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2003 Jaguar XK8

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 XK8.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 6-spd

The 2003 Jaguar XK8 is a passenger car equipped with a six‑speed automatic transmission and returns EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. Owner‑reported data for the model year show nine total complaints, with the most frequent issue falling under the “Unknown Or Other,Engine” category and a single recall recorded. When placed against the XK8’s complaint history from 1997 to 2005—where the peak year (1998) logged 32 complaints and the nadir (2001) recorded 10—the 2003 figure of nine complaints marks it as the lowest‑complaint year in the span, indicating a particularly reliable iteration of the model.

Model year2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque95 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy16/24/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 49 · 680 CCA battery, OE oil filter C2C41611. Note the factory cabin air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 49 · 680 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	C2C41611
Engine air filter	NJA3558AA
Fuel filter	C2S20977 alt HJA3099AA
Spark plug	C2A1535
Battery	C2D61169
Front wiper blades	GJA8960BB alt GJA8962CB
Serpentine belt	C2C37063
Thermostat	AJ83525 alt AJ82697
Cabin air filter	MJD6863AA discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 6-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	187.4 in
Overall width	72 in
Overall height	50.4 in
Wheelbase	102 in
Curb weight	3990 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.1 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	52/48

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	16 / 24 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine USE SHELL SPIRAX TS90 OR EQUIVALENT in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 95 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	USE SHELL SPIRAX TS90 OR EQUIVALENT
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3 Pints
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	278 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	9 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	95 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	238 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.43 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	5.40-6.76 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	49
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	680 cca

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance	12-16 ohms
Intake Valve Lash	0.0008 in
Exhaust Valve Lash	0.0014 in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH BREMBO BRAKES / WITH STANDARD BRAKES
Torque Caliper to Bracket	180 ft-lbs / 18-22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	75 ft-lbs / 60 ft-lbs / 103 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	0.078 in
Brake Application	WITH BREMBO BRAKES / WITH STANDARD BRAKES
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in / 0.005 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.26 in / 1.102 in / 1.122 in / 0.787 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.26 in / 1.102 in / 1.122 in / 0.787 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

8 ft. lbs., Step 2: 22 ft. lbs., Step 3: 90

8 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 10,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 10,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 mi	Battery (inspect electrolyte level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 mi	Underbody (inspect)
Every 20,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Drive Belt (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In the federal record the 2003 Jaguar XK8 does not appear, but the adjacent years show complaints falling from 31 in 1997 to 10 in 2001 before rising to 30 in 2005. Recalls similarly dropped from two in 1997‑1998 to one in 2000‑2001 and then to zero by 2005, indicating a low‑recall period around the target year. The 2003 model’s top complaint categories each record a single entry, with one crash‑related complaint and no fire‑related complaints, matching the pattern of modest incident counts seen in nearby years. Because the trend peaks after 2001 and the 2003 year sits in the low‑complaint trough before the 2005 increase, it suggests the 2003 XK8 experienced fewer reported problems than the early‑2000s peak. Consequently, from a federal‑record perspective the 2003 XK8 is a relatively safe used‑car choice, though buyers should still verify service history.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’05

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 9 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Unknown Or Other,Engine1

Power Train,Electrical System,Engine1

Unknown Or Other1

Air Bags1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Vehicle Speed Control1

Suspension,Electrical System,Tires1

Fuel System, Gasoline,Vehicle Speed Control1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 13 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
SSM59597Attachme	2021-04-14	Electrical System	Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme	2021-04-14	Electrical System	Attachment.
SSM59597Attachme	2021-04-14	Electrical System	Attachment.
SFCC_09AUG18_REV	2018-08-20	Electrical System	A customer may report "Hood Open" message displays on IP with hood closed.
SFCC_09AUG18_REV	2018-08-20	Equipment	SIM card activation issues

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific XK8. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 49 battery Engine oil filter C2C41611 Engine air filter NJA3558AA Fuel filter C2S20977 Spark plug C2A1535

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 2003 XK8 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the XK8 get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg.