View Poll Results: Has your PDK gearbox needed replacement? Please don't answer if your car is a manual.
Yes
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar2-l.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar2.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar2-r.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/clear.gif)
21
11.17%
No
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar3-l.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar3.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/polls/bar3-r.gif)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/clear.gif)
167
88.83%
Voters: 188. You may not vote on this poll
Is PDK the new IMS?
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Not trying to start arguments about which is better to drive or faster around the track. I'm just looking for info on PDK failures. I personally know of 6 just in my small circle of friends.
#2
Nordschleife Master
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Probably one of the most reliable system components in a modern Porsche. More money shifts occurred than PDK failures (during any contemporary period of PDK cars and manual cars) - reason PCNA stopped bringing manual cars to Porsche Experience events due to destroyed clutches and worse.
#3
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Just had mine replaced on my 2009 C2 with just 21,200 miles on the odometer.
Bummer!!!
PS: Now you know the real reason why the cat in my avatar is pissed off!!!
Bummer!!!
PS: Now you know the real reason why the cat in my avatar is pissed off!!!
#4
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Have been going back and forth on PDK or Manual when I move into a 997 soon, so would also like to understand what the failure was and how it happened.
Thanks,
-Skip
Thanks,
-Skip
#5
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
One difference between an IMS failure and a PDK failure is the repair cost.
While the list price of a new replacement PDK is ~$20K, per Cloudspin remanufactured units from PCNA (with warranty) can be found for ~$7K (see his comments here and here).
Out of curiosity I called Suncoast and for a 2010 Carrera S PDK (no LSD), they said $8,500 + shipping.
And there'd be a core charge of $5,800.
Not quite as cheap as what Cloudspin found, but I didn't spend anytime hunting down a better price.
So it's still a very expensive repair, but it's not as bad as an engine replacement due to IMS failure.
Karl.
While the list price of a new replacement PDK is ~$20K, per Cloudspin remanufactured units from PCNA (with warranty) can be found for ~$7K (see his comments here and here).
Out of curiosity I called Suncoast and for a 2010 Carrera S PDK (no LSD), they said $8,500 + shipping.
And there'd be a core charge of $5,800.
Not quite as cheap as what Cloudspin found, but I didn't spend anytime hunting down a better price.
So it's still a very expensive repair, but it's not as bad as an engine replacement due to IMS failure.
Karl.
#6
Racer
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
A financially reasonable option is to pick up a Fidelity warranty covering drivetrain only and forget about it. I bought a policy through Michael Jourdan (504-352-8796) for $2300 for my 2009 C2S with 44,000 miles. Covers five years/60,000 additional miles.
Last edited by D1coach; 05-23-2017 at 06:59 PM.
Trending Topics
#9
Race Car
Thread Starter
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I posted the thread because I have been considering a PDK car. But when I googled "PDK gearbox failure" literally dozens of threads on multiple forums came up.
#10
Three Wheelin'
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
when I googled "PDK failure" I got 1 page of results. When I went to the 2nd page.. the results weren't in relation to the gearbox (or cars at all). 1 page of relevant results. When I googled "IMS failure".. the first 7 solid pages of results were relevant. It was on the 8th page that results weren't related to cars.
completely unscientific, but a result, nevertheless.
I went with a PDK, but avoided cars which would've had potential for an IMS issue. Choose your battles I guess. Somebody made a post on here in the last week about just having purchased an 6MT and it needing to have a new clutch almost immediately. Any way you slice it, you got potential for multiple $$$ repairs.
completely unscientific, but a result, nevertheless.
I went with a PDK, but avoided cars which would've had potential for an IMS issue. Choose your battles I guess. Somebody made a post on here in the last week about just having purchased an 6MT and it needing to have a new clutch almost immediately. Any way you slice it, you got potential for multiple $$$ repairs.
#11
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Yep. It's a Porsche, not a Toyota.
Be prepared for potential major expenses, and be happy if they never happen.
I keep my fingers crossed all the time that my PDK is OK. I did the 6 year PDK service at the Porsche dealer, so hopefully I'll be good to go and without any PDK issues for a long time. If it does happen, I will have to deal with it. But, I went into the buying experience knowing this could be a potential issue.
Be prepared for potential major expenses, and be happy if they never happen.
I keep my fingers crossed all the time that my PDK is OK. I did the 6 year PDK service at the Porsche dealer, so hopefully I'll be good to go and without any PDK issues for a long time. If it does happen, I will have to deal with it. But, I went into the buying experience knowing this could be a potential issue.
#12
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
PDK failures are almost non-existant compared to the volume of PDK transmissions out there. Out of the minuscule amount of failure most have been attribute to electronic malfunction. At first I had a few issues with the PDK transmission failure appearing once every blue moon on my dash until I changed the battery, and problem solved. Battery has a big influence on badly diagnosed issues with our cars.
#13
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
All of my friends failures are cars that are meticulously maintained and used as daily drivers AND do a few DE events a year. Only one failure occurred on the track (2010 C2S) last weekend. The others all occurred while driving on the street at normal speeds. 3 on Cayman Rs (2 of them on the same car) another on a Cayman S, and another C2S.
I posted the thread because I have been considering a PDK car. But when I googled "PDK gearbox failure" literally dozens of threads on multiple forums came up.
I posted the thread because I have been considering a PDK car. But when I googled "PDK gearbox failure" literally dozens of threads on multiple forums came up.
I am sure I am not the only one that would like to know more about your claim.
#15
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Yes, I kept getting that RED warning sign that says Emergency Transmission Run, please take you car to service ASAP. Also, my car wouldn't drive once the emergency sign appeared. I would reset it by turning the car off and on. I was getting that message almost every 3 weeks, specially after it sat for a while. I took it to the dealer and they couldn't duplicate the issues. They did noticed the codes and told me that the PDK would probably needed to be replaced. I went ahead and install a Walmart battery and the problem went away. This happened almost 10,000 miles ago.