Delivery suddenly delayed by a month, when it was otherwise imminent
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This thread is a perfect example of TYD being too much information. Lots of angst for the OP and lots of speculation by others that may or may not be true.
Think back to years ago before there was all this tracking information available. You would order a car, be given a tentative delivery date, and then occasionally get updated dates. They never delivered on time. Yet no one speculated their car was damaged when it didn’t show up on time. No one brought a paint meter to check the thickness of the paint. You just paid for the car and drove away happy.
I do understand the additional angst for the OP because of the timing of delivery relative to the price increase. As much as people are speculating the car may have been damaged, it also could be a glitch or bad data somewhere in the logistics software that calculated a new, incorrect date. For the OP’s sake, I hope this is the case.
Think back to years ago before there was all this tracking information available. You would order a car, be given a tentative delivery date, and then occasionally get updated dates. They never delivered on time. Yet no one speculated their car was damaged when it didn’t show up on time. No one brought a paint meter to check the thickness of the paint. You just paid for the car and drove away happy.
I do understand the additional angst for the OP because of the timing of delivery relative to the price increase. As much as people are speculating the car may have been damaged, it also could be a glitch or bad data somewhere in the logistics software that calculated a new, incorrect date. For the OP’s sake, I hope this is the case.
And yeah, my main issue is that it almost guarantees I have to deal with price increases that I'm really not happy about. Could otherwise care less about receiving my car 1 month late (if anything it's less winter driving)
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These car carrier vessels each carry nearly 5,000 vehicles on ~13 decks. Each ship has a crew of roughly two dozen sailors. Merchant marine vessels operate in shifts, so at any given time about a dozen are working to run the ship. Of those dozen expert seamen who are working at any time, I think it is safe to assume that exactly zero would be trained in particulars about any of the many dozens of vehicles models produced across the VW lineup. So, do I think the handful of merchant marine seamen who are busy running actual boat operations are also performing inspections on the thousands of vehicles they know nothing about? It's clearly a rhetorical question; the answer is obvious.
When they dock, port operations staff would board and remove the vehicles destined for that stop. Does anyone believe they would take the time necessary to perform an inspection on any vehicle not being unloaded? What if they accidentally damaged something that isn't being unloaded you might ask? Perhaps it might be useful to consider a similar operation on a smaller scale that might be more relatable. Think of a truck driver delivering groceries to grocery stores. When he unloads at one store, does he then go and check to see if any eggs for later deliveries are broken? Of course not. Even if something tips over and falls on a box that is destined for a subsequent stop, he wouldn't take the time to figure out what broke to call ahead and warn the store that something on board is defective. He's a truck driver. Determining what was smashed and whether or not they are still sellable is not the job of a truck driver. He doesn't even know how to tell if many of the items on his truck are good or bad. His job is to get in his truck and drive to the next store. The current store personnel also won't climb on board to start rummaging through damaged boxes bound for other stores. That's not their job either. And the truck driver doesn't have time to sit around and wait for them to check out things that aren't even theirs. He has a schedule to keep. The people at the destination store will eventually receive that box and can then figure out what got broken. Shipping cars is fundamentally the same as trucking groceries. Inspections are done when the cars are unloaded. A ship is a multi-billion dollar asset that you don't slow down unnecessarily. Inspections are done in port where you have the necessary tools and skilled personnel.
To believe the delay was due to damage on the vehicle while it is still at sea, one would have to assume that VW ignored all of the rationale above, developed detailed processes and procedures for inspecting vehicles while they are still on vessels, paid for an IT project to make vehicle inspection tracking software available to these on-board inspection staff, and then scheduled inspection staff to work over their Christmas Holiday just in case any accidents occurred on board that needed to be reported and rescheduled prior to the ship reaching the port where the damaged vehicles would be unloaded. We should be able to conclude with some level of confidence that even if the vehicle was damaged on the ship, we would not know about it yet.
If the vehicle was damaged, and that's still a big leap, it almost certainly occurred at Emden where they might more plausibly have inspection capabilities. But then why did it get on the ship? I suppose that might occur if the damage was minor and they determined it should be addressed in the port of debarkation. They might even enter a vehicle delay in that case. But this is all just wild supposition. It could have missed the boat. It could have been accidentally unloaded at the wrong port. It could have been flagged for additional customs inspections. As was mentioned previously, it might just be a software glitch and nothing is wrong. Or it could be one of a thousand other things that we aren't thinking about. There are more details regarding what is happening available in the detailed tracking report. There really is little to be gained by worrying about all of the things it might be. Make the call once your SA is back in the office and find out what really is happening.
When they dock, port operations staff would board and remove the vehicles destined for that stop. Does anyone believe they would take the time necessary to perform an inspection on any vehicle not being unloaded? What if they accidentally damaged something that isn't being unloaded you might ask? Perhaps it might be useful to consider a similar operation on a smaller scale that might be more relatable. Think of a truck driver delivering groceries to grocery stores. When he unloads at one store, does he then go and check to see if any eggs for later deliveries are broken? Of course not. Even if something tips over and falls on a box that is destined for a subsequent stop, he wouldn't take the time to figure out what broke to call ahead and warn the store that something on board is defective. He's a truck driver. Determining what was smashed and whether or not they are still sellable is not the job of a truck driver. He doesn't even know how to tell if many of the items on his truck are good or bad. His job is to get in his truck and drive to the next store. The current store personnel also won't climb on board to start rummaging through damaged boxes bound for other stores. That's not their job either. And the truck driver doesn't have time to sit around and wait for them to check out things that aren't even theirs. He has a schedule to keep. The people at the destination store will eventually receive that box and can then figure out what got broken. Shipping cars is fundamentally the same as trucking groceries. Inspections are done when the cars are unloaded. A ship is a multi-billion dollar asset that you don't slow down unnecessarily. Inspections are done in port where you have the necessary tools and skilled personnel.
To believe the delay was due to damage on the vehicle while it is still at sea, one would have to assume that VW ignored all of the rationale above, developed detailed processes and procedures for inspecting vehicles while they are still on vessels, paid for an IT project to make vehicle inspection tracking software available to these on-board inspection staff, and then scheduled inspection staff to work over their Christmas Holiday just in case any accidents occurred on board that needed to be reported and rescheduled prior to the ship reaching the port where the damaged vehicles would be unloaded. We should be able to conclude with some level of confidence that even if the vehicle was damaged on the ship, we would not know about it yet.
If the vehicle was damaged, and that's still a big leap, it almost certainly occurred at Emden where they might more plausibly have inspection capabilities. But then why did it get on the ship? I suppose that might occur if the damage was minor and they determined it should be addressed in the port of debarkation. They might even enter a vehicle delay in that case. But this is all just wild supposition. It could have missed the boat. It could have been accidentally unloaded at the wrong port. It could have been flagged for additional customs inspections. As was mentioned previously, it might just be a software glitch and nothing is wrong. Or it could be one of a thousand other things that we aren't thinking about. There are more details regarding what is happening available in the detailed tracking report. There really is little to be gained by worrying about all of the things it might be. Make the call once your SA is back in the office and find out what really is happening.
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Damage on a RoRo is improbable but not impossible as some on here suggest……especially in the Northern Atlantic during winter.
Historically, the most probable cause is a very minor issue that needs to be updated or changed before delivery such as an ECU update….especially if it is a 992.2 GTS.
Historically, the most probable cause is a very minor issue that needs to be updated or changed before delivery such as an ECU update….especially if it is a 992.2 GTS.
Last edited by Fullyield; Dec 27, 2025 at 01:10 PM.
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Damage on a RoRo is improbable but not impossible as some on here suggest……especially in the Northern Atlantic during winter.
Historically, the most probable cause is a very minor issue that needs to be updated or changed before delivery such as an ECU update….especially if it is a 992.2 GTS.
Historically, the most probable cause is a very minor issue that needs to be updated or changed before delivery such as an ECU update….especially if it is a 992.2 GTS.
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Good question. If you have been following the GTS T Hybrid threads on here, multiple RL members are reporting some electronic issues with the hybrid system. Most of them appear to have something to do with the eTurbo. If the factory has developed a fix, they will implement it at the factory. But the fix needs to be also implemented on the thousands of cars that have already left the factory and are sitting in Embden awaiting transport or on one of the RoRos traveling across the world. When the RoRo cars disembark, the factory fix is applied either at the port (most common because it is a choke point and therefore most efficient) or at the dealer. But, it is most likely something you want done. This is a common occurrence with 991s and 992.1s also over the years.
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Nobody here said there is no risk of damage in transit.
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I just took delivery of a new Mercedes that was held at the VPC for 3 months because of some sort of electronic module issue. Not a lot more info was provided other than hundreds of cars were affected. It happens. Similar to you, the delay resulted in a higher vehicle cost, so I can relate.
Last edited by Alan Smithee; Dec 28, 2025 at 02:22 AM.
Burning Brakes
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I started this thread to see if anyone else had similar delays in the past. Damage wasn't even on my radar..
And yeah, my main issue is that it almost guarantees I have to deal with price increases that I'm really not happy about. Could otherwise care less about receiving my car 1 month late (if anything it's less winter driving)
And yeah, my main issue is that it almost guarantees I have to deal with price increases that I'm really not happy about. Could otherwise care less about receiving my car 1 month late (if anything it's less winter driving)
In my personal experience, my delivery date changed at least twice. The first time it got pushed out a few weeks. Once the shipped docked in San Diego, the date moved back almost to the original delivery date. In the end, the actual delivery date was between the original and the updated date. The car sat at the San Diego port for 8 days before being shipped to the dealer, otherwise it would have been close to the original date.
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Good question. If you have been following the GTS T Hybrid threads on here, multiple RL members are reporting some electronic issues with the hybrid system. Most of them appear to have something to do with the eTurbo. If the factory has developed a fix, they will implement it at the factory. But the fix needs to be also implemented on the thousands of cars that have already left the factory and are sitting in Embden awaiting transport or on one of the RoRos traveling across the world. When the RoRo cars disembark, the factory fix is applied either at the port (most common because it is a choke point and therefore most efficient) or at the dealer. But, it is most likely something you want done. This is a common occurrence with 991s and 992.1s also over the years.
https://rennlist.com/forums/992/1493...l#post20375748
https://rennlist.com/forums/992/1492...trol-unit.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/992/1495...-gts-been.html
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My car was offloaded from SFL Conductor at Baltimore on Dec 26. Delivery date is still Jan 26 - Feb 11.
1. My SA said they contacted Porsche and have not been told what is happening at the port. With other GTS's leaving the port from the same ship to be delivered to others, my suspicion of damage is high (although no idea if it is minor or something major). If there was a software or other update needed to the car, why wouldn't that apply to other cars?
2. I last communicated with SA Friday, before the configurator showed price increases. When I probed about potential price increases, I was told they haven't gotten an invoice and Porsche doesn't invoice the car until it leaves the port. They didn't know if Porsche would price protect cars that are at the port already. What she told me when we discussed the price issue before is that 'we would figure it out once the car arrives at the dealership', whatever that means.
Very curious what will happen with others who had their car offloaded before the price increase, but have not received the car yet...
1. My SA said they contacted Porsche and have not been told what is happening at the port. With other GTS's leaving the port from the same ship to be delivered to others, my suspicion of damage is high (although no idea if it is minor or something major). If there was a software or other update needed to the car, why wouldn't that apply to other cars?
2. I last communicated with SA Friday, before the configurator showed price increases. When I probed about potential price increases, I was told they haven't gotten an invoice and Porsche doesn't invoice the car until it leaves the port. They didn't know if Porsche would price protect cars that are at the port already. What she told me when we discussed the price issue before is that 'we would figure it out once the car arrives at the dealership', whatever that means.
Very curious what will happen with others who had their car offloaded before the price increase, but have not received the car yet...
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Also, the price on the configurator has increased from $214k to $220k. In the grand scheme of things, 6k wouldn't break the bank, but at this point I am starting to question the value for money equation, as deep down I do not feel like this should be a 220k car.
The most frustrating part is that I spec'd it based on what I assumed I was paying. Had I known the prices today, I would have easily knocked off some of the options.
The most frustrating part is that I spec'd it based on what I assumed I was paying. Had I known the prices today, I would have easily knocked off some of the options.