gstreev

I bought a 2003 Boxster S W/ 123K miles for cheap needing a clutch soon. Original owner bought the car and I have Porsche stamps in the book for up to 60K. The woman gave the car to her son at around 70K. Records after that are sketchy. The guy gave me new rotors, pads and sensors all around so I did that. Replaced front sway bar links, just threw new spark plugs in today, he also gave me a new motor mount, so that's next up. I contacted my local Porsche dealer they will not give me prior service history, then Porsche of USA, they won't either. So I'm putting up my VIN, if anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. I also noticed a new axle was recently installed and Carfax has a fair amount of other service records including water pump & belt around 90K, cam POS sensor, AOS and new battery 6 months ago, plus what he "claimed" was done. Also looks like 3 coil packs were replaced and I also got 4 new tires, mounted and balanced last week. Tranny fluid, brake fluid flush / bleed and probably do the coolant as well soon. Also did Cabin filter and Air filter on the way and Wheel Lock Delete once I get the used lugs bolts.
VIN: WP0CB29883U662479

Macster

Porsche does not maintain a database of services for cars. The services the car may have had only exist on record at the dealer that provided the service.

Sometimes some services, at least just a mention of a service, can be found on the car's CarFax report.

About all you can do is if you know where the car spent some time call dealers in that area and see if someone will based on the VIN look up to see if any services were done. How much detail you get beyond maybe just briefly the service and date/mileage is up to who ever you are talking to.

If you ask for info on the owner at that time the dealer may clam up due to privacy concerns.

What services the car may have had in the past counts for less and less as time goes by. You want to be sure the car checks out is in good condition, as best you can tell/determine from a thorough used car road test followed by a used car check out and then a PPI.

If you are unable to before you buy the car determine what services were done and when you need to assume none and budget for bringing the car's services up to date. Hopefully your purchase price had the cost of this factored into it.

You don't need to do these all at once. Take care of the most critical ones -- engine oil/filter service, brake/clutch fluid flush/bleed -- and address any problems with safety criticals sytems like worn out/bad brakes, a slipping clutch or any other issues that can render the car unsafe or unreliable or at risk of more serious problems.

San Rensho

Contact the previous owner and ask very nicely that they sign a release of information authorization that you have prepared and then take that to the dealers involved.

Dave H.

or ask him to go to the dealer and get his own records and pass them on to you. the dealer isn't going to give them to you.

darreldore

Last year I bought a 2013 Boxster S with 13,000 miles from a NC dealer, who had obtained the car thru auction and was selling it as a Porsche CPO vehicle.
From the CARFAX I found the NY and FL dealers that had serviced the car. The NY dealer responded to my first email and sent me the service records with personal info redacted. But I sent three emails and finally I had to go on Facebook and find the CEO of the company that owned the FL dealer and ask for his help. That did it, I received the records after he emailed the service manager and asked him to send me the records.
Now I have complete service records from day one. I just had to persist. I also contacted PCNA, but they are absolutely no help in any way. They will not help with contacting the dealer or assist in any way.
The new PCNA Pres & CEO Klaus Zellmer is really First Class and improving PCNA Customer Relations, but he has not touched this service record area, yet.
BMW keeps a national record on every BMW's service history.
It is disappointing that Porsche falls short on this important part of auto ownership.

Macster

What I was told happened is this service info was being abused. In one case a customer was sitting at the SA's desk at her local dealer arranging to have her car serviced and received a phone call from another dealer located some distance away asking her if she wanted to sell/trade in the car. The customer was furious at being approached this way.

This happened more than once -- different people, different dealers -- so PCNA withdrew sales and service management access to the service records. Senior techs can access some of this info for instance to look up what recalls/TSB or warranty work has been done to a car but that's about all.