Ownership prospects for a 100k+ mile Cayenne
 

I have a couple other older Porsches and have noticed that Cayennes are starting to show up in the $5-8000 range with over 100,000 miles on them on a pretty regular basis.

I ask for some coaching on what the ownership prospects these with that many miles on them are like and if they can get to 200,000 miles with a reasonable ownership proposition as far as maintenance and upkeep etc.

Thanks in advance, hope everybody had a good week for far

Tom........my Cayenne GTS is approaching 230k kms (~140k miles) and works very well.

Regular oil changes, spark plugs, air filters, brake pads etc and is driven almost every day all year including towing my boat. The oil consumption between changes is zero as is coolant.

200k miles is approx 320k kms; I expect to get there and beyond :) We did think of buying a new one but decided to keep driving the one we have.

I drive it like it should be driven and it never misses a beat :)

Wife's P!G turned 100k yesterday evening.... Like Flyin Scotsman says, regular maintenance will keep it running.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...a806c4412.jpeg

Are there any big ticket maintenance tasks that come due around this mileage?

As long as you don't run into scored cylinders, you're golden, everything else can be dealt with.
Aluminum coolant tube kit, trans valve body, coil packs etc. really aren't a lot of $$ when you do it yourself.

Buy one that's spent it's life in your warm climate area and scored cylinders will be highly unlikely.

Thanks George. Will do some search but is there an easy way to tell if that has happened?

I was hoping she would have been more creative and snapped that at 100mph ...or would the neighbors be upset?

Borescope camera down all 8 cylinders; however, it supposedly starts off low and may not be visible at the early stages. Oil analysis would be great but not really feasible when buying a used car due to the wait time.

Seems the typical used Cayenne will have lived in several different regions so definitely do a carfax type report. I'd avoid any that spent time in a state that sees sub zero temperatures.

You'll also see claims that it doesn't happen to Turbos which is flat out wrong...it was just mentioned by one guy so many times, it became internet legend. A search of any Cayenne related forum or Google will prove they are far from immune. No problems with the V6, but I doubt that's what you're looking for.

When I bought mine, I had my own thoughts on the scoring issue.
First off, I wanted the original plastic coolant pipes. That way I knew there was never a catastrophic failure which caused severe overheating of the engine and the oil to become the consistency of water. Because let's face it, the average owner (especially if it's a woman) will try to make it home or at least keep driving until they get off a highway. Warning messages and a pegged temperature gauge needle mean nothing as long as the car is still running.

The aluminum kit set me back about $600 and took a good part of a day to install.
Now mine only had 50K miles, if you're browsing 100K mile vehicles, the pipes will probably be done already. It's just a scary thought knowing they most likely weren't done as preemptive maintenance.
Also, if you're buying a Cayenne that just had the pipes done, there could be more issues popping up very soon. When they let go, the starter gets soaked. It'll work fine....for a few months.
The coolant also runs down the back of the engine and over the torque converter seal. It'll be pissing transmission fluid in a few months. Inexpensive seal, but I believe most places drop the engine/trans out as an assembly to replace it. I think the home mechanic can do it by just pulling the transmission.

Another thing I wanted was records showing oil changes. Previous owner of mine had it done every 3K to 4K miles with synthetic which is exactly what I wanted and I continue to do. The 10K miles recommended by Porsche is ridiculous. And once again, the typical Cayenne owner will simply listen to the preprogrammed dash message on when to take it in.

If you look around, you'll see countless Cayennes with 150K+ miles, so it's NOT one of those things that WILL happen.
And think of it this way, if you spend about $10,000, that's probably half the amount the original owner lost in taxes and depreciation the second they drove it off the lot. :)

Agree^^^

My P engine manual states that beginning with the 2008 V8s both the turbo and NA engines are equipped with piston coolers (oil squirters).

Since there have been numerous reports of scoring with both engines,
the turbo story is wishful thinking.

BTW while driving on I95 at 70mph I was passed by a mini van with child which had a flat tire. Just as the van cleared my left front fender the rubber came off the rim, then came the sparks.
Only then did she attempt to pull off the highway.

Probably new enough to have a tire pressure warning system too. :)
About two weeks ago a car in the oncoming lane had the hood unlatch, fly up and smash into the windshield (55 mph road). I immediately pull over to the shoulder thinking the driver may veer into my lane.
I swear the kid stuck half his body out the window and kept driving with the hood straight up and plastered against the windshield! There was even a gas station he could have pulled into but he just kept going without even slowing down. It was one of the most stupid yet funniest things I'd ever seen on the road.

Transmissions and HVAC systems holding together OK on these?

Any big ticket labor items I should ask to see receipts for?

Thanks!

By 100k - the 955 Cayenne is considered, "broken-in" This means the following should already be addressed:

1) Coolant Bypass Pipes, coolant tank
2) Updated coils and spark plugs
3) Cardan Shaft
4) Evap Purge valve
5) Rear Hatch Struts
6) Lower front control arms, CV joints

The HVAC is pretty robust. I always shut mine down, when turning car OFF. If the transmission is experiencing any slammed shifts in either direction... it's time for new ATF and filter. Worst case would be new transmission valve body.

Tom.......if you want peace of mind when buying a used Cayenne find yourself a fully warranted unit at a dealership.

To the cylinder scoring issue and cold climates.........I live in Canada and my Cayenne has spent all its time here since leaving the factory. It is driven in well below -20c in the dead of winter :)

I would add the ac blower motor as a failure point, in addition to what has already been mentioned. My 2006 S has 123 on it and still going strong. Do not get much mileage on the tires, have been very good about fluid changes, have replaced the drive shaft and the plastic coolant hoses, and the ac blower motor, the pads and rotors. the headlights get foggy but you can restore them with several of the kits available. I have replaced both front and rear hood and hatch shocks. Have replaced the starter. Engine has never failed but does hesitate off idle unless the psm button is disengaged.

Thanks for all of the responses, appreciate the education.