ivolst

Dude,
i had a 996 3.4 L and it had cracked the block due to low driving. Got scared and bought 3.8L 997.1, I have now 145 000 miles on it, yes it is an EVERYDAY CAR!!! I have changed only the water pump, AOS, and now they have changed the starter harness. The only issue left is the car sometimes loses power when the AC is on, but if I pull the pedal back it comes back. I suspect it is the throttle control. So I have no good words to describe the reliability of the 3.8 L Porsche engines. I am not sure what are you talking about? Some people confuse sports cars with racing cars, take their cars to tracks and then complain.
Ivo

alexb76

I've commented on this last year, let me add one more.

997, being 997.1 (post 2005) or 997.2 is ONE of the MOST RELIABLE Modern German Sports cars ever made, PERIOD! Notice the highlight of 'modern', as newer cars with more electronics are more prone to develop electronic issues than previous cars with less wires and sensors (perfect examples, 991 issues reported, here's an example)
This is based on personal experience, being on this forum for 10years, talking to various Porsche indy shops, dealers, track day attendants, etc... and by comparing to my previous VW, Audi and BMW cars. 997 is simply built GREAT, and if maintained correctly, will serve the owner years of trouble free service. Even among Porsche cars, it's the most reliable according to my dealer compared to Cayenne and Panamera and even Cayman/Boxster.

So, bottom line, EVERY CAR will break down, BUT 997 will break less often than majority of other sports cars! Let's STICKY THIS

hot nikon

Some tool on the TT thread called the DFI engines "generic". I had to laugh.

Skwerl

"Generic" may not have been the best word but it's pretty clear he was simply contrasting the Mezger's historic racing pedigree with the more modern, street-oriented wet sump DFI engine. I also hear people describe all the water-cooleds as "generic" when compared to the "character" and "soul" found in air-cooleds.

hot nikon

I probably didn't use the best word, either. But 8 years in, after basically zero teething problems, these engines have proven to be excellent as well. Point taken.

theodora

Engine was replaced 3000 miles ago with a new unit no issues however accidently i hit the rev limiter, pdk trans i hope nothing was damaged any input please.

snake eyes

Happy to repot that 991.1 guys are saying the engine is bullet proof too.

Racetwin2

I am not a 997.2 owner but reading from the posts I would say the main issues with 997.2 seem to be with the PDK or fear of bore scoring (which also could affect the .2 as far as I know)

love2drive

My GTS is a daily and now has 65k miles.
Still pulls silky smooth right up to red line and puts a smile on my face All Day.

The 997 GTS 3.8L engine seems bullet proof so far.

vg247

Doug H

vg247

Scott_997

I have to chime in here, I have owned 4 997.2's. One doesn't count in this bc it was a GT3. I took one up to about 60,000 miles when I sold it (PDK) and the current owner followed up with me at about 100k and there was just a pdk problem but track mods were made I don't know the extent of. The other one I sold with about 50,000 miles not a single issue and now I currently have a 11' GTS with 17k miles and no issues. I have tracked these cars, I drive them like they are meant to be driven. I service them ahead of schedule and even intermittent oil changes, brake fluid flushes etc. I have NEVER had any motor issues. The problem with these threads is we get noise, pages and pages of it, but read this and buy in confidence and enjoy your car. This is a BULLET PROOF MOTOR! Sorry for any typos.

vg247

Scott_997

If you have ever owned a AMG Mercedes I can tell you a Carrera S is much more reasonable to maintain! Your largest expenditures will be on rear tires, brake jobs, and I believe the spark plug service wasn't too cheap. Everytime you get a service I recommend bleeding the brakes. Also in the manual transmission if it doesn't feel as smooth as it once did change the transmission fluid.

If you have a performance Porsche indy shop local to you that can save you money as well. Most P dealers charge $150 per hour and Indys are about $100. Just ask the question at the indy if they have any Porsche certified techs before making an appointment and confirm they have the Porsche computer system to check for codes and clear the service light; the term is "P WIZ"

I wish everyone luck and don't be afraid to drive the cars!!! They are meant to be driven and enjoyed.