997 recall
01-29-2005, 08:08 AM
#1
Track Day
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997 recall
Hi all,
I received a letter today from my Porsche (UK) dealership stating the following.......
"Through regular quality inspections at Porsche AG, it has been identified that there is a possibility that the engine in your vehicle has been installed with the incorrectly machined crankcase. Due to a machining error, the intermediate shaft may not sit in the designed position in the crankcase. To determine whether this fault exists in your vehicle, the engine must be checked and depending on the result, it may be necessary to install an additional spacer to the intermediate shaft bearing cover."
I've booked the car in for the check (takes approximately 30 minutes) and will have to wait and see whether it's affected. Has anybody else on the forum received a similar warning?
I received a letter today from my Porsche (UK) dealership stating the following.......
"Through regular quality inspections at Porsche AG, it has been identified that there is a possibility that the engine in your vehicle has been installed with the incorrectly machined crankcase. Due to a machining error, the intermediate shaft may not sit in the designed position in the crankcase. To determine whether this fault exists in your vehicle, the engine must be checked and depending on the result, it may be necessary to install an additional spacer to the intermediate shaft bearing cover."
I've booked the car in for the check (takes approximately 30 minutes) and will have to wait and see whether it's affected. Has anybody else on the forum received a similar warning?
01-29-2005, 09:09 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
Oh dear......
Good reason not to buy early production run (but then the RMS issue was never really addressed with the 996 even in the later model years).
Best of luck.
Harry
Good reason not to buy early production run (but then the RMS issue was never really addressed with the 996 even in the later model years).
Best of luck.
Harry
01-29-2005, 10:26 AM
#4
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Originally Posted by andyb_997
Hi all,
I received a letter today from my Porsche (UK) dealership stating the following.......
"Through regular quality inspections at Porsche AG, it has been identified that there is a possibility that the engine in your vehicle has been installed with the incorrectly machined crankcase. Due to a machining error, the intermediate shaft may not sit in the designed position in the crankcase. To determine whether this fault exists in your vehicle, the engine must be checked and depending on the result, it may be necessary to install an additional spacer to the intermediate shaft bearing cover."
I've booked the car in for the check (takes approximately 30 minutes) and will have to wait and see whether it's affected. Has anybody else on the forum received a similar warning?
I received a letter today from my Porsche (UK) dealership stating the following.......
"Through regular quality inspections at Porsche AG, it has been identified that there is a possibility that the engine in your vehicle has been installed with the incorrectly machined crankcase. Due to a machining error, the intermediate shaft may not sit in the designed position in the crankcase. To determine whether this fault exists in your vehicle, the engine must be checked and depending on the result, it may be necessary to install an additional spacer to the intermediate shaft bearing cover."
I've booked the car in for the check (takes approximately 30 minutes) and will have to wait and see whether it's affected. Has anybody else on the forum received a similar warning?
01-29-2005, 02:46 PM
#5
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Is this recall only for certain cars with certain build dates? My dealer just checked everything out on my car when they took care of the RMS, but please, keep us all updated.
01-29-2005, 03:16 PM
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This is ridiculous. With the RMS issue and now this, Porsche's quality control is very questionable. Considering the amount of money these cars cost, you have to wonder if they are really worth it when one factors in the time/inconvience/headaches involved in ownership. Just my 2 cents worth. Flame me if you feel like . . .
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01-29-2005, 04:05 PM
#8
Track Day
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My car is a 997s. Not sure of the exact build date, but I took delivery of it in early December so I'm guessing it's a November build. Through another forum (www.boxa.net) I have discovered one other 997 owner who has received a similar letter so far. I will post an update here once my car has been checked. All Porsche have told me so far is that any affected engine would experience excessive wear and possibly premature failure if the problem is not resolved promptly. They didn't tell me not to use the car in the meantime and, hopefully, my car may not be affected. My only worry is that if my engine does have the fault and is subsequently corrected, how much damage have I already done to it in the 1700 miles I have done to date?
This is my 4th Porsche (2 Boxsters; a 996 and now a 997) but I have to say that build quality issues of this nature are slowly but surely eroding the feelgood factor of owning one.
This is my 4th Porsche (2 Boxsters; a 996 and now a 997) but I have to say that build quality issues of this nature are slowly but surely eroding the feelgood factor of owning one.
01-29-2005, 04:15 PM
#9
Race Car
Originally Posted by andyb_997
My car is a 997s. Not sure of the exact build date, but I took delivery of it in early December so I'm guessing it's a November build. Through another forum (www.boxa.net) I have discovered one other 997 owner who has received a similar letter so far. I'll will post an update here once my car has been checked. All Porsche have told me so far is that any affected engine would experience excessive wear and possibly premature failure if the problem is not resolved promptly. They didn't tell not to use the car in the meantime and, hopefully, my car may not be affected. My only worry is that if my engine does have the fault and is subsequently repaired, how much damage have I already done to it in the 1700 miles I have done to date?
This is my 4th Porsche (2 Boxsters; a 996 and now a 997) but I have to say that build quality issues of this nature are slowly but surely eroding the feelgood factor of owning one.
This is my 4th Porsche (2 Boxsters; a 996 and now a 997) but I have to say that build quality issues of this nature are slowly but surely eroding the feelgood factor of owning one.
01-29-2005, 05:12 PM
#10
The worst part about the RMS problem is not the hassle of getting it fixed - it appears the problem with these cars since the 986/996 has been one of a DESIGN FLAW in the crankcase and not simply a faulty seal. The seal is definitely NOT the issue here - the issue is, Porsche has become aware of a flaw in the design of the bottom-end of these engines, and instead of adressing that (re-engineering it), they have decided that short term profits are more important.
The fact that they passed up the 997 introduction as an opportunity to address this issue is stunning. There's a reason the GT3 variants use a COMPLETELY different engine/gearbox than the street cars, it's because they wouldn't hold up in a racing environment. And now this new issue, I am speechless.
Beyond these problems, how about we start looking at an even bigger problem - these engines are now WET SUMP. What the HELL is the point of buying a Porsche if you can't be confident tracking it? The reason Porsche has a reputation for high quality is that you can drive them on a track and not have to worry about it, and now they're not even trackworthy! I don't know what happened in the past few years, but all I know is, the new Corvette Z06 is lighter, faster, and MORE TRACKWORTHY than a new 911. Must be in the Twilight Zone.
I won't even start with the crap "PCCB brakes" that aren't trackworthy either (there's a reason you don't see them used in racing), or the fact that you CAN'T switch off the PSM (yeah there's an off button, but when you cross a certain threshhold it turns itself back on - SURPRISE!), or how about the variable ratio steering gimmick... the list goes on.
What gets me is, they're still more than capable of producing a world-class machine, like the GT3. However, holding on to their "industry leading" profit margins are more important now than producing a quality performance car for their customers. The sad reality is, most new pcar owners are poseurs who buy it for the name, and THAT is the reason Porsche isn't being held accountable for this sort of thing - their new client base simply doesn't care if it's trackworthy, because they trade up in a few years when the new model is out, before the warranty is up. Meanwhile, what happens when these cars are out of warranty, someone tries to track them, and either the engine seizes due to oil starvation, or the toys-r-us quality gearbo tears itself apart? (notice there are no replacement parts for the gearbox, they're replaced as an entire unit when they go bad)
The new "Porsche" is a company I do not respect. They have the ability to be great like they once were, but instead all they see is the short-term profits they can make. But I have news for the bean counters, you'll be out of a job when the honeymoon is over, and people begin to realize that the name "Porsche" no longer stands for quality, it stands for compromise.
I mean no disrespect to you 997 owners, I have driven the new S and was impressed with its abilities - but I cannot bring myself to purcahse a pcar that I can't trust on the track, plain and simple. Hopefully Porsche will get the message before it's too late.
Greg
The fact that they passed up the 997 introduction as an opportunity to address this issue is stunning. There's a reason the GT3 variants use a COMPLETELY different engine/gearbox than the street cars, it's because they wouldn't hold up in a racing environment. And now this new issue, I am speechless.
Beyond these problems, how about we start looking at an even bigger problem - these engines are now WET SUMP. What the HELL is the point of buying a Porsche if you can't be confident tracking it? The reason Porsche has a reputation for high quality is that you can drive them on a track and not have to worry about it, and now they're not even trackworthy! I don't know what happened in the past few years, but all I know is, the new Corvette Z06 is lighter, faster, and MORE TRACKWORTHY than a new 911. Must be in the Twilight Zone.
I won't even start with the crap "PCCB brakes" that aren't trackworthy either (there's a reason you don't see them used in racing), or the fact that you CAN'T switch off the PSM (yeah there's an off button, but when you cross a certain threshhold it turns itself back on - SURPRISE!), or how about the variable ratio steering gimmick... the list goes on.
What gets me is, they're still more than capable of producing a world-class machine, like the GT3. However, holding on to their "industry leading" profit margins are more important now than producing a quality performance car for their customers. The sad reality is, most new pcar owners are poseurs who buy it for the name, and THAT is the reason Porsche isn't being held accountable for this sort of thing - their new client base simply doesn't care if it's trackworthy, because they trade up in a few years when the new model is out, before the warranty is up. Meanwhile, what happens when these cars are out of warranty, someone tries to track them, and either the engine seizes due to oil starvation, or the toys-r-us quality gearbo tears itself apart? (notice there are no replacement parts for the gearbox, they're replaced as an entire unit when they go bad)
The new "Porsche" is a company I do not respect. They have the ability to be great like they once were, but instead all they see is the short-term profits they can make. But I have news for the bean counters, you'll be out of a job when the honeymoon is over, and people begin to realize that the name "Porsche" no longer stands for quality, it stands for compromise.
I mean no disrespect to you 997 owners, I have driven the new S and was impressed with its abilities - but I cannot bring myself to purcahse a pcar that I can't trust on the track, plain and simple. Hopefully Porsche will get the message before it's too late.
Greg
01-29-2005, 05:36 PM
#11
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Re:
Originally Posted by andyb_997
"Through regular quality inspections at Porsche AG, it has been identified that there is a possibility that the engine in your vehicle has been installed with the incorrectly machined crankcase..."
01-29-2005, 05:49 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by pcar964
But I have news for the bean counters, you'll be out of a job when the honeymoon is over, and people begin to realize that the name "Porsche" no longer stands for quality, it stands for compromise.
Hopefully Porsche will get the message before it's too late.
Greg
Hopefully Porsche will get the message before it's too late.
Greg
Harry
01-30-2005, 12:59 AM
#13
The sad reality is, most new pcar owners are poseurs who buy it for the name, and THAT is the reason Porsche isn't being held accountable for this sort of thing - their new client base simply doesn't care if it's trackworthy, because they trade up in a few years when the new model is out, before the warranty is up.
People like you make the Porsche experience a bit sour. Don't blame new Porsche owners, it's not like people go into Porsche dealerships and expect to walk out with a problematic car. For $80,000+ even the person who is buying the 911 as a status symbol expects it to be reliable.
People like you make the Porsche experience a bit sour. Don't blame new Porsche owners, it's not like people go into Porsche dealerships and expect to walk out with a problematic car. For $80,000+ even the person who is buying the 911 as a status symbol expects it to be reliable.
01-30-2005, 01:46 AM
#14
Originally Posted by riotgear
The sad reality is, most new pcar owners are poseurs who buy it for the name, and THAT is the reason Porsche isn't being held accountable for this sort of thing - their new client base simply doesn't care if it's trackworthy, because they trade up in a few years when the new model is out, before the warranty is up.
People like you make the Porsche experience a bit sour. Don't blame new Porsche owners, it's not like people go into Porsche dealerships and expect to walk out with a problematic car. For $80,000+ even the person who is buying the 911 as a status symbol expects it to be reliable.
People like you make the Porsche experience a bit sour. Don't blame new Porsche owners, it's not like people go into Porsche dealerships and expect to walk out with a problematic car. For $80,000+ even the person who is buying the 911 as a status symbol expects it to be reliable.
01-30-2005, 01:59 AM
#15
Rennlist Member
I bought the Launch 997S and I have not received anything from Porsche about this as of yet. Time will tell.
Anyway, why is everyone so bitter? Porsche is an awesome car company despite it's flaws! I have only had positive experiences. If my 997S ends up having a RMS problem, Porsche will stand behind it. For example: On my 1st GT3 the steel rotors had signifcant stress cracks - from track use - and the Porsche rep told my dealer to give me a new set of rotors (I had to put them on but who cares) and said "just dont ask again". Fine by me.
No car company is perfect! They have to make money though. Hence the Cayenne. Yet they still produce incredible machines like the GT3 and Carrera GT! So, pcar964- Buy a GT3 and stop complaining. Everyone else that buys a 996 or 997 got what they wanted - a great street car that can be taken to the track on occassion if so desired. I have both and have had both on the track. They are completely different cars - I love the GT3, I really like the 997S! The GT3 is the car I will take to the track. The 997S is a semi-daily driver. 2 cars - 2 purposes - 1 great car Brand!
Anyway, why is everyone so bitter? Porsche is an awesome car company despite it's flaws! I have only had positive experiences. If my 997S ends up having a RMS problem, Porsche will stand behind it. For example: On my 1st GT3 the steel rotors had signifcant stress cracks - from track use - and the Porsche rep told my dealer to give me a new set of rotors (I had to put them on but who cares) and said "just dont ask again". Fine by me.
No car company is perfect! They have to make money though. Hence the Cayenne. Yet they still produce incredible machines like the GT3 and Carrera GT! So, pcar964- Buy a GT3 and stop complaining. Everyone else that buys a 996 or 997 got what they wanted - a great street car that can be taken to the track on occassion if so desired. I have both and have had both on the track. They are completely different cars - I love the GT3, I really like the 997S! The GT3 is the car I will take to the track. The 997S is a semi-daily driver. 2 cars - 2 purposes - 1 great car Brand!