jonah5

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for this question which I'm sure has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find any relevant answers when I searched the topic. Basically I've got a 2006 997s (my first Porsche) which I bought Nov 2008 with 7000 miles, with a warranty that will end next month (it now has 14500 miles without any issues whatsoever). So my question is should I purchase an extended warranty-my biggest fear with owning a Porsche has always been repair costs, but I'd like to know if your experiences "warrant" buying this; from what I've read they cost around $3500 for additional 3 years? And if I should buy one, what is available and from who? BTW, if it makes a difference, I drive it about 5-6000miles a year (limited only by snow and really cold temps) as a daily driver and it is completely paid off. Thanks for your appreciated insights.

victorltd

For $2500 yes not at $5000. If the dealer does not go to bat for you and get something covered you can usually cancel your coverage and get a refund on the unused portion. So for around $500 bucks a year you can think of it as peace of mind.

LlBr

The way I started thinking about it? By the time my car's warranty expires (next year) there will be many miles on it. If nothing major goes wrong by then I'm probably good to go to 100k miles with just PITA unexpected repairs probably costing only a few thousand over several years: then again MAYBE NOT!

The logic is this: of all the tons of consumer stuff I bought there is NOT ONE item that required a warranty repair and then later required another major repair. Stereo, TV, small and large appliances, gadgets: All those things are either still around being used, in storage, went to Goodwill, or "disappeared" in the trash without memorialization due to financial hardship. Notably probably only 1% of them even required warranty repair.

If my engine blows? If I don't want to loosen up $40K, I'll just trade the car in, take the huge hit, and maybe not even replace it with another Porsche.

Massive repair costs can happen and so can getting your leg cut off in a train accident: maybe we should be shopping for limb severance insurance too; only $20 a year. Read the fine print because some L.S. insurance only covers lop-off accidents involving trains going in westerly or northerly directions.

Besides: is the insurance company to whom you pay a big lump $um of $3500 going to be around in _three_ years? They probably got deregulated in some arcane legalistic way and can do WTF they want; so what if the consumer gets screwed?

At Law

My factory warranty expires in July so I have been contemplating
purchasing a third party extended warranty.

From the research I have done to date, Easycare appears to be the
most comprehensive and reliable third party warranty company.
They actually underwrite extended warranty coverage for Land Rover,
Volvo, and a number of other auto manufacturers.

The quotes I have been receiving from Easycare have been in the
$3,000 range for 5 years / 60,000 miles. I need time more than miles
as I drive perhaps 5,000 miles per year.

Easycare breaks down types of coverage as well. I have considered just
getting a policy which covers the engine and transmission and nothing else.
If the price is right, this may be the way to go.

I am up in the air about extended coverage. If I do go with it, I will
most likely go with Easycare.

Then again, I may just self insure and take a chance that I will not have
repairs in excess of $3,000 plus deductibles for the time I own the car.

You must also figure in the cost of your money sitting in a warranty.
If you write a check for $3,000, you are losing $150.00 in interest per year at
5%. Multiply this by 5 years and you have $750 in loss interest.
So, your actual cost of the warranty now become $3,750 plus deductibles.

I may be all wrong on this, however, short of an engine failure, I do not
foresee a well kept 997 requiring nearly $4,000 in mechanical repairs over a 5 year period.

LlBr

Nice work At! With your comments and mine now OP jonah seems to have the continuum of reason/emotion covered on the warranty issue

LlBr

Alert: This just in:

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...liability.html

alexb76

Easycare is probably one of the better ones, check out their different options, last I saw they had different coverage based on milage and dedeuctible.

I agree with most that anything above $2500-$3000 is not worth it, and maybe the best one is to get something cheap with large dedeuctible for ONLY the cases where you have engine blow. Like $1000 deductible, that's the coverage you're concerned most about I imagine.

At Law

LlBr--You're right. We both basically told the OP that perhaps he
should almost think about getting an extended warranty, but then
again, maybe not. Or you could get one, who knows? Now, I'm
almost certain you should get one. No way in hell would I get one.

points

Ill be purchasing my extended warranty at Champion next month. 3 years or 36k miles for 2300 bucks. I have 17500 on my car now. Im buying the insurance which covers the entire car except for brake pads and clutch. Its a gamble but Im willing to roll the dice.

LlBr

I'd pay a one time $1000 for insurance covering a blown engine. The other stuff is just "play money." IOW, You want to play you MIGHT have to pay. Getting "wiped out" for an OOP engine replacement is the only nightmare I have about these cars.

LlBr

LOL. Yup. It's like going to an "excellent" fortune teller: you feel like you may have gotten some really profound potentially meaningful insights about your life although you walk away also thinking much of it was BS.

Palmbeacher

My '05 still has a year of CPO, but at that time I will buy an extended warranty for as many years as I can get. It will be an "exclusionary warranty", i.e., one which covers everything that isn't on a list of non-covered items. Vs, the "named peril" warranties which cover only items listed, and nothing else. The latter type rarely mentions model-specific things like PCM just as one example. The preliminary quote I got for my car, which will be 6 yrs old and have about 33K miles when I buy the warranty, is around $6K for 6yrs up to 100K total miles. Since I don't drive that much, I will see if they have a cheaper one with less mileage.

My experience has been with BMW, Mercedes, and Volvo. I've had warranties on those cars which cost me $2200-$3500 for 3 yrs (going back some years of course). In no case did I not get back at least what I paid for them, and in several cases I got back double or triple...and that's without anything major like an engine or transmission replacement.

The (non-automatic) climate control module on my '96 Volvo cost $850 plus labor. It failed twice, as did the AC compressor ($400 + labor each time). Some exhaust-gas diaphragm peculiar to the 4L V8 in my 7-series Bimmer cost $1200 plus labor. The brake-by-wire control unit in my Mercedes cost $3800 plus labor. Anyone who thinks that it's a good bet they won't spend $3-5K in repairs on a German car over 3-4 years post-factory-warranty is welcome to roll that pair of dice. My experience over 20+ years has convinced me that I will not own a German car without a comprehensive warranty. And again, none of the cars I've owned previously have a reputation for grenading engines.

machina

I am in the same boat, my warranty expires in one month on my 06 C2S. Easycare quoted me $3000 for 4 years with their top coverage and 0 deductable.

Folks, one claim for something like the NAV or coil packs on the motor and the warranty will have paid for itself. Never mind a catastrophic mechanical failure. These cars are just too complicated to go naked.

Plus the policy is prorated if you cancel early.

That being said, i am still considering changing to an 09 with CPO.

LlBr

Guys are worried about POSSIBLE expensive repairs? Keep in mind they MAY NOT occur while you also contemplate you already lost about $30K depreciation when you drive off the lot on delivery day. How many thousands in dep. since then?

Not saying I know the answer, but as far as car ownership is concerned owning Porsches is an extremely expensive little hobby. We're just discussing the POSSIBILITY of it being more extremely expensive or less extremely expensive.

Palmbeacher

I'm worried about probable expensive repairs. A dozen European cars in the last 25 years have taught me that even the most seemingly-minor repair costs a ridiculous amount, even if you use aftermarket parts and an independent repair facility. And they will happen, no ifs ands or buts. Six $500 repairs over the years add up to the same as one $3000 repair.