996TT reliability survey
 

Other half asked me to consider selling the 04 996tt cab and buy a C7 GrandSport Vette, not something I really want to do. Her concern is the car goes off it's extended warranty at 75,000mi which will be a few months from now. It has had a few things that have been replaced and the warranty has paid for itself but I don't know if I can get another one at a reasonable cost. Her impression is that everything is astronomically expensive (sometimes not far off) and something like the engine throwing a rod's going to happen the day it goes off.

In the last 5 years it has had the
ignition switch replaced (32k)
door latch (45k)
hydraulic spoiler motor replaced (with an E-ram)(45k) ($1750)
fuel pump (40k)
crank seal (35k)
hi horn (60k)
water pump (50k)
and four front spoilers (seemingly daily).

The 60k inspection was $2700 due to a few wear parts and I'm looking at having to do new shocks and front top shock mounts next. The car's only mods are a steering wheel, stereo, Cobb Accessport, wheels, complete Excell clear kit (best money I spent) and a SpeedTech exhaust.
My question is how has everyone else's 996tt done as your mileage went up and what were the hits. I'm am not asking for opinions, hearsay or recommendations, just a survey of what everyone else's actual experience has been as they hit higher mileages. Might be useful for others too predicting repair expenses and show failure trends. So, what broke, what was your mileage (just actual numbers) and approximately what did you spend on repairing it? To keep it simple don't post mods. Thx

*Any vehicle* can be expensive to repair outside of warranty...

The 996 Turbo is a pretty robust car, but sure, you could need a clutch, or a clutch slave, or need the coolant lines pinned, or need new window regulators, or ??? ,and if you roll it into a dealer or pricey independent, will cost you a fair bit.

That said, I personally wouldn't trade my 996 Turbo a C7, Grand Sport or not...

In one year of ownership 2002 tip I've had to do the following extra stuff other than service: suspension front top mounts, lower control arms, SAI pump, self dimming rear view mirror before it leaks everywhere, MAF, boost control valve (N75), door/latch microswitches. I have a whine in the transmission which no-one can really tell me what is but I suspect a pinion bearing and my hoses haven't been pinned. I'm waiting for those to blow and then I'll get the tranny looked into. Apart from that its just like new lol! Apart from all the rattles which are annoying. And one of the window regulators is on the way out. And the rear suspension will need work soon. Get my drift? Budget $3k per year just for all the bits and pieces that need replacing. And then when they are all done the engine will probably blow up. Still I won't be selling it any time soon :) BTW I'm at 64,000 miles.

But what have you had to do so far? This my 44th car and my 3rd Porsche daily driver (911S, 930, and 996tt) as well as a SL600 V12 and Jaguar XJS V12 (list on Facebook) so I'm pretty familiar with the concept of high cost cars and maintenance. I often remind my friends who want a bargain exotic "You may be able buy a $150k car for $10k but the parts are still for a $150k car". I'm just looking for broad experience with this particular daily driver. I've driven it 35k over the last 21/2 years and am wanting to hear and share others experience. The wife wants me to change to a Corvette as I can buy a very low mileage CPO car with a 100k warranty hence very low risk. From her perspective it's just an exercise in risk management. Other downside there is the 996tt is almost paid off and I would be into a 4 or 5 year car payment again. She just thinks she might sucker me into it if she offers the Vette as bait but I'm not biting unless I'm force fed.

if cost to maintain or potential for longevity of the car entered the equation. i can't even see the comparison.

im at 160k miles no major issues ever. trans refresh at about 90k was it for "major".

Put $300/ month away toward a maintenance / repair account and be money ahead vs the Vette

I appreciate the advice but the point of this thread is actual experiences.

If you just spent $2700 on maintenance, and have already invested in a full clearbra, etc., I don't see how buying a depreciating asset is a better proposition. If my wife presented me with that proposal, I would end up with 0 cars and no wife (probably why I'm single).

Over my first couple years of ownership, I've spent ~$3.5k on maintenance and things like the following:

• CV boots
• MAF
• troubleshoot boost leaks
• Light Savers
• fluids
• refurbish brake calipers
• front lip
• updated coolant expansion tank cap
• guibo disc

Intending to do spoiler ram fix whenever my last re-bleed stops working.

I'd say half of the labor was DIY and half was done by real shops, so the cost could be lower or higher depending on how much of your own wrenching you do.

That's not counting tires (significant cost, IMO, but varies widely depending on driving habits) or upgrades.

It sounds like you're familiar with the standard maintenance costs -- are you more worried about catastrophic failures? The engines are rock solid, by all accounts. I think the only worry is having to rebuild the transmission.

For future readers putting together a price sheet, also add on coolant pinning/welding if you plan to track the car.

Honestly I'm not worried about the engine and trans at all (the wife is). I do expect about every accessory with a moving part to fail at some point though. Same with any other car, just these accessories often cost a lot more. I also agree with the depreciating asset comment, I kinda consider the 996tt a free car for the price of maintenance due to appreciation offsetting loss due to use. Not many of the C7's are going to go anywhere but down over time. Z06's and ZR1's might hold their own if bought low enough.

I revise my suggestion.... Sell it and get a vette.

I assume you're being facetious.

I tussled with the Porsch/Corvette issue when I bought my turbo. The son pointed out that for the money you can't beat a Corvette for lap times. But also I did not want to be the old guy in the Corvette
, the Qtip as they say. Instead I decided to be the d#$k in a Porsche. I like German cars, the just have a certain feel. I have had multiple BMWs, Benzes Audi's and I like the engineering and build quality on the Porsche. Ever notice that the suspension bolts and the nut are different sizes, it's because the bolt head does not need to be as big and it saves several grams. Have not seen that level of detail on the other cars. Ever work on a Corvette, they are kind of crude by comparison.

Obviously opinions vary, but I personally would never consider a Vette.

As far as trying to determine what to expect in terms of the costs to maintain a 996 Turbo, I don't think you can take other owner experiences and nail it down tight enough to make a call on continued ownership. You may get off light or you may take hits along the way, regardless of what other people have experienced. I personally have always hoped for the best and had money ready for the worst.

Actually not trying justify ownership, more like looking for ammo. And I thought it might be interesting just to see the range of experiences.