eljeffo64

+1

Rick in Colorado

No offense taken - that's why I said "for what it's worth". But...use the same healthy skepticism before believing the German publication that rates its home product higher than the Japanese manufacturers. Don't get me wrong, I love German cars, but the general consensus is that Honda/Toyota have their acts together bigtime when it comes to reliable transportation.

And...keep in mind that CR rated Porsche incredibly high in the attributes that we value most. If reliability was first and foremost in my mind, I'd be driving an Accord.

wetstuff

Rick: Well said.

MLindgren

What type of failure produces a knock against the reliability rating?

Does it include a visor mirror light or retractable rear spoiler failure or CD player that has failed? Or is it something the renders the car immobile?

WAC

I am not concerned in the least. I may not own my current car when it goes out of warranty but only because it might be replaced by another p car newer or older depending on what strikes my fancy. I've had expensive out of warranty repairs on other cars like Mercedes but given that I bought them used, and for a reasonable price it wasn't a big deal. My first 911 I bought when it was 12 years old and it was, and still is for the current owner at age 20, bullet proof.

The current cars are a lot more complex, and have more little systems that can break, than the older cars but the engines, drive train, suspensions, etc. are still well engineered and manufactured so I'm comfortable with the quality. I'm also very comfortable with the level of care and maintenance that is given these cars by Porsche enthusiasts including me.

Tony

YA911Fan

I'd only consider keeping a Porsche beyond the warranty if I bought it new and it hadn't exhibited any lemonic behavior...

orbiter

I am an advocate of extended warrantees. Many of the cars I have owned were sold before the warranty expired but I've had a few that I kept longer. I had a 2000 C5 roadster, 2 injectors went bad under OEM warranty, value unknown. I had a differential seal leak in it on the extended warranty. They had to disassemble the whole rear end of the car, $1,800.00. Just to fix an oil seal. The warranty cost me $1,200.00. I had a buddy w/ 928S4 that had the leather interior panels peel off. Cost over 3K to fix.
All covered under extended warranty. If I decide to keep my 997S I will extend the warranty to cover catastrophic issues. I insure my cars, my home, my business. The cost of ownwership. Mike

malammik

Warranty in itself is not a sole factor in deciding whether to keep the car or not. It is only one of the factors. One may decide to keep the car for 10+ years even it it is out of the warrany. What you want from the car and what it is currently able to offer compared to others is the most important factor. IMO, 997 represents the best of its generation of sports cars. The next generation of will be lighter, more fuel efficient and have higher ratio of hp/engine volume as a result of better engineering, precision and quality. Then one might have to decide whether he or she has to have that latest and most advanced technology.

TX996

I am aware and concerned a bit. I am fortunate enough to have some really great Porsche mechanics and shops close to me (Mayo Performance, Zimms and Ruf) so I figure I have until mid 2011 to get to know my 997S with Porsche support and then will use others. If he behaves, and I do not fall in love with another Porsche I will keep him. If he has troubles that I fully expect Porsche to handle under my CPO warranty (they always have been very good to me as well a solid dealer support) I will consider sending him on his way at the end of Porsche coverage.

Posts above have it right. It is a consideration but is not everything but to answer the question directly I am aware of it and have discussed it openly with other car nuts in my family.

Kevin K

I bought the extended warranty through my insurer - GEICO. The Mechanical Breakdown (MB) coverage costs me $120 per year that started when the car hit 15 months old (so they make some money on the almost three year overlap with the Porsche basic warranty). The extended coverage lasts until the car hits seven years old or 100K miles and covers everything but basic maintenance and wear&tear items and has a $250 deductible. Even the clutch is covered, which I found amazing.

So the way I see it, for less than six years worth of MB payments (6 x $120 = $720), I won't have to shell out any more than $250 for a major repair in the three years after the basic warranty expires. And you could use any repair shop or the dealer. Seemed like a small price for that peace of mind.

After 7 years, I'd be ready for something new anyway.

Kevin

Eric - Plug Guy

Learned my lesson on my '99 996 (sold years ago). It was approaching the 4-yr mark and I was not yet ready to let it go. Bought an aftermarket warranty that seemed bulletproof.

3 months out of factory warranty the then-plastic rear window detached from the canvas at a 2" point in the rear, and DSM nor PCNA would do a thing with it. I ended up buying not just a new plastic window, but the canvas too as it broke upon removal of the plastic (common problem).

30 days later I replaced the MAF.

Both would have been part of the extended, however I was one of the unlucky ones with Warranty Gold, which as many know went belly-up about that same time I had $5500 in claims, and those bastards absconded with the cash. Ends up, according to my latest correspondence, that I will actually recoup a good portion of this money four years later.

But, the lesson was this: Murphy's Law applies - what can go wrong, WILL go wrong, and that which does go wrong will cause the most damage. Of course, when it comes to vehicles, I apply O'Toole's theorem: Murphy was an optimist.

My '04 C4S Cab is heading out of warranty in May. I bought a very complete packaged warranty from my Porsche dealer that is covered nationwide, backed by strong company, and has many Porsche-related things INcluded, for a couple grand, including wheel/tire and roadside. Peace of mind for me. And if I sell the car, the warranty can transfer. Sure, I could bank the 2 grand or so and figure on some growth of that money then use it for repairs, but for me, it was a no-brainer. Two more years of extensive bumper-to-bumper, possible resale value (car is relatively low mileage), and the 'chance' of something either catastrophic or 'major' was enough for me to be able to sleep at night knowing it's covered. Wear items, of course, are not. And the car has been damn near flawless.

But to each his own. Some will take the chance, others will sell, others will get coverage. I usually sell cars before the warranty is up, but on the perfect Porsche I'm driving now, well, I might just keep it a bit longer.

printemps2001

Absolutely. Barring a catastrophic failure, depreciation will cost far more than repairs. If you are really concerned, but an extended warantee for a couple grand. Personally, I usually change cars before factory guarantee lapses, but that's just because I like variety. Another thing to consider is how reliable it has been since you got it. A car that has been trouble proof for 4 years, and has been well maintained probably isn't going to blow up in the 49th month.

JMAGOLAN

Let me add a voice to keeping these cars beyond warranty. I still own my 1991 928GT (as well as the 2006 C4s Cabriolet). The GT came with a two year, unlimited mileage warranty (standard for Porsche at the time). Two and a half years out of warranty, at 48,000 miles, the timing belt snaped, bending valves and requiring nearly $10,000 in parts and labor to repair. Porsche's response? It should not have happened, and they paid for EVERYTHING, parts and labor, on a car that was well out of the warranty period. That was is 1995. Would Porsche stand behind their product today the way they did then? I hope so. The GT is now 17 years old with over 182,000 miles on the odometer, and still brings a smile to my face when I drive it. And it is a heck of a lot harder to find competant mechanics for it than 911s. Porsches are timeless. Whether old or new, every one brings a unique and enjoyable driving experience.
Keep it and enjoy.

Jerry

YA911Fan

Now that Porsche is so laser-focused on profits, I doubt it.