aquatone

My first post. I am considering purchasing a 2012 Panamera Turbo-S at 66,102 miles. It is a trade-in at a Mercedes dealer priced at $52,000. I have been reading past threads on the long-term reliability of the Panamera and though the selection effect of any forum will always bring up some horror stories, does anyone else have a Turbo-S of similar age at or over this mileage and has your car remained reliable?

The Carfax history states this Turbo-S has had 1 owner, serviced every year, shows no other negative reports and all open recalls are being taken care of by the dealer. Condition appears excellent and the car appears well looked after.

I know that I should obtain a warranty though not sure what is available. I will likely run it for the next 2-3 years. I am not unfamiliar with complex German cars (my last two were an AMG and a V12 Mercedes) and can psychologically and financially handle niggling issues, but if the cost/risk at this milage is too high I could do with a reality check.

Chris

DGPanny

3rd party warranties on these are pretty expensive, but then so are the repairs. Press them to make sure the cam controller bolt recall was done, that one is important. Other that, my 4S has been trouble free. But the Turbo is a different beast.

donutcritic

Not directly comparable, I have a MY14 Turbo S and it's been super reliable. *knock wood*

The only issue is the steering wheel squeals as it raises/lowers for comfort entry. No mechanical issues.

pmichaelis

I have a 2010 4S with 52,000 miles and it has been pretty reliable. I purchased an extended insurance policy through Costco. The policy cost is reasonable and the service has been excellent. I had an issue with a "chassis failure" signal that proved to be a sticking control valve. I had the work done and notified the insurance afterwards, they did not hesitate to pay minus the deductable.

aquatone

Thanks for responses so far! I test drove this particular Turbo-S again today and it is super addictive. The car is also in really good condition with a well documented and regular service history. Also managed to get the price down a little more also.

Can anyone point me to "reasonable" warranties for a 2012 Panamera Turbo S at 66,000 miles? The last time I purchased an extended warranty was for a V12 Mercedes to take it to 100,000 miles and that was at least $6,000+ I recall. Not cheap and not sure what I would pay for a Turbo-S and if it would be worth it. I expect some things to need fixing and can absorb that, its the big unforeseen things like a new transmission or something I could do with some peace of mind. Normally I buy vehicles fairly new still on warranty, but this 2012 Panamera is almost a quarter of the original $189,000 list price!

Chris

TheUnscented

aquatone

Thanks so much for your super useful response. It helped clarify my thinking quite a bit.

The Turbo S I am looking at has just been serviced and checked by the local Porsche dealer. Recalls like the #AH08 have all been done. From my two test drives I could not sense anything unusual. (Though I am sure I would keep that Sport button on all the time!) The car had major services at 8135, 26124, 47562, and 65450 miles. 1-owner who was a doctor and Carfax record is clean. It even has completely brand new Michelin tires.

If (as I suspect from research) warranty costs turn out to be $7,000 or more I am now thinking it may make more sense to just invest that amount and "self-warranty" the car. My current plans are to keep the car for 2-years, likely no more than 20,000 to 30,000 miles extra in total, and the risk/seems acceptable for that time-period given the cars condition and record. A few things may need replacing that will cost a few thousand each but will I end up spending over that amount? A replacement Turbo seems a worse case. I do take pride in and respect my cars and always service them regularly etc. I have also scoured the internet for reports of major problems with the Panamera V8 Turbo S and can find very little if any. That seems to indicate these cars are generally reliable.

I am realistic that these are complex cars and something may happen. I suspect I may be suffering from nervousness from my experience of previous V12 and V8 AMG Mercedes I have owned. (Including a complete transmission and one turbocharger replacement on the V12)

Agreed about the Burmeister. The car I am looking at has it also and the sound is awesome!

Chris

Rebel112r

aquatone

Thanks! So far, I have found (i) a 4-year, 48,000 mile warranty for the power train only at $7,672 and (ii) a 2-year, 24,000 mile Gold warranty covering most things for $5,182. ($250 deductibles)

DGPanny

Just a quick comment from my side. I have had SL's in the past and I am on my 3rd Porsche. They are very different animals. The SL was constantly having minor issues with trim and buttons and HVAC and headliners.... the Porsche's I have had don't have those little nagging problems. And the age of my first Boxster and my SL were about the same. One was a 2001 the other was a 2000. Porsche's don't have as many bells and whistles as the SL's do, they are much more a pure sports car. Even the Panamera I have which is now 7 years old with 66k miles has been worry free except for the cam controller bolt issue. Mine broke trashed the entire engine, but that was a recall and Porsche stepped up and gave me a new engine, I didn't even have to complain to anyone. I bought an extended warranty with the car but I have never filed a claim.

Just one more viewpoint on your very good question.

aquatone

@DGPanny: Thanks so much for the feedback! That is very reassuring especially as the cam bolt issue has been addressed on my Turbo S. The Thermostat was replaced at 53,435 miles but thats the only new part I can find in the service history. It does appear incredibly well assembled and shows very few signs of age at all.

Oekun1

To the OP- you'll love the Panamera...I'm going on 2 years with my 4S (2010) and much like others I haven't had any issues with the car outside of having the cam bolts replaced. I love my 4S and don't even know what else I would replace the car with. If you're comfortable with this particular car and since you have experience with complex German autos...I say go for it!

freeflap

I would suggest a thorough PPI is better than a warranty. A warranty protects you against the unknown. A good PPI makes sure there are no unknowns. Not all PPI are the same; do some research in your area and find out who does the most. I would assume a porsche dealer ( not the MB dealer ) would also but it will cost more.

I recently purchased a used 2011 panamera turbo. Love it, but even after the ppi found a couple issues that are mostly minor.

aquatone

Thanks so much for the feedback on a PPI. I did have my car inspected and test driven by a independent Porsche mechanic after it had been inspected by the Porsche dealer who also did the AH08 fix. The only thing out of the ordinary was a slight crunching noise in the front suspension when going over a speed bump when the car is cold. (The Porsche inspection did not catch it and it goes away when the car warms up) I know the front sway bar ball joints can become worn in 60,000 mile cars and that this is a known issue in other threads. I have just had them replaced with new Porsche parts and all the bushings greased so everything is now fine. No crunching noise. Total cost was $250.

I asked the Porsche mechanic if he is up to fixing big ticket items like air suspension and he can do so at a much cheaper cost than a dealer. At this stage I am inclined to not get a warranty but just be diligent in my servicing and replace parts as needed.

I love the Panamera.. driving it is such a sense of occasion. Build quality of the interior is extraordinary.

freeflap

that is excellent news. I have the crunch also. Getting the bushings greased today. Hopefully will be as successful. somethings have to be done by the dealer, but the more you can do independently, will save huge $$$$. Car looks great. The blue / ivory is a nice combo. I especially love the burmester. When i was shopping, it was low on my list of priorities, but am so happy that my 2011 has it; I have never heard a better sounding stereo in any car.

Enjoy the ride!