Gonzo911

Sounds like the previous owner didn't take good care of the car. Curious if you did a PPI. If I had that much trouble off the bat I might feel the same way. Then again, I went from owning Jags to my first Porsche so I was used to crap breaking every other week.

cvtbenhogan

Well, it's a great thing you have a warranty.

Have an 06 and no issues in 3 years of ownership. RMS replaced 5 years ago.

It's important to remember your driving a 10 year old car that MSRP 'd at 100k. Many of the problems you listed are common, except the alarm issue and door seals. Not sure what was done to the IMS, wouldn't think you have the smaller bearing.

I can understand the frustration of having the car towed from your garage. That said, with 1 year warranty left, I'd hang in there since you like the car.

Bruce In Philly

This car is bizarre to say the least. Steering? Seals? I never heard of this and ive been on these forms for 15 years. If i had the means, i would move on. Seriously, it appears to me this car was abused and or in a serious accident. Check the paint depths the dealer should have this tool as it is important to them when they take a in on trade.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

RaidersR1

Bought my 4S 4 years ago....Not one problem for 35k miles. Noticed somethings down the road.....heavy clutch, starter cable but I knew it was a used car but otherwise in good shape. Just dropped 5k on a tranny repair, however it's the price of a used car.

Your issues are very unfortunate, but if you really love the car, look at each issue and think why they happened, what was the root cause. Sometimes taking a second look, calmly, can make you realize that hey...I see why this happened, like the seals...dry...poor upkeep from previous owner...not you or the car. Now that doesn't mean there could be other things you don't know about yet.

Look at what is coming up soon for potential issues....prepare for that and since you have a warranty, get it all repaired quickly. I had a BMW 750 that had issue after issue....warranty covered...but it expired this month...bye bye BMW, got wife a Panamera. Keep the car through the warranty, get it back to running and think about it...don't want to risk it...buy extended warranty...then peace of mind for any new thing that comes up...or

Just look at your options for a newer model! Plenty of fish in the sea my friend.

Ben Z

I recently upgraded from an '03 E-Class 6cyl with 130K which I bought new. For the first 4 years I had factory warranty, the next 6 a bumper-to-bumper aftermarket warranty, and the last 3 the most comprehensive named-item warranty I could get. No catastrophic driveline failure ever occurred, and my indie said he has customers with over 300K on those cars. Yet, those aftermarket warranties more than paid for themselves in repairs of a "minor" nature.

Repairs on all high-end German cars are minor only in the technical sense, not monetary (unless you DIY and don't count the value of your labor time if you worked the same hours at your job/profession).

My 997 is a year older, I've had several issues with it, none serious, all expensive. I had CPO and then bought a 6 yr platinum warranty, which has almost paid for itself and still has 1.5 years to run.

Of course none of that addresses the inconvenience of breakdowns. I had a 7-series Bimmer that I had to have flatbedded from my driveway to the dealer 4 times in the 3 years I owned it. That's in addition to countless repairs I didn't need to have it towed for.

The one thing I find totally bizarre is the bad seals. You said it's a 1-owner dealer-serviced car, and your profile says Chicago. My car is a year older, has sat out in tropical sun/heat 8-10 hrs/day 5-6 days/wk year-round for the last 6.5 years and the seals are fine. The rubber window trim could use some gummi pflege but nothing leaks.

ezdriver

After reading through this thread, my conclusion is that the OP is missing his "ex" so much that he really should just dump the current "love" and be happy. To ask for feedback on thoughts here about returning to owning a Benz is fodder for laughter. I own two Benzes and a C4S ... will dump both Benzes before I even allowed the thought of parting with my C4S enter my head.


My feedback is to just sell the Porsche and go buy whatever ...

Quadcammer

honestly, it seems like you might have gotten a bit of a lemon. Could happen with MB too as you know.

I got lucky with two pretty good Mercedes, and my porkers have been good also.

I think a nice 997.2 might be the answer.

awrryan

Could be just the initial phase where you need to address what wasn't by the prior owner.

jcsomerv

Dude a Benz ain't a 911 and you admitted that in your original post. So you need a 911 forget about the Benz unless it is a 2nd car.

Now maybe you just bought a POS or maybe a rash of issues has hit which is just bad luck. You need to decide - probably with input from the mechanic who fixed all of it for you. Most of us look at your long list of issues and scratch our heads cause the reliability of the 997 has been very good by all accounts on these forums. If you decide this is a POS then just dump this one, buy a .2 they are great (3 years of ownership here with no issues) ... If not, give your car some time - just a bad run in a 10 year old car.

Ynot

Sounds like you just have a bad car. I had a RMS leak fix under warranty. RMS leaked b/c it was sitting in a dealer's lot for months before I brought it. I had to replaced pre-mature tie rods, google search and found there were a bad batch. My car is slow to start, probably will need a new starter or cable. But all these are wear and tear items so it doesn't bother me. Life is about being happy, if you are not, sell it and buy something that does.

malahhaor

Thanks for the info guys. i'm really trying to figure out if all of this is strange or maybe folks have seen any of these issues. Yes, the battery is probably my fault for not following procedures, but just the fact that this happens from a simple battery disconnect is crappy.
The car had well documented maintenance history. I didn't get a PPI since it was from Luxury dealer that sells (New) Porsche, Masserati, Jag etc....
I think i'm going to try and upgrade to 997.2 as soon as i see the right one. I cant let go how nice this car feels when it actually drives.

And thanks for those who are very informative by saying just Go back to Benz. Very helpful.

squid42

Did you see the door seals were "dry" or did the dealer just tell you?

Were there any symptoms with the bad ignition coils? Misfires?

malahhaor

I started getting extremely wet carpet at the bottom of the door after rain. Dealer wanted 850 bucks to fix, told me door sub frame is broken and needs replacement. I said no thank you. I opened it up my self and saw seals just dry and falling apart. I guess because seals are part of the "sub frame" and by that i mean they are glued to the sub frame and get pressed against the main door when entire assembly is screwed on, to replace the seals is to replace the entire sub frame panel. I guess it would make sense from dealers business point, but not from my view. I opened it partially, removed all dried parts of the seals and applied silicon seal that is weatherproof and mold resistant. An hour of work and couple dollars for silicon seal.

When coils went bad, the car started running rough intermittently. A week after god a check engine light. The next day after check engine when i drove it to the dealer it barely ran. Dint think it was going to make it.

dmz

Sounds like you either got a lemon or neglected car. Those issues are not normal for a 997. Sell it and move on. Either get a Benz or another 997 or what ever make you happier. Life is too short to be dealing with a unreliable car.

Philster

Flood car? Post your VIN