Felicity Ace Disaster Causes Headaches for Some Porsche Replacements

By Derin Richardson - March 2, 2022

Photo: Reuters

Felicity Ace cargo ship is now officially sunken, and customer service replacements have been a mixed bag.

Volkswagen Group is likely still administratively sorting the nigh-4,000 car mess that took place off of the Portuguese coast on February 16 on the ill-fated Felicity Ace Cargo ship. Despite only representing less than a percentage point of the auto group’s total production, it is still a big loss.

Rennlist members have been sounding off on multiple threads here and there, giving updates and general support for one another. Thus far, it appears that the dealers handling of the situation is, well, interesting.

Between getting priority spots on newer allocations to full-on silence from dealers, members have had a real rollercoaster ride regarding info on their now-forlorn purchases.

1. NYCGT3

This one is a bit of a compound situation, as the dealer here allegedly overpromised and underdelivered two distinct cars, taking in NYCGT3’s car as a trade-in before his ship date.

“My dealer pushed me to pre-trade (a concept I’d never heard of before) my 2008 997S Cab for a 2021 992 Carrera 911 S they promised me would be delivered March-April 2021,” said NYCGT3. “Sadly, it was complete deception, as I found out. They didn’t have an allocation for a delivery; they promised me a vehicle they 100 percent knew they couldn’t deliver by the date I needed it.”

According to NYCGT3, he sent the dealer his car in early October 2020, with a promised Spring 2021 date for the 992, but kept getting phantom allocation dates thereafter. The dealer, predictably, sold his car weeks after delivery, leaving him with nothing to actually trade in.

In mounting frustration, he then opted for a GT3 Touring. They allegedly tried to hustle him to pay above MSRP, but got them to sell it at retail after a phone call to Porsche Cars North America. NYCGT3’s new date was in February–only it ended up on the sea floor instead of his driveway.

“On my paperwork, I was No. 3 on the list. When allocations came out, I was moved to No. 6 of 6,” he said. “The original Touring delivery date was February 22. It sat on the dock for over a month, waiting to catch fire.”

He has a new August date, but despite directly corresponding with them, NYCGT3 said PCNA has simply passed the complaints back to the corporate dealer, and they haven’t contacted him since.

2. Audimotion

Minnesota-based Audimotion and his wife got their Macan S at a Minneapolis dealer in February 2021, where he decided to test drive a demo 992 C4S. They were both were impressed, and started talking to the sales manager about placing an order. He put a deposit down for a Jet Black Metallic 992 C2S with a manual and RS wheels. His delivery was scheduled for July 2021.

He attempted to drive the car home, but the engine started making a loud metallic noise after only a few miles.

“I drove back to the dealership and after a quick diagnostic check, they decided to drain the engine oil. They found metal shavings in the oil. The car had exactly 26 miles and suffered a catastrophic engine failure.”

After some back and forth with the dealer, Porsche offered him two options:

Install a new motor and give him a CPO warranty for free
Get another build (MY 2022) at 2021 price, with up to $1,500 off from my original 2 percent off when he bought the car

‘I now feel differently about the brand. All I ask is to be treated fairly and at the moment, I do not feel that way. The additional wait may be the straw that broke the camel’s back.’

Understandably, he went with option No. 2, and used the extra $2,000 he got to add more options. His new build was scheduled for a March 2022 delivery, but unfortunately ended up on the Felicity Ace.

“I had been watching the ‘track you r dream‘ app daily, and my TYD showed my car was loaded on to vessel named Felicity Ace on February 10, I read the Rennlist post about the Felicity Ace Fire when it was brand new. I was in disbelief. After a quick Google search, reality set in. How could this happen again?”

After being assured from the dealer that Porsche would make good this time around, he got a call from his sales rep within a week after the fire. Porsche gave him a new allocation for a third build, but the dealer then told him he’d have to wait until mid-August.

While the cargo incident is understandable, Audimotion isn’t too keen on Porsche/VW Group’s response. “I now feel differently about the brand. All I ask is to be treated fairly and at the moment, I do not feel that way. The additional wait may be the straw that broke the camels back.”

Yet, others affected have a different take on the situation.