I have a 992 GTS and recently discovered that the rear lamp bar had started to get weird 'fragments' / stress marks inside the plastic. As part of most recent service I asked them to look at it as it feels like it is a manufacturer flaw. They have said that some form of cleaning product is to blame. I have had it detailed twice in last year. But I cannot frankly imagine a chemical can penetrate and cause this kind of damage?

Thoughts?

 

Is the light smooth to touch from the outside? If so, I doubt its anything, other than manufacturing defect, unless, during detailing a lot of pressure was put on (very unlikely).

 

It is completely smooth. The Dealer is 'trying' to say because Porsche have declared that 'they wont cover' that is the end of the matter, I call BS on that. What is peoples experiences of how to get them to reconsider? other than going to Porsche directly?

 

A lot of folks have had this issue and was replaced under warranty.

 

I would call BS too...it's a warranty issue.

It may be a spurious correlation, but my limited data suggests ever since Porsche took their stock public it seems their customer service has suffered

 

Yeah that should be covered... otherwise ask them to get whatever cleaning product they want and try and replicate it elsewhere on the lens

 

This is a warranty issue. My light bar and one tail light lens were replaced under warranty for this exact problem!

 

Seemingly a certain warranty issue. Their response makes me wonder if things are getting tight at VAG.

 

I had this issue with my headlights and replacement is completely dealer dependent.

The first dealer I took it to simply said "that's normal for Porsche cars, we can't warranty it but can give a little discount if you want to pay out of pocket." - I told them to kick rocks.

Second dealer said they would tell the technician to look at it - still no results. Apparently technician thought this wasn't bad enough to change. But they looked terrible for a new car.

Third dealer which was the best dealer I've ever worked with simply told me to send a photo of the headlights under sunlight. I did, the SA submitted them to Porsche and got the approval to swap both headlights because of this defect.

I would say try a different dealer and if you're in the LA area, I would absolutely recommend Porsche Santa Clarita as they know how to get things done.

 

Escalate and call Porsche of N. America.

 

My dealer told me that this is a common problem that they have seen before and completely covered by warranty!

 

I tried this for mine and they kept telling me it’s up to the dealer and they can’t do anything about it.

I was shocked that Porsche NA can’t tell the dealer to replace a faulty part under warranty (which they pay for).

 

Hmmm. Try writing them or hire a lawyer. A letter from a law firm will get their attention. I know it can be a hassle and not cost effective. As others have said, try another dealership; this is probably the easier route.

 

Did you see this immediately after detailing? There are some products that will do this (Mothers Racing Rubber remover for one - I had a very bad experience with it). The crazing of the light will show up immediately, not in a delayed fashion. Also, the surface will have a rough texture as the products penetrate from the outside in.

If not temporally related to detailing and/or if the external surface is smooth, then this is a warranty issue as others have stated.