Keadog

If the car is damaged and repaired before delivery, does that need to be disclosed? My guess is "no", but I wonder if that information can be demanded in the US market? Who wants to pay for a new car that's already been repaired?
I had a '98 C2S that I purchased from the original owner. I knew him and the car - it was never damaged by either of us. When I went to sell it, a buyer came with a paint meter and announced the right rear quarter panel had been repainted, as it was several mils thicker than the rest of the car (and it was).
I guess it makes sense that not every car gets trucked, shipped and trucked again with 100% precision. But I want to make all of my own dents.
FWIW to OP, I ordered my Targa 4S PTS October 14th and it's still sitting in Emden As well (but only for a week so far).

SEG

So it has been a week. No answers on timing or delivery issues from either the dealership or Porsche North America (despite 'opening a case' last Friday). The sales manager thought it might have something to do with quality control/additional testing on the PTS - I told him that didn't make any sense as that additional testing should have been built into the overall schedule nor did I think that type of testing would be done at port after all the protective materials were put on the car. He reluctantly agreed that explanation didn't make much sense.

Without asking, the sales manager increased the discount materially - while that was a nice gesture, I still can't figure out why I can't get a straight answer. I would have gladly traded the additional discount for more transparency. I'll keep everyone posted as I get more info.

wsjchoi

Grab the lightly used 570S and be happy

The Fat Kid

+1. Otherwise ask that the deeper discount be applied to a new car. Personally, I would always wonder what happened and therefore never be 100% happy with the car.

Regarding damage disclosure on a brand-new car before it is sold: I recall a post-Katrina news report that indicated all the flood damaged brand-new cars could be repaired, and then sold as "new" without disclosure of the damage.

911sTO

I would infer the material discount as a "dealer mistake". It seems odd to me that they would be willing to take a big hit unless they did something. Could they have sold it to someone else? Perhaps an opportunity to get more benefits?

spiderv6

I would be borrowing a good paint meter to test every inch of that car before you sign for it.........

GTSMeister

The damage amount varies by state and can be found with some careful searches. For Washington state, (RCW 46.70.180) no disclosure is required unless the cost of repair is 5% of the car's value or $1,000 whichever is greater for actual repairs at the dealer labor rate plus supplies. For replacement parts wholly exchanged, no disclosure is needed at all. So a rear bumper replaced doesn't count. The law section doesn't differentiate if repairs are made in the US or somewhere else but it does say that the manufacturer has the same obligation to disclose to the dealer. So Porsche could just not tell the dealer that they had to make repairs since at 5% that's a lot of repairs.

Since we have two examples in this thread of delays at the port and both are PTS and we also know that some cars require repairs one could conclude that these delays are due to special paint being needed for those repairs. Of course a guess, but logically could be the case.

ak432

I think you are definitely on to something......

skiahh

Or PCNA could have done the discount and had your dealer call with it, meaning it's a Porsche or PCNA issue.

sechsgang

Apparently a LOT of PTS porsche cars recently need extra work leaving the factory. The quality control is either slipping or the paint itself is poorer...a few dealers have mentioned this. So they very well could have retouched a panel.

digits

Sigh... I was thinking my next one would be PTS (if I can get one of those deep greens that have been offered in previous years) but now I'm having second thoughts. Oh well, that decision is a few years away.

SEG

Dealership hasn't been helpful in getting any meaningful information. After after trading calls with Porsche North America for going on 10 days, I spoke to a rep there this morning and she excitedly told me she had good news and some information. The car is being held for "additional quality control checks", which could mean anything and there is still no timeline. Now this could simply mean a little retouching or the car could have fallen off a truck - the retouching wouldn't bother me that much but without knowing the particulars, I am further resigned to walking from the car. I told the rep that absent a call back today from someone in management with specifics about why the car needed "additional quality control checks" and a specific timeline for delivery, I am walking from the order, which will cost me real money. I am pretty sure I will get my $5k deposit back from the dealership but the tax rollover on my old 911 will be lost, which is worth about $5400.

I can't believe this is how this is going - I custom ordered a Cayenne two years ago and it was delivered without a hitch a few weeks early.

I appreciate the paint meter comment but I have asked the dealer not to prep the car as that was the recommendation from the detailer who will be doing paint correction, ceramic, etc. I also don't know how to use a paint meter and what would I do if it showed an irregularity? Reject the car at the dealership a month or two from now? What happens if I drive away in the non-prepped car and the detailer sees a bunch of real paint issues? I am going to then have to fight with Porsche for my $150k back? This is a mess.

And I appreciate the fact that this isn't my health or an issue with a family member or a real life problem so I am keeping this in perspective.

Any thoughts?

ak432

I appreciate your worries, but based on what I'm seeing it isn't as bad as it may seem. I've been told that it absolutely IS a PTS issue and that after several quality concerns were raised with the paint; all the PTS cars are being re-evaluated and in necessary cases "touched up".

One always has to take this information with a grain of salt, but since I'm in the same situation as you, (though my car is at a US port).....I was reassured by my dealer that the issue to be addressed is extremely minor and based on the location, not something that could be detected via a paint meter check. It may actually involve swapping a non-painted piece.

They are capable of doing some pretty extensive work at the ports (remember GT3 engines in some cases being swapped at the port after the stop sale)....so I think the main issue is making sure that your car is a priority and that it doesn't sit around in the sun for 5-6 weeks without anything being done.

HelpMeHelpU

I feel your pain, but as with most things, this, too, shall pass.

You are not without remedy or recourse. Like you, I wouldn't know a paint-meter readout from a thermometer, but there are people who do and they're not too hard to find and pay. (If you don't have a great local indy shop, let us know your city and surely someone on RL will know a good one nearby.) I am no expert, but I don't believe the dealer not prepping the car will impact what you are seeking to find and if your detailer doesn't want it prepared, by all means tell the dealer not to touch it.

As for recourse if you discover a repaint, I would seek an even larger discount, assuming you can live with the idea (which I seem to recall you saying earlier it wouldn't be impossible) of a touched-up/repainted car.

Another alternative, though no doubt not your first choice, would be to have Porsche build you another one. (You made a comment about someone loaning you a MT Cayman, perhaps the dealership has a pre-owned Cayman they might sell to you with a pre-arranged buyback deal.)

As others have commented, P dealers are especially sensitive to their survey scores and you would have every right to let them know about your entire experience through that survey. You might also try writing a factual, unemotional letter to the CEO, expressing your incredible disappointment with the entire Porsche experience, which, at the end of the day, is all they are really selling anyway.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

911sTO

It sounds like an opportunity for free scheduled maintenance, extended warranty, full body wrap, etc.