I have had this car for 5 months, and within the last month it started to make a loud noise. It only has 58,000 miles on it. I took it to a Euro mechanic here in town, and they pinpointed it to the transfer case. Most like ball bearing(s) are going out. Unfortunately, Jaguar doesn’t sell individual parts (at least that’s what I’ve been told) for the transfer case, you have to buy the whole thing. Brand new is $3600 (ouch!!!), and a used (either rebuilt or dismantlers) will cost $1200. My question is: should I buy a used or rebuilt transfer case or am I giving myself a headache to only have to replace it again? Do I have any other options to fix this problem?
The transfer case in your car is gone at 58K miles. If you buy a used transfer case that means it is simply taken out of another car (likely a wreak) and put in your car. So, how long will it last?
A rebuilt transfer case is taken out of another car, likely a wreak or from a car like yours that needs repair. It is then disassembled and reassembled with new parts when the old parts showed wear beyond acceptable tolerances. If it is rebuilt correctly it will last much longer than the “used” ones.
TC failure is a very common X Type problem and 50,000 miles seems to be the norm ~ depressing. Unfortunately some ‘gifted’ idiot at Jaguar also chose to design the transfer case as a sealed unit without even a fluid port to top up the tc when the seals spring a leak, as is usual.
Getting to your point, as UncleTurbo points out, if you buy a used unit you have no idea what you are buying. If you do go this route, just make sure you get the correct unit for your year, the design changed in 04.
As far as ‘rebuilt’ units are concerned, Jaguar have never published the technical specs for the tc, therefore anyone who rebuilds one is guessing at pre-load torque specs - risky.
I’m afraid your best bet is getting the new unit - I wish there were an alternative I could suggest.