Get the Best Priced Jaguar XK8 Shock Absorber

The factory engineers and assemblers at Jaguar have earned their reputation for producing poor quality vehicles, despite its position as a maker of a top price luxury vehicle. There are millions of jokes about Jaguar's low quality of parts, and it is easy for any reviewer of the vehicle to engage in jokes and ranting about this issue. Still, when you create a Jaguar XK8 review, you have to acknowledge this very real history, well documented in a million garages throughout the world. However, there is a bigger picture to consider. Consider the statistics for recalls. Every automotive manufacturer, even Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce, has created cars that were subjected to recalls. As the decades rolled by, the list of recalls for every manufacturer has grown astonishingly long. Older companies can display extensive lists of recalls, even for vehicles with outstanding reputations for high quality design and build. In reality, recalls occur all the time, and almost every model of vehicle on the road today has been subject to recall campaigns - including Jaguar, of course. So don't sell your Jaguar XK8 just because it breaks down once or twice - you knew it would going in! Even if your shocks break down, just grin and bear it, and have them replaced. As it turns out, the shock absorbers on the XK8 are some of the better parts that the company makes.

A Look at the Role of Shock Absorbers

If you are a novice to issues on car repair and maintenance, and you need to know ask, "What are the shocks on a car?", then you will probably not be familiar with the usual issues of repair on Jaguar vehicles. However, Jaguar XK8 problems are usually not related to shock absorber issues. Shock absorbers on Jaguars and every other vehicle are cylinders filled with hydraulic fluid or gas, and attached to a spring. When your car hits a rock or speed bump, the only reasons you don't get jarred at the base of your spine is because the shock absorber and spring took the energy of the impact and compressed that force into the gas or fluid in the cylinder, where it is converted into heat energy. Shocks are usually attached to the struts of the vehicle, which in turn attach the frame of the car to the wheels, and the to parts are often sold together as a unit.

When You Can and Cannot Get Cheap Parts

When you need to replace the shocks and struts on your vehicle, you can often get very low prices for these parts, but not if you drive an expensive import like a Jaguar. Jaguar part are historically more expensive than most. Also, you need to replace shocks and struts in pairs, to avoid damaging the wheel balance and alignment of your vehicle. So how much does it cost to replace a shock on a Jaguar? A single strut and shock for the front end will cost around $464 to $583, while a pair for the front will be about $928 to $1167. A single strut and shock for the rear of the car will be about $324 to $626, and a pair of the parts for the rear will be $626 to $1224. You may be able to find other aftermarket shocks and struts that offer better prices and still meet the requirements for Jaguar XK8 specs at a good part supplier with an extensive inventory, like PartsGeek.com.

Looking at the XK8 Suspension's Repair History

Looking at Jaguar from a broader perspective, one can say that the list of recalls for the company is a real dandy. The list is long. The list is varied. The list goes all the way back to the birth of recall listings, in 1990. However, one thing is interesting to look at that that is that this list rarely mentions powertrain problems. About 90 percent of the issues involved are for vehicle support systems like airbags, electrical systems, and brakes. Jaguar struts and shock absorbers never appear on this list. In 1990, ball joints on the Jaguar S series had to be replaced, but that is the last time these pats have any presence on the recall sheet for the company. So don't put up your Jaguar XK8 for sale just because you got a flat somewhere. Jaguar engineers have historically done fine work on the suspension systems for their vehicles, and hopefully they can use this learning experience to improve their work on brake and airbag designs in the coming years.