I've done some searches about 2009 997 but can't find much. I was wondering if there is any data out there about the reliability of the 2009 and newer 997s. I understand that the IMS was fixed due to a new engine design but I was also wondering what other issues that car has and if it is a much more reliable car than prior years. Was the RMS issue fixed also?
Thanks

 

The only real issue may be with the newer fuel system. DFI can be a problem in any brand. My BMW has had problems with the fuel pumps and injectors. If you do some searches here you find that some folks are having problems with their 997.2 models as well. Consumer reports indicated thst hte 2007 and 2008 997s were above average in reiability but this has reportedly dropped off with the newer models.

 

so is there any evidence yet to identify an achilles heel (e.g. the IMS issue in 996/997.1, etc) in the new engine? i've heard about fuel pumps and possible injector issues, but they dont seem to be "catastrophic" in nature...yet.

 

The fuel system issue is not catastrophic but can be a chronic PITA. The only other issue being discussed is the reported increased oil consumption for some 997.2 owners. Some folks also report odd behavior with the dual clutch trans. This only a potential issue if going for the automatic. Other than that, there does not seem to be much difference in reliability.

 

My experience at 25k miles: Fuel pump replaced early on. Multiple blown fuses related to power seats and seat ventilation. Otherwise drivetrain/PDK have been fine.

 

The 2009 models are still a bit new and have not collectively accumulated sufficient miles to bring out any inherent problems, if any exist.

Also, these cars are still covered by warranty so the few that experience what may prove to be longer term reliability issues are just taken to the dealer (via Porsche Road Side Assistance) and dealt with under warranty.

When the earliest examples come out of warranty, when more examples get more miles, then we'll see.

I'm thinking they'll be ok, hoping they'll be ok, because I'm thinking of at some point buying a used 997.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

I haven't had any problems at all and I've been racking my brain but can't think of anything at all reported by someone who actually owns the 2009 or later years. This is a really solid version of an already legendarily reliable car. All the talk of oil consumption being higher and of problems "any day now" with the new injection system comes from people who don't own one.

Wait! I tell a lie. One recurring problem is the manual is in English and you do have to read it to understand how to check the oil level. And the computer will complain if you do it wrong. On models with a dipstick, you can blithely take a bad reading and no one nags you about it. (You may harm the engine through that misinformation, but no smart-*** computer will warn you about your mistake.)

Seriously, buy one. You'll love it. But do consider reading the manual.

Gary

 

i have had my 09 911 s 45 days and have had to buy a battery tender to remedy the transmission warning light at start up. no issues since and the PDK performs extremely well. Last week the check oil light came on and i had to add a little over a quart to get the level to one bar below maximum. (.5 at a time. i read the owners manual first then Rennlist) I had driven almost 2500 miles in the last month at an enjoyable pace thus i was not concerned about the cunsumption. Climate change bringing the car from GA to ohio ?? I will be checking the oil and changing often. Gary, i love your picture. it is the best ! i have appreciated quite a few of your posts.

 

Have an MY09 C4S PDK, my DD now with 47,500 mi. It is a dream...8/09 build date. Not one hiccup. Ultra reliable in my opinion, and a blast to drive, every second! I anticipate all maintenance schedules but thats my deal. Now looking to a TurboS. If that doesn't work out, I'll take my C4S to 100K mi.

 

Based on your user name you might favor a Ferrari over a 911. Most of us here run plain ole' Shimano components.

Holly shi#t....that was my 911th post! What better than a picture with my two favorite material objects in life.

 

Campy all the way for me, but I have to admit that Ultegra Di2 is tempting...then again, Campy just announced EPS. May have to trade a car in for it though...

 

Thank you, Michael. Nothing like a pretty girl to make an image sing, is there?

You obviously did read the manual. You did it correctly adding half a quart at a time. Incidentally, all that business about oil consumption is fluff. Only three or four things on a modern engine cause it to consume more oil than the designers intended should be the case for an engine operating properly. And they aren't hard to spot in other ways. If none of those is wrong, then oil is just... well, a consumable just like gasoline, not a symptom. I joke about it, but I doubt any of us really would care even if we had to allocate two bucks for half a quart of Mobil One every other tankful. If you can afford a 997, you could afford that extra buck per tankful.

As for my own 2009 C2S, it consumed about half a quart for each of my 7000-mile intervals between oil changes. Then I spent a track day testing tire pressures for the new Michelin Pilot Super Sports and aside from pit stops the engine spent about a hundred miles between 5000 rpm and 7000 rpm. I burned half a tank of gas and half a quart of oil in that hundred miles. (Maybe only ninety. Who counts?) That oil consumption was not suddenly 'excessive', it was simply appropriate to the levels of power the engine was asked for lap after lap. That's what oil is for.

Normally, my engine doesn't use enough oil to drop a bar in twenty times that distance, but I doubt it sees ten minutes a month -- aggregate -- above five thousand rpm. (Let's see. That's 600 seconds in 30 days, or 20 seconds a day so 20 high rpm shifts? Yeah. That's about the most in driving public roads.)

That one track day had four sessions. Call them twenty minutes apiece and there's eighty minutes. Discounting warm-up laps (4 x 100 seconds), the engine saw around 5,000 seconds in the band from torque peak to power peak. Call it 4000 seconds to be conservative. Some of that time was spent steering with the throttle, but for practical purposes, we're talking full throttle for more seconds than I ask of it in six months of street driving.

I'd say half a quart is reasonable consumption.

Gary (P.S. That little sweetheart beside me died a few years ago. Lovely Australian Shepherd, and we miss her. I love that picture too.)

 

15k miles on mine. Drivetrain has been flawless. Mild PDK jerkiness from 1st to 2nd gear which is not uncommon with this gearbox. Oil consumption has not been an issue. Never taking to the track. Driven in the highways 85% of the time. Fantastic car.

 

33K on mine (09 C2). Fuel pump replaced recently as part of the campaign. Didn't have any issues with it. Other than that, the car has been solid and problem free

 

Its a very well sorted car. The only people who will say otherwise, are those that don't own one. I have 13000 miles and it's been great. The engine is very strong. No IMS to worry about.