It was before the XF arrived that I left working at the jaguar dealers, and although now I can afford a nearly new one or even a new one from one of the discounters, I would not go near one. Too much potential for big bills after warranty, and the XF has a long history of DPF problems.

Suggest you read the jaguar forums,

See costs for servicing and things like cambelt changes before anyone else buys!

Don;t forget the case of the city exec who had one for a 3 mile city commute and encountered the above problems, quite a splah in the papers at the time.

The problem here is that we don't really know much about the car. It's a 2009, the owner bought it secondhand (for £15k, though we don't know when), and it's therefore probably done quite a high mileage before he's bought i (though, again, we don't know). We've also no idea if the car has been serviced properly (or even to Jag standards) or, if it is a high mileage car, or .... well, anything, really.

When and how was it bought ? If within the last 6 months, then it should be going back to the dealers if bought retail. If auction or private sale, then the owner is pretty much stuck.

This is a best guess based on the list of repairs you posted.

I think the killer item is "engine oil level too high." It sounds like it's either been a) overfilled with oil at the service prior to the problems, which has popped the seal, or more likely, b) it's been trying unsuccessfully to regenerate the diesel particle filters over a long period.

The excess diesel being injected in the case of b) gets into the sump oil, raising the level and diluting it, reducing its ability to lubricate properly, which has caused rapid wear problems in the engine. The excessively high oil level has then popped the oil seal, covering the engine in oil.

To be blunt, I don't think there's much you can do in terms of claiming against anyone for this. It would be very difficult to prove the engine was overfilled with oil at a previous service.

Yep, you're with the most expensive option right now, a new motor through main dealer. If it were my car I would be trawling the web looking for a recon unit or a good used motor out of a wreck. Probably less than half your current quote. Then, maybe i would sell on depending on what was fitted. I would use a local indie for this work and they can be very flexible.

Also worth ringing around good auto workshops to get a quote to rebuild, new bearings, rings, etc in the traditional way- having established in a bit more detail what is wrong. Places still exist although they are scarcer these days.

Also think laterally, for example, it may take a bit of time to sort, can you use another car, borrow one, or even buy a £200 banger for a month or 2 and sell on or scrap.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.