mambodoc

It's no news that I going from an 06 Cayenne Turbo to a C4S/T4S...I'm moaning though, because in doing my routine oil level check, wiper fluid check etc...the blue wiper fluid cap just broke at the hinge...sorta the last straw in prompting me to post this. Now...how much did this vehicle cost?...why has it never happened on my past fords, chevys, volvos?...3 babied years and 78k babied miles...hvac fan working when it decides to, rubber paint peeling from surfaces not to mention the carbon gear shift option lever...alacantra headliner detaching in places & sagging...and a month ago, back of the passenger seat completely detached?!...I know it's not a 911 but still a Porsche and I'm abit dismayed at the lack of quality and am unsure as to what to expect in and 08 or 09 model. I think " Porsche " and wish this away as an anomaly. All began at 52K mi. Any insight, comments? Posting here because Cayenne is going and 911 coming. Cayenne build date is 08/05. 100% garaged and in Florida. My dealer has been great with other items within the warranty period...all small stuff. I don't want repair,... it's going,...just abit concerned as to whats coming. Whats the honest concensus on 977.1 & 977.2 quality. Thanks all.

Edgy01

There is a big push toward weight savings with all cars and unfortunately, I think that translates to lesser materials which suffer more from heat, etc. Not surprised you have parts cracking or breaking as you're in Florida. The high heat will take an accelerated toll on these parts.

brendo

i offer no excuses for porsche here - lousy build quality is lousy build quality.

frequently, the importance of quality in an organization is like a pendulum and you don't know where it was swinging when they designed your product.

i just look at my GE monogram fridge in front of me and the stupid crooked door that only I notice. how the hell does that same company make aircraft engines that work to 5 nines? what in hell was i thinking when i didn't buy a sub zero? the old one lasted 23 years.

sorry to go OT...

KeninBlaine

I've heard more horror stories about sub zeros than any other brand.

I guess it shows that high prices don't always buy high quality.

richc

I don't think the quality is as good as it was when I bought my first one in 1968, but the newer ones as faster and handle better.

Mspeedster

I am an owner of BMWs, Mercedes, and my one and only 911 C2S. My '06 C2S is holding up very well and I'm in Hawaii (similar climate to Florida.) None of the problems mentioned in your Cayenne, except for the rubber paint peeling in a few areas. But this was replaced under warranty and my interior is now perfect. Compared to all of the Mercedes and BMWs I've owned, I'm very happy with my Porsche. The one weak spot to me is that rubber paint, wish Porsche would simply use soft grained plastics molded in the given color.

OTOH, I also have a Toyota SUV which I have to rate as having better build quality over any of my expensive German make cars.

abe

Nothing is made the way they use to be....even the mirrors in my house when I look at my reflection are not what they use to be.
Its the little things that bother me. My 83SC and 280SL are finely built....but I don't have to mess with the points, timing, valve adjustment, even check the dip stick on the 997.
Welcome to the age of disposable cars.
abe

stevepow

That sounds like an install issue - doors can be leveled and should have been at delivery. Check your owners manual. GE gets pretty good CR ratings.

It is odd how some things just last and last and other don't. We've had our washer dryer forever - so long I don't know how long. Just bought whatever CR was ranking highest at the time - Sears...something. The dishwasher in our home that we hated, it was so loud, would just never die - we finally just gave it away and got a new quiet one.

I'm just hoping CR was right about the Porsche too. I do think Dan is onto one issue though: materials. And I see these same bits creeping into the industry in general. Whether it is in vogue, or meets some legal requirements, or is just cheaper - probably some of each.

Why these cars cost so much is a fair question, but I don't think it is so much about the parts as it is how the parts are envisioned to work together. If I could find some other car that was as aesthetically appealing and drove like my 911, but was cheaper, that's probably where I'd be. I car shopped pretty hard this last time - drove everything under the sun and then some. I deliberated for months - the day I drove this 911, that was the end of that.

My expectation is that durability in cars now days doesn't correlate to the cost of the car so much, if at all. Wouldn't surprise me if the same could be said for appliances.

racer

To contrast, no doubt, if Porsche still made 911's like they did in the early 90's, they would cost $200K for a base one. They, and their suppliers, are always trying to build to a minimum cost, regardless of the final asking price. But everyone knows this already. Will your 997.1 or 997.2 be better? Not sure why it "should" be better in overall quality. I am biased to think though, that more people will drive more miles in a Cayenne than a 997. It may take some folks 10 years to put 50K miles on a 997, vs 2-3 for a cayenne. It would be nice to blame the Cayenne issues on the fact that it was co-developed with VW, but I don't think that would be fair to claim.

dertub

If you think Porsche is bad, buy a Corvette and you will really see poor build quality!

TooSixy

Buy any American-made car and you will know what poor quality means.

abe

I remember 20 years ago in Simi Valley (redneck hickish town in those days)
helping my wife start her Mercedes when this guy walked by and sarcasticaly tells his wife "he should have bought American". Funny thing was that the dead shorted out battery was a Delco made in the USA!
abe

OldGuy

There have always been problems with the 04 06 cayenne
I have had a 993 a 996 GT3 a 997 GT3 and now my C2S 997 and the build quality has improved on each one. I wouldnt have any problem with it.
I had a 09 AMG in between and it wasnt as good.

boolala

Quality wise I would take my Porsche over any Mercedes I have owned with the exception of the my previous SL500. Can't speak to the newer ones.

cascade

The Cayenne is made in a different factory than the 911. I have an 08 Cayenne and an 08 911, both in meteor gray. The 911 paint job is much better than the Cayenne's. The Cayenne paint job has drips and splotches -- the 911 paintjob is excellent. So, my guess is that Porsche is still trying to put a lot of extra effort into the 911 production process, while producing the Cayenne in a manner more in keeping with mainstream autos. Also, I agree with the earlier comment -- the 04-06 Cayennes had some issues that seem to have been resolved with the later models.