divil

I'm looking at getting a used Macan. I just recently found out about the timing cover oil leak, which is pretty scary (someone was quoted $9000 to fix :eek )

The thing is, every case I've heard of so far was one of the V6s. Now I've driven a few Base and a few S cars, and honestly I've found the S pretty disappointing so far. They sound great but they feel kind of sleepy...they don't feel nimble and responsive the way the base models do. But every base car I've looked at has oil seeping from the valve cover gasket. It could be happening in other places too.

My questions are:

1. Do the 4-cylinder engines have the same dreaded timing cover leak as the V6?

2. Is there an easy way to tell if any given Macan has this leak without pulling the covers under the engine? Would you be able to tell with an inspection mirror maybe? I'm still considering an S but I don't can't get all of them inspected at a shop.

Thanks!

VAGfan

The 4cyl 2.0 VW/Audi engine does not have the oil leak problem. They can suffer from a bit of oil seepage (not dripping), from the valve cover gasket, but that is not a major repair.
The oil leak problem (from the timing chain cover) is only with the Porsche designed 3.0L and 3.6L V6 engine.
For 2019 and onward, they switched to the Audi designed 2.9L and 3.0L engines, which do not have this oil leak problem.

Generally speaking, the servicibility of the Porsche V6 engine is poorer than the Audi V6, or the 2.0 (the easiest to work on).

Also, cars built after March 2018 have the improved design (durability) of the Transfer Case unit.

wwahl

There is a gizmo you can buy that hooks to your iPhone with a cable viewer that you can stick through the oles in the under tray for the V-6's. It is made by Depstech. and found on Amazon.

MrMarco

Better off finding one that has already been fixed as eventually all of them will leak. How bad???, who knows. If this is a deal breaker perhaps you should look at other models, Personally, I take those moments as opportunities. Engine out? Time for upgrades...

Edit: I am lucky to have good indy -AND- also former Porsche/Ferrari race chief mechanic with shop in my little town. But it takes over a year to get the an appointment. Affording the bill $$$$$ on the other hand.

rasetsu

Correct except for one thing, the oil leaks impact the Porsche designed 3.0L and 3.6L V6 engines. The 2019+ 3.0L and 2.9L are all Audi designed.

techman1

And the PDK fluid change is much easier on the base.
The drain side does not have the left side exhaust pipe to burn you!

Gary S.

Did you try driving the S in sport mode? I have a '19 S since new - every time I got a loaner for service it's the base. To me it's power and braking is what you would expect from a base 4 cylinder car,could it be that their so low mileage that they are not broken in- don't know. What ever it is I don't bother with a loaner anymore

divil

Yeah I drove them in every mode. I drove another S yesterday that was better than the others. It had the suspension modes too. I couldn't tell any difference between the 3 suspension modes, but over all that car was a little better than the other S cars so far. That's 3 of each I've tested now. The base models were more consistent. But 2 out of the 3 S models felt a bit tired. Maybe they're more sensitive to maintenance.

Braking is honestly a disappointment on every Macan I've driven so far. They all have soft pedals with a lot of travel. But as a daily driver, in stop/go traffic, the base models drive better imo. I'm sure there's no contest at speed, but I have other cars that do that stuff well and I hardly ever get to drive like that anyway.

What bugs me about the base models is how poorly spec'd they tend to be. The S models are usually really nice on the inside. I'm still between the 2 models really...the S from yesterday is tempting but it's about to be sold to another dealer. Maybe I'll get another chance to buy it. The interesting thing is that every one I look at has been up for sale for months...they're not selling these days, but I think the dealers over paid for them and can't reduce the prices.

MrMarco

Agreed. It's a fat little beast. A good tune helps bring the S up to it's potential. In the end it is an SUV. Not what I really wanted in my garage, a compromise when you have children and gear.

PSEE

Consider the Turbo model - 400 HP 406 TQ - 0-60 4.6s - for a 4500 lb. vehicle!

Oink!!!

aachowhan

I'm looking at macans and I was pretty set on the S but after reading about the timing leak I'm not so sure anymore.

However there does seem to be some cheaper fixes vs pulling out the whole engine. Thinking of buying from carmax and getting their warranty.

Marv

We have a 2021 base model and it's great. We just love it. However, like others have said, we have another car that checks off the fast sports car needs. Any way you look at it, the Macan is not a "sports car", but you can still feel its roots and for a compact SUV it is an amazing driver—not you father's Oldsmobile.

aachowhan

I hear you, I rented one before and drove it for a week and loved it. I'm not looking for a sports car anymore, I just dont want a low car anymore. I'm tired of being blinded by people with their high beams on and well the Macan looks sexy and i've always wanted a porsche. Many will probably disagree the Macan is hardly the porsche to get but I like it a lot.

It's better then some run of the middle CUV with a rattly 4 cylinder.