Quattro Libre

Hi there,

I was wondering if people could give some impressions of 997 build quality. Do you find the car has a lot of rattles/squeaks or does it feel pretty solid? And for those who have cars with higher miles, has it developed more rattles to the point of annoyance?

And out of sheer curiousity, what is the most "solid" vehicle you have ever owned?

Alan Smithee

My 2005 had a symphony of rattles and squeaks, primarily from the sunroof, dash, and rear side panels. Pointed them out to the dealer at every service visit, and they would be fixed until I drove over railroad tracks or something. Sold the car with 36k miles (although not due to the squeaks and rattles). Plenty of little (and one major) reliability issues as well, most of them experienced by others and discussed on this board. It was a relatively early car built in 2004, so some of the issues are to be expected; it didn't stop me from ordering another in 2009.

My late-2006 E-class has about the same mileage and is as solid as the day I bought it. Not a squeak or rattle...or for that matter any repair required...ever (knocking wood). Most solid and reliable car I have owned.

ADias

All cars rattle to some extent when driven through a sharp bump. This is due to some flex or cables/fixtures that can move. If the rattle is severe something is lose and can be fixed, but otherwise the only way to eliminate all rattles is to insulate every part and that adds an enormous weight and I am not interested. Rattles can be for some people an OCD thing - I recommend focusing on the car's performance instead.

Often rattles in a car are lose objects inside the cabin, such as keys, phones, loose coins, and other things...

At Law

I have found my '06 to be rattle free except for an annoying
rattle just over the instrument cluster. I have had the
dealer look at it once, and they cannot duplicate the sound.

One of these days I'll bring it back to the dealer and have
them find and fix it.

Overall, my 997 is very tight.

My '08 Range Rover Sport is as solid as a rock. It has
not developed any rattles in 21,000 miles.

Fahrer

Mine only has about 2500 mile so my input might not be so valuable. I do have to say though, that considering the relatively stiff suspension my 911 has no rattles. My 2008 BMW 535 with 34000 miles ( daily driver) has rattles in the back seat/ rear door area ( not sure the source) but does not have the sport suspension... still a firm ride. Our 2003 MB E320 has only 40000 mile and is rattle free but the car has a more compliant ride. I feel the interior of my 911 is really great, quality wise. I am not a fan of the alcantara roof liner but it is OK. The carpeting is not as nice as in my other cars but it is OK. Again, for a sports car I think the interior is first rate. The paint is pretty good .....not as good as the MB but much better than the BMW. Audi paint jobs are the best in my opinion, by the way. My 1999 A6 also had first rate materials inside.

In summary, the interior of my 911 is relatively plain ( but I prefer that) but the materials are top notch. Note that I have the standard interior ( no extra leather anything). One thing I had to get used to is that there are really no fender liners in the rear wheel wells beacuse the mufflers are in there ( too hot, I guess) so you here the pebbles bouncing around in there sometimes.

Which feels the most solid? .......tough call. Aside from the rattle in the back, the BMW is pretty good but the 911 is very good so far. The Mercedes is also still good. Believe it or not, my 1982 VW Jetta was pretty solid even after 70,000 miles.

At Law

I will add that my '07 BMW 530i rattled constantly
from the sunroof, seats, dash, back tray behind the
rear seat, etc.

I also did not have the Sport suspension package and it had
the tiny 17" wheels and thickwall tires.

Alfaguy2

My 2005 C2S with 41,000 miles is rattle free. Clearly the best 'quality' car I have ever owned.

I had a three series and 5 series BMW which were also rattle free and my 1994 E220 Mercedes Coupe is rattle freewith 83,000 miles.

The worst car I had for rattles was a new 2005 Alfa GT I bought - but even here the rattle was only intermittent - from the rear hatch.

I suspect rattles on a Carerra might be due to the use of the sports suspension setting by previous owners. I was warned not to use that on Irish roads as it would lead to same.

abe

Well, having a targa we won't talk about rattles won't we? The only nice thing about quality is that these cars are still made by WEST GERMANS!
abe

russo

Sad to say both of my 911's have plenty of squeaks and rattles, one is a convertible and I understand. The irony is that both of my Honda Accords, one with 150k miles and the other with 30k miles have absolutely no squeaks or rattles.

Quattro Libre

I should probably let it be known that I don't have a Porsche, never have, but have always wanted one.

Due to parking issues, I can only have 1 vehicle at a time and right now I need a truck. With that in mind I just bought a brand new Chev Silverado and the headliner rattles, the drivers door rattles, the brake pedal whistles... Now, I know this is just a truck, and a north american vehicle but still it's brand new and it pisses me off.

Previously I had an Audi TT and while it was a fun car, it rattled and was pretty noisy in the cabin. My old man's SLK by comparison is quiet and solid.

Anyways, when I no longer require the truck (and I hope that's sooner rather than later), I will be getting a Porsche and most likely a 997 so I appreciate the feedback.

go-C4S-injune

I think there's a difference between errant rattles and squeaks and how "solid" the car feels. My 2009 Porsche C4S, which as 8,000 miles on it (yeah, I drive it daily!) feels like it's made out of one solid piece of industrial steel, more so than my current fleet of 335ix or the Lexus LX570 (or my previous Audi S4, BMW 335i fold-top or Lexus SC coupe.) BUT, I have had a vibrating sun-roof "problem" that only became a problem because I was listening for it every time I went over a bump. My Porsche dealership obsessively went after it and silenced it (maybe at the cost of some negligible weight gain w/ a sound deadening material, which added tiny ounces to my car, negated by my recent 5lb weight loss hopefully.) Clearly, Porsche engineers focus on driving dynamics and less so on the luxury feel of the car and Porsche cars have all these peculiar engine sounds and other sounds that are distinct from any other car I've ever owned. Sure, my Lexus is quieter and nothing "vibrates" but it does not give me that feel of an absolute solid shooting bullet that my p-car is. I now love every sound coming out of my car. It's a special car indeed and I'm already scheming a purchase another P-car (a convertible paint-to-sample, hopefully arriving before it gets too hot.)

Edgy01

After 43,000 miles my 06 Carrera S Cab is rather rattle free--remarkable when you really think about it, for a convertible. There is a little noise from the right visor that bothers me sometimes--but it I flip it down it goes away. I don't think that it has significantly loosened up since day 1.

KeninBlaine

With almost 19,000 miles, my 07 TARGA 4S (repeat, Targa, the model everyone thinks is a problem child in this regard) is virtually rattle and squeak free.

Ucube

Mine doesn't squeak or rattle so far, and it certainly feels tight and solid. My previous 996 squealed in the rear compartment everytime I went over a speed bump or up/down a steep ramp. Though an annoyance, it never really bothered me that much.

Like russo, none of the Hondas and Acuras I've owned ever squeaked or rattled.

Alan Smithee

Not sure if you were responding directly to my post, but what I meant was the car had constant squeaks and rattles (not just going over bumps), which would be temporarily fixed until running over train tracks (or the like, usually within a day), at which point the constant squeaks and rattles would return.

Regarding the consequence of added weight to prevent squeaks and rattles, you have apparently not spent much time in German cars built prior to the 1990s. Overall they weigh a fraction of what their current versions do, are not nearly as structurally rigid, yet can still be rock solid after 300k miles.

While I did acknowledge that mine was an early example and perhaps build quality on the 997 has improved over the run, they still don't make 'em like they used to...