Hyper911

^^if you cannot afford a $1800 IMS fix , ie LN engineering then walk away. This is a near supercar for honda money dont expect cheap to factor into it. The 997 is basically the same all the way up to 2009 so i guess by your logic they are also "POS".
BTW i bought mine after lots of research, reading all the internet scares, discussing with Independant shops and will be spending $1800 to get piece of mind, no big deal. Other than that issue the car is flat out amazing and I would buy one again.
I agree, here we go again......

Dennis C

Porsches aren't for everyone...

I bought an old Alfa Romeo once... now that was a mistake!

tedfromohio

Wow - I apologize as I certainly didn't intend to offend anyone, especially with my first post! I am probably a little paranoid but I am certainly concerned that I might not be able to enjoy a car that I might spend between $20-$30K on and everytime it made a funny noise, that might be the one time that it lunched the engine! As someone said, Porsches aren't for everyone and it is quite possible that I might not be at the income level required to enjoy such a beautiful car.

Regarding the Corvette comment, I already have one - it's a 1986 convertible that I have owned for 15 years. Over the 15 years I have had to replace an altenator, some brakes, 2 batteries, and 2 sets of tires. It now has 150K miles and doesn't look like brand new, but it has been a good car - I have taken it on trips to Florida and Colorado and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It even gets better gas mileage than any of my other vehicles. Just thought I might be interested in something new, and something that I might be able to drive for more of the year given the weather here.

Again, I apologize if I offended someone or started something - not my intention.

TedFromOhio

Dennis C

Ted,

You didn't offend anyone. You're smart to do some research before you buy any car. People can be a little sensitive around here because of "forum trolls" who love to stir the pot. There are some cars out there that have had issues - no doubt about that. However, there are also many, many cars that run flawlessley for many miles. If you really want a Porsche (who wouldn't?), then keep doing your research and find a car that meets all your requirements.

Good luck!

Barn996

Hey Ted, some of us have had nothing but good results with the 996, I'm still very happy with my Porsche after 6 years of ownership and didn't find your post offensive. I have my original IMSB and won't worry about a replacement until I need to replace my clutch, with almost 58k miles on a MY99.

LordVicious

Don't sweat it Ted, the rennlist site has been taken over by folks trying to make a buck selling aftermarket monkey parts. The good news is that because of the internet stupidity you have the option of acquiring a type 996 for far less than what the cars would be selling for otherwise.

Peter 642

You did post, and one sows what he reaps. Or is it the other way around? Right. Not a farmer.
In any case, take a look at a public "independent" database. Consumer Reports (yes it has faults) comes to mind. The 2011 "Best and Worst" issue lists reliability, as they always do. In the "Best" category are several Japanese cars, as well as the Porsche Boxster and the M3, while in the "Worst" you will find several American cars, several German cars (such as the BMW 135i ,335i, and X-series SUV). My point here is no marque is "reliable" 100% of the time, all models.

Look at the data on Porsche as a brand specifically, and you will find them second from the top. That's correct, second from the top (second only to Scion). The "average predicted reliability score" as a brand is 42, where 100 is the "best score," but 52 is Scion's top score. Honda, for example, gets a 36. Of course you have to keep in mind that relatively few Porsches are sold, with respect to, for example Toyotas, so the denominator is relatively low, but if the cars imploded upon leaving the lot, you might know that.

What does this mean for the 996? Nothing specifically, except based on this data set it's fair to say the marque is "reliable." Turning to the 911 specifically, you will find that their results, which I admit are odd at best, wrong at worst, give "average" reliability scores for the 2002 and "poor" for 2003, with no scores for 2001, 2003 or 2005. Ask the average 996 driver, and you'll get "great" to "piece of trash," because those with polarized experience verbalize those experiences.

Although the response by KrazyK is odd, and this is the second posting today by the same poster, negatively slamming the 996 on a board of 996 owners. I avoided commenting the first time, but the second; friend, it's an odd choice. Why on earth are you "still looking" for a car you consider a "turd," and, "Porsche's worse failure?" Not that it's my business, but aren't there better ways to spend upwards of $30,000 than on a car you can't stand secondary to its presumed "lousy" reliability?

targa996

10 months in my ;02 now .. and total service cost so far was $300 - oil change, inspection and brake fluid flush ... plus I did DIY on indicator bulb holder connection ... oh and I replaced mismatched tire from PO with used P Zero for $50 from ebay, balanced front wheels ($20) and fixed wheel rash ($75) ....

logray

Huh? WTF, is today let's post random stuff day? I thought that's what 6speedonline was for.

Now that is an intelligent statement. Our cars are severely undervalued. What other high performance sports car that originally sold for 65-85k 10 years ago be in your hands today for a fraction of the cost?

Sneaky Pete

I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment,I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment,I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment,I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment,I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment,I'm not going to comment, I'm not going to comment

Barn996

Welcome back Sneaky Pete(your avatar is great).

Sneaky Pete

Well thank you Steve.....been very busy at work as of late but have been lurking reading junk posts from outsiders. The pic is from this past year at our local track (Putnam Park). First driving with the Pilot Super Sports. What a great tire! I really like your new wheels....and envious.

silotwo

Absolutely! I bought my first one, an 04 996 C2 in 2007 with no knowledge of the IMS rage, and was willing to pay $50k+ and still think it was a good value, especially because it was a CPO car. I still have it and drive it, 70k miles on the clock, original IMS with no losing sleep or sense of urgency to replace it. The car was driven daily and year around. It is always maintained at or ahead of schedule.

In October of this year I bought an 04 996 C4S with 23K miles for north of $40k with a top tier 3rd party warranty. I know that many might think I paid too much - but again I think it was a good value. I was shopping for an all wheel drive car to replace my back up ride and it was a no brainer that for a small stretch in cash I could own outright a stellar automobile. I put 4k miles on her the two months I have had her and again I couldn't be happier. This car is still as new inside and out.

The problem I have now is making sure that each car is driven adequately. I am one of those guys that believes these cars need to be driven, and more than 5 miles a day. The good news is I can drive a 996 every day of the year, and I do.

I am already considering how long it will take me to save enough cash to add a 3rd one, perhaps a C4S cab. That is as long as I can find another exceptional example that still has the original IMSB when I am ready.

mkaresh

We have updated reliability stats for the 996 based on owner experiences through December 31, 2011.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

2002: 110, about average

1999: 69, better than average, small sample size

It is important to note that these cars are driven about half as many miles per year as the typical car.

None of the 40 owners participating has reported an IMS failure. None of the 200+ 1999-2005 Boxster owners participating has reported an IMS failure since 2010.

Those of you who have been helping, thank you, I truly appreciate it. We'll have further updates in May and August. With more participants, we could cover all model years and provide more precise results.

For the details, and to sign up to help provide this information:

Porsche 911 reliability ratings and comparisons

Hurdigurdiman

I wouldn't like the price of the 996 to rocket up in price. It will if everyone on here speaks up well about there rides. I can only speak up very well for mine so far. So I think I will keep that info to myself and not involve myself with formal recordings of the truth. God bless the scare mongers. Without them I would be still driving my 1989 Cadilac Deville lol.