BrockPorsche

I don't want to open a flame thread and I know this topic has been covered in depth, but I have a specific question that I can'e seem to find an answer to. The local Porsche dealer is zero help when I ask about engine failures.

Still doing my research to buy an early 996 and get into my first Porsche Early 996 because of cost otherwise I'd just get a 997 or TT. Even though I'm aware it's the vocal few who show up with problems and not the thousands that don't have any issues...the engine failure occurances bother me.

Joel from PCA had this to say, and it seems to echo a good number of postings on various forums (and from various remanufactured/rebuilt for-sale cars that i ask why their first engine failed). I find that many say that evidence points to sleeve failure.

http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_ques...B94A89676F0%7D

Does this insinuate that it may be a bit safer (nothing is guaranteed obviously) to avoid 996s manufactured in early 99? Obviously engines can blow for numerous reasons including user error, but if there is indeed strong circumstantial evidence pointing specifically to the early '99 manufactures then prudence would suggest avoiding them.

Or am I being silly? Just don't want to pick up a car, import it, and have the engine poop out on me. I could cover it but....who wants to do that. I'm trying to convince the SO that a CA$15k engine replacement + the 996 cost comes to much closer to a turbo, so why not get a turbo now....but no go....alas.

LVDell

Oh dear God, here we go again

BrockPorsche

Am I better simply asking:

Is is better to try to find a car with a manufacture date in the last half of 99 or later, or is that not going to buy me any better chance....or am I silly for thinking there is a statistically high enough chance of any sort of grenading?

LVDell

You really have been spooked haven't you? Don't buy into the drama that is propogated here on the net. Buy whatever car you want. Service history and the way the car was taken care of is very important. As well, a full PPI helps as well.

But to answer your question, the answer has and will always be, buy the newest car you can afford.

BrockPorsche

K, good advice. Ya...I've been a bit spooked...I wasn't too worried as I figured the % was in the < 1% range, but then a local mechanic mentioned a percentage in the single digits. But I have no idea on the validity of his remark.

Still very low in any case

I'll probably be importing which makes it more difficult to get a good history/inspection/etc done...as well as get service with local dealers as they frown upon imported cars. Maybe it's worth the extra to buy it up here and get some chain of ownership and records. Just musing now

What matters more...newer, or less mileage? ie. is the newer tech enough to overcome mileage in some cases?

ie. '99 w/ 40k miles or 2001 w/ 80k miles, given equal care and histories.

Thanks

LVDell

Truth is nobody but PCNA has those numbers and they aren't talking. If you follow your gut, and do your due dilligence, chances are great that you will ahve a car with many years of pleasure ahead.

Best of luck with your search

Ray S

Honestly, the only place you could get that data is Porsche and they are not sharing. Your local dealer with only be able to provide an opinion based on the cars they have serviced, Porsche is not going to share the repair stats on the 996 population with them either.

Porsche (like all car manufacturers) does make changes and updates to the cars as they learn about problems. They create updates and modifications to their parts and processes to improve them (as well as issue TSB's to fix problems in the field).

You could theorize that they best car to buy would be at the end of a model production run. For the 996 Mk I this would be 2001 or 2004 for the Mk II.

However, there are a ton of great '99's out there and there is no reason not to buy one.

My advice;
- Buy from a reputable source or private party
- Get a complete Pre Purchase Inspection done by a knowledgeable Porsche mechanic before you hand over any money
- Buy the newest/best example you can afford
- Get a CPO car or purchase aftermarket insurance coverage if you feel you need it.

Good Luck!!

joes c4 cab

Mine was a July 99 manufactured 99 and had cracked cylinder. Seems to be a crap shoot despite what the statistics say. I have read between 5-10% of 99's.

BruceP

In a similar thread a few weeks back, Adrian (I think I have the name right... writer, seems to know a lot about these cars) said that the majority of failures had occurred in the first two or three years of ownership and that if a car had accumulated some years and miles without incident, the odds of failure went down quite a bit. Worth a search. It was a good discussion.

A thought on this:

"But to answer your question, the answer has and will always be, buy the newest car you can afford."

I wonder if that's always true. I think that 996s are becoming more like mainstream cars than older Porsches were in terms of depreciation. It's easy to find cars that might only be a couple of years apart in age, but far enough apart in price that the future depreciation would more than pay for a new engine. Or two. Just saying, I wouldn't run away from a well maintained, older, higher mileage car with a clean service record. It could very easily end up the better buy, IMHO.

Tbred911

a lot of engine failures on 3.4 996 cars occur on the track because of the high g-forces generated due to sport suspensions and track tires.... if you have a 3.4 and are gonna track it make sure you get the special oil mod that is available that prevents oil starvation.... the 3.6 cars I believe already have something built it but you can retrofit a 3.4 engine and the mod is pretty inexpensive from what I understand...

cdodkin

That's about all you can say - there is no magic formula to work out which early cars will fail, at any mileage.

I made the decision to avoid the early cars, but I could afford to do that.

Best of luck and buy a warranty if you buy a 99 car.

kromdom

Ray's post above pretty much sums up my game plan when I start shopping for an '02-up 996 next year (after I return from Iraq) and if I may reiterate them here one more time:

My advice:
- Buy from a reputable source or private party
- Get a complete Pre Purchase Inspection done by a knowledgeable Porsche mechanic before you hand over any money
- Buy the newest/best example you can afford
- Get a CPO car or purchase aftermarket insurance coverage if you feel you need it.

eurotrashed

Ugh, threads that have "failure" and "99" in the title draw me in like moth to flame...

larry996

My 99 was actually built in Nov 98 and now it has 30k miles. Just did the 30k major service at the dealer and there is no sign of oil leaks.

I was kind of in the same shoe as you before I got my 99 months ago. Let's put it this way, you can spend $45k+ for a good MK II but you also can spend $30k for a clean 99. Eventhough you end up with a engine failure and cost you around $8k for the repair, it still put you under $40k plus you have a new engine.

Sids911

What is this mod ? I was under the impression that although not truly dry sump, the 3.4L (and 3.6L) engines DON'T experience oil starvation.

Can you elaborate ?

Thanks
Sid