Rust

[jeff1954]

I was searching online today for a friend who wanted an X Type. I know they are prone to rust sills / sub frames etc but checking each car on a MOT history App I was amazed how many had serious problems. Jags have never been the best for not having rust issues but the X Type must be one of the worst.

[Dave Eynon]

OK, nothing new in your post, its a well known fact that X-types can have corrosion in the sills and anyone buying an X-type should investigate thoroughly as repairs will be complex and/or cost a lot in labour charges. When buying a previously repaired one, I would like to see the work backed up with photographs. The subframes like many modern cars lose the paint and rust, but generally last the life of the vehicle. Taking a car beyond its design life will incur work to replace and repair as necessary.
Its time we focussed on saving these cars with timely interaction to arrest any corrosion and enjoy the X-type for what it is, the best compact Jaguar since the Mk2.

[Astromorg]

If you think the X type is bad for rust, just try checking out the situation with X100 XK8s and XKRs

As the owner of one of each over the past 16 years, I've taken sufficient precautions and maintenance to ensure only minimal problems with both of mine, but I also follow the experiences of others and the number who find/buy an immaculate looking X100 only to be horrified when they get a proper assessment of the underside is legion.

A rusty X type - almost always and certainly mainly, the sills - is very much easier and cheaper to repair than an X100 that tends to have structural problems around the sub frame mounting points and also bodywork, especially around the rear wheel arch.

[Dave Eynon]

Thankyou Astromorg for providing a balanced view on these cars based on personal experience and hands on involvement. I agree that it is a relatively straight forward repair method to repair X-type sill corrosion having rebuilt them on a 2002 model a few years ago and, once done, with the additional benefit of modern rust protection application will not be a recurring problem in the future. Also, I have not seen any serious corrosion elsewhere across the three models I have owned. (02, 03 and 06 MY).

[jeff1954]

I Agree about the XK8 as I looked for the right one for a long time. Every time I found one and ran an MOT check using one of many apps you can have on your mobile there was always advisories or even failures for rust. Even on the later 150's there were sub frame issues on some of them.
Regarding the X Type, I'm lead to believe that they are based on the Ford Mondeo floor plan. So why is it that year for year the Mondeo didn't have the same rust problem. A friend of mine who has a 2002 Mondeo that I service regularly for him, has no real rust issues to speak of.

Jeff

[Dave Eynon]

Interesting point Jeff, from my experience when repairing a 2002 sill structure the floor pan, inner sills and suspension legs were unaffected with virtually no surface corrosion across the whole length of the car whereas the outer sill structure was quite corroded. As the X-type took the floorpan from the Mondeo and built the X-type on it with little other shared body parts then maybe the outer sill structure is exclusively Jaguar? Perhaps someone with involvement from JLR could shed light on this? Fortunately repairing is made easier by the use of the ABS outer cover that provides the visual sill profile whilst enabling the panelwork behind to be cut out and new sections fabricated.

[jeff1954]

From what Iv'e read the early S Type's had similar problems with the sills. The one I had was a 2004 model I took the covers off a couple of years ago expecting to find a bit of rust but thankfully there was none. Having said that the car did have mud flaps all round from new, which I think helped matters as the front end of the sill is open to the elements and the mud flap covered it over.

Jeff

[Astromorg]

I've never actually physically checked out a Mondeo for points of similarities or identical features, but I think the fact is that they share a floor pan basic design rather than the precise metalwork. For instance, X types and Mondeos have different wheel bases though front and rear tracks are the same and, of course, as is well known, the X type rear suspension shares its design with the Mondeo estate, not the saloon.

My experience also agrees with David's comment about few signs of corrosion other than in the outer sills. In earlier X types - pre the big 2004 changes - the scuttle drain ran down the A post area, behind the wing, and into the sill to eventually drain (If lucky!) out the sill drains. This video shows one owner's experience!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PD7fPigyDU

[jeff1954]

Blimey No wonder they have corrosion issues.