Carine Mink

I have an opportunity to buy a 2008 Porsche Cheyenne Turbo with 100K miles for $15.5K. This would be my upgrade from a 2011 Toyota Highlander with 180K miles.... I plan on test driving today and checking with my mechanic. But anything else that I should be looking for? Thanks!

v10rick

This is short notice. There are too many details to list here.

Is your mechanic very familiar with the Cayenne Turbo? If not I would pay to have a pre purchese inspection done by a Porsche dealership.

Be warned that we have seen many posts like this from an excited buyer who discovered after the sale that they acquired a lemon.

Carine Mink

It is short notice, thank you!
The last thing I want is a lemon : /
Thanks for the insight and I will research a Porsche dealership.
Are Cayenne's usually good for high mileage if well taken care of?

v10rick

They can be with proper maintenance. If you are located in a cold climate cylinder scoring can happen. In fact several cases have been reported here recently.

Its important that the engine is checked for this condition. If the Cayenne is from the southern US you should be good.

Also keep in mind that you are considering a Porsche that had a MSRP over $100K. The cost for parts and Porsche service is priced accordingly.

Carine Mink

Thank you - just got off a call with a Porsche expert.
He said to stay away unfortunately. I'll have nothing but problems and maintenance/ costs are super high. Fair enough...Thank you!

vandal968

LOL. That was quick.

c

Carine Mink

Ha! Yes, it was.
Not prepared for repairs, although I would LOVE to sit behind the wheel.
Feedback has been pretty clear to stay away

nodoors

If you are going to pass it up, can you please provide a link. There are many on here that know these things inside and out and would not be afraid to take on the thousands of dollars in projects it likely needs to save one from being scrapped.

Wisconsin Joe

Did you read the sticky thread?

While ownership costs can be fairly high, I wouldn't predict "nothing but problems" with it.

It's not a leap you should take without understanding what you are getting into, but good info is available.

Carine Mink

Yes, of course! Sorry, that was poor board form on my part...
This person is selling through NextDoor and hasn't posted in a public spot - she has two other people interested but I have asked her to let me know if they fall through because I may have other Porsche enthusiasts who could be interested. I will post here if there is any update.

@Wisconsin Joe - Yes, thank you. In looking at the possible issues and repair costs, I don't think that my stomach (or wallet) can handle that. I also drive too much at the moment so, it wouldn't make much sense for me. But, it is still on my 'one day' list!

Wisconsin Joe

Fair enough. Ownership is not for the faint of heart. Or "thin of wallet."

As was noted, it had a sticker price at or near 6 figures when new. Parts and labor will reflect that, not what they sell for today.
If you do your own work, they can be reasonably affordable to keep up. The info on here (and a few other places) allow those of us who turn our own wrenches to do most of the work.

Paying a qualified tech to do the work will add quite a bit to that upkeep cost (duh).

In any case, budgeting ~$2k per year is realistic. Having a 'contingency fund' of a couple thousand for unexpected repairs is wise.

If that is beyond what you are willing to commit to, this may not be a good car for you.

In any case, jumping quickly without proper understanding of what you are getting into is unwise.
Not having a prospective car inspected by a qualified tech is also unwise.
If a seller says "I have other people interested, you can't take it to get inspected", respond with "Ok, there's no way I'd buy one of these without knowing what the condition is, have a nice day."
There are other cars out there.
Waiting for the right one is far, far better than jumping into the wrong one.

Carine Mink

I have more to learn and more money to put aside..
Thank you for the tips. I will certainly wait for the right one and right time. Thanks again.

ScootCherHienie

Kind of a leap to think of a car with 100,000 miles on it being a lemon! LOL! With 100,000 miles, on it, it's gotten past the "lemon" stage and is just a well-used vehicle. Think of a Cayenne with that mileage as being the OPPOSITE of casino gambling. In casino gambling, most people lose money most of the time and a few people win. When it comes to 100,000 mile Cayennes, most people are OK with only moderate service and maintenance costs. But some used Cayennes do get owners into repairs that cost as much or more than the car is worth. Note that in cold climate, there is a higher incidence of cylinder wall scoring, though the 4.8 engine seems to be a little less susceptible than the 4.4 engine. Someone posted here that it looks like there's a cylinder wall scoring issue with the used Cayenne he just bought. Used engines are $5000 to $12,000. You probably wouldn't want to use a $5000 engine as it would likely be a very high-mileage engine.

phatz

For you likely its a downgrade
Should you purchase any out of warranty German ...keep the Highlander you will need it

jeff spahn

It would be an interesting exercise to track cylinder scoring on cars that came from warm climates (or cold climates) that have made it past say 150,000 miles and what percentage of those developed cylinder scoring at this age. From what I can see, the scoring seems to take them down at 50-80,000. If you make it to say 150,000, no matter the climate, it seems you have passed the test. Thoughts?