Hi guys.

I'm seraching for a good 04-06 CTT or CTTS. I found an 06 CTTS out of state. The miles are high - 140K, but the price is right. I found a mobile inspector and had him do a PPI for me. His final verdict was 'Not Reccomed', which means I should probably run away from this one. However, I can't help myself

The inspector was very thorough and knowledgeable about cars, but I think he is more used to doing stuff like restored classics, so he's more particular about cosmetics, and less knowledgable about the particulars of a Cayenne. I can deal with interior scuffs and scratches on the bumper. He went over pretty much everything, drove it, jacked it up and got underneath, so anything not mentioned should be tested good/not leaking/etc. In the good column:

Coolant pipes have been updated
No accident damage or repaint, except one door was repainted - probably door dinged
No trouble codes
Appears to have been serviced at Porsche dealer every 10,000 miles right up to the end

Worries ($$$?) - I have pictures attached - forgive my description, as I don't actually own a Cayenne, so I'm not sure what I'm looking at...

"Turbo pipes to air cooler has lots of oil on pipes"
"Lots of oil on left side turbo pipe to air cooler"
This at first seems like a very bad sign, but on reading Rennlist, could just be a Cayenne quirk?

"Air suspension not working"
OK, not a lot of information to go on there - what's the best case/worst case in $?

"Right front headlight out"
Is this just a bulb, or some $2000 Porsche part?

So, is this a scary deal? Or good at the right price - what price would that be?

Thanks for and opinions or advice you may have
pf

 

The oil is probably from the o-ring in the charge pipes needing replacing. It's normal to have oil in the charge pipes, and if that o-ring is getting oil, the oil will get passed it. Very common and easy fix.

Headlights are likely the bulbs, possibly the ballast. Or, it could be the connection. The harness is held in place behind the headlight, and when you slide the headlight into it's spot, the harness holder just deflects backwards rather than staying firm and allowing the headlight to push into it. You can test this by removing the headlight, pulling the harness out of it's holder and just plugging it straight into the headlight. Make sure you push in hard. If the headlight comes on, you know you're problem. If not, try swapping bulbs. If that doesn't fix it, probably a ballast.

No idea on the air suspension. Could be cheap or really expensive without knowing more about what the problem is.

If you're getting a good deal on a car, you should bank on spending upwards of 3K to get it sorted. So, the oil leaks and headlight probably are definitely fixable and fairly cheap, in the grand scheme of things. My guess is the air suspension has a fault somewhere form a bad sensor if all the bags are holding air just fine.

 

Doesn't freak me out but as said above you have to put a few grand into this car. So the question is.. For the trouble is it still cheaper than lower mileage specimens that don't have the faults and had coolant pipes replaced? What's the ask?

 

Of the items mentioned, the air suspension has the potential to be very costly and should be diagnosed further. Can't comment on the car's value without the price.

 

They are asking $16K at present

 

That's an OK price.

How's the history? Does it have records that go with it? 1 or 2 owners? How was the interior condition? Was this a southern or northern car (salt vs no salt)?

Costly things at this mileage will be the control arms (they def need to be done if they haven't been already), tires, and brakes. I'd want to know the exact brake dimensions (rotors and pads) as they are really expensive on a CTTS.

 

According to Carfax, two previous owners. Southern car - Georgia and South Carolina. I don't see anything on the rotors, I'll email the inspector. Tires - one needs replacing, at that point I'd get a new set to start fresh.

Interior and exterior look very good, for the mileage

Pads show at 30% front, 40% rear

Thanks for all the responses!
pf

 

You're already 1K deep with tires. If the rotors are getting down there, figure another 2K for brakes. $500 to sort out the headlight, at most. $900 to do the control arms and an alignment if you don't see that on the carfax. Especially if you're throwing down for new tires - don't want to burn through 1K in tires in less than 10K miles because you're control arms are bad.

At that mileage, all the drive fluids need replacing. If you do it yourself, figure $200 for filters and fluid if you buy outside of Porsche branded fluid. Plugs, coils, air filters, and accessory belt should have been done around 120K miles. Coils are optional, but they're probably up there in age. Figure 3-600 for that.

If you're not a DIY person, figure close to 5K for all this, if not more.

Check the KBB values and if you're total cost for repairs + purchase price goes beyond 130% of KBB value, you may want to consider a different car.

 

3-5000 additional on a 16000 car, I would pass and spend 20 on a better one, but thats just me.

 

Excellent points - the only problem is finding a nicer one for $20K.

 

These cars used are not dealership friendly, and their values reflect that. If you're even remotely mechanically-inclined they're not bad to work on, but I'd guess that most people run with at least a few (!) problems. The price is okay for what it is, but don't put your head in the sand. Whether you buy this one or find another for $20k, it will require ongoing maintenance that is very costly for parts and dealer/indy prices.
That high cost does come with a high reward though!

 

You could always offer a bit less...

 

Remotely mechanically-inclined describes me to a T! I've always been a willing DIYer, had enough success to keep trying, enough failure to (hopefully) know when I'm in over my head.

This would be my 4th P-car if I get it, so I'm somewhat used to the maintenance costs. At least there is no IMS, right?

 

I'm having them look into the suspension issue (good luck with that) while getting more info from the inspector based on all the replies here.

A few bucks off would be a good thing...

Thanks again for all the advice, everyone
pf

 

"No trouble codes" yet the air suspension doesn't work? Find someone with a PIWIS to actually see what codes are present.