Most common 2005 Jaguar XJ problems
Share of the 19 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jaguar XJ complaints by model year
Best XJ years: 2010, 2017, 2008. Years to avoid: 2005, 2006. Compare all years →
What 2005 Jaguar XJ owners say
Engine & cooling
Driving on the highway going about 70mph, not accelerating nor coasting, just maintaining speed. The engine basically shut down, and I had to pull onto the shoulder, it was very dangerous and frankly, it scared me. Engine light on, as well as "engine systems fault, parkbrake fault, dsc not available" showing up on the dash. I restarted the car about 4-5 times and it eventually started. I am assuming, this has happened numerous times over the past several years and no-one seems to have any idea what is causing it. It happens on busy highways and local street driving. This is a very dangerous situation. The cars engine could cut out at a moments notice and leave you in a very dangerous situation!
Jaguar 2005 XJ vdp has experienced many episodes of unintended acceleration during braking to a stop. As brake is applied, the engine throttles up and car cannot be completely stopped. When car is quickly shifted to neutral and braking maintained, the engine revs over 10,000 RPM and the ignition must be cut in order to stop the episode. On one occasion the car could not be stopped at a busy intersection, forcing an urgent lane change and right hand turn to avoid accident. Jaguar has "reprogrammed computer" on car with a reduction in frequency of the episodes for about 6 months, however problem now occurs several times/month.
Lights
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Jaguar XJ. While driving the vehicle, the headlights would intermittently flicker. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the head light assembly would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
The zenon headlights flicker and sometimes go out. Restarting the car solves the problem but it recurs after a few minutes. Several inspections by dealer resulted in no repair as they said they could not make the problem occur. Just after the warranty expired the dealer told me that both headlights needed to be replaced and would not be covered under warranty. I paid to have the lights replaced so that I could drive the car at night again but now after a year the same thing is happening again. I believe this is a serious fault that could easily result in an accident while driving at night.
Transmission & drivetrain
I was stopped at a red light upon moving forward I heard a loud grinding noise from the rear of the car and lost my transmission. This left me stranded in the middle of a busy intersection at rush hour with no warning fortunately no one crashed in to me. I called police and tow truck. Vehicle was towed to dealership who have replaced differential and rear axles. The preliminary explanation given was that something appears to have broken off that ground up the differential. After completion of repair I was only told that there had been a malfunction. Vehicle is 4 years old with about 44000 mile on it. This should not have happened and I am concerned that this could happen again and that if it had occurred at high speed I might not be here to write this complaint. The consumer stated the transmission has since failed again. Updated 01/27/10.
2005 Jaguar xjr goes into limp home mode (reduced performance mode) every once a while and be able to drive 10mph max. Car in the rear might crash for sudden loss of speed. Dealer tried to read OBD code but nothing was detected so no way to fix it. There are many XJ owner experiencing same issue. Car will be drivable after restarting engine but dangerous to drive.
2005 Jaguar XJ engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 25 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Jaguar XJ a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 XJ rates use caution: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the XJ at the same age. It is one of the XJ years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Jaguar XJ?
The engine & cooling — 4 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the lights (3) and transmission & drivetrain (3).
How many recalls does the 2005 Jaguar XJ have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Jaguar XJ. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jaguar XJ?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2017 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005 and 2006. See the full Jaguar XJ years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Jaguar XJ problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 46% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.