1. It influenced the Aston Martin DB7
The iconic Aston Martin DB7 was heavily inspired by the XJS. Since the DB7 was developed under the ownership of Ford, it has quite the design and specs similarities with the XJS. The similarities were to the extent that both the cars shared the same steering wheel elements and the same frames for the seats as well.
