So I now own a 2011 Cayenne S, bought here locally. Back story, the dealer I bought it from drove it for about 6 months (came from auction, but was a one owner accident free car serviced at Pfaff). He got a MIL for misfire and cam timing. So instead of taking it to his independant he took it to DFC. They replaced some parts on the cam and did the recall. While iding in the shop after the repair, one of the cams snapped and the engine locked up.

So, DFC pulled the engine and trans and replaced the heads, cams, lifters and everything related to the cam drive. The vehicle was in the shop for a few months waiting for parts. My dealer got it back on Dec 7th, drove it for a couple of weeks and put it on the market for sale just before Christmas and I made a deal to purchase it just after New Years. I was made aware of the repair (looked at it as a bonus that it had the recall done and a brand new top end done by the dealer). I had my independant do a PPI and we found a little coolant leak down the bell housing. He pressure tested it , adjusted a clamp and got it to hold pressure a bit better.

Over the next few weeks, the vehicle always smells of coolant when hot and it has lost about a litre and a half. When hot, I pop the hood on a cold day and see steam coming from under the intake, so obviously something from under there. Also, I have noticed bolts missing on the coil covers, a mangled bolt reinstalled on the torque arm and a wire not clipped properly laying on the exhaust manifold!

I contacted DFC yesterday, and they provided me with the service record and I tell them about the coolant leak. They then go on to inform me that unless the part is on the work order that they won't warranty the repair. Considering the scope of work that was done, its pretty obvious to me that the vehicle left the shop with the leak. The other shoddy workmanship that I have found confirms this point even more, and doesn't inspire my confidence in the repairs they made. If these things were not done properly, what else wasn't done right? Frankly, the stuff that I have seen so far I would expect at some backyard garage that works on old domestics, certainly not what you should see at a Porsche dealer service facility.

Anyway, I am going to escalate this issue at the dealer and I have never dealt with them before. Does anyone have a contact that they could share that I could express my concerns to and send some pictures? I don't want to take it to Porsche customer service, I want to give them the opportunity to make it right.

 

Do I understand correctly; you're the 3rd owner of a 7 year old vehicle, and you're unhappy with a repair that the owner prior to you had done 2 months ago?

 

I got the vehicle three weeks after the repair actually, and was told that the dealership warrantied the repair and was given service records. When my independent mechanic looked at it locally, he said "who the heck was working on this thing". Just didn't seem to have the level of care that I (or he) would have expected from a dealership repair.

The shop charges $165/hr whether it's an older Cayenne or a new GT3. The quality of work should be the same. If what was done on mine was done on someone's new GT3 I am sure the owner would have an absolute fit.

I ended up speaking to an assistant service manager and the vehicle went in today and the deficiencies were taken care of no charge so I am happy about that. However, while there I spoke to a lady with a 2008 Cayenne who went in for a fuel pump replacement. After it was done, she smelled a strong odor of fuel so she brought it back fearing it was leaking. Ended up the tech had spilled fuel on the carpet.

Sorry that you think a dealership is entitled to do shoddy work because I'm the next owner, or my vehicle is 7 years old. This experience reaffirms why I do most of my own work on my Boxster and 911.

 

I wonder if she had to pay for the fuel pump...it was a recall item.
Re the cayenne be sure to check the sunroof drains if you haven't already.

 

Sorry to hear you had such a negative experience, and hopefully the vehicle is OK now.

I have had five Porsches ( all from new) at DFC, including my now elderly 230,000Km 2008 Cayenne. Also have a couple of RS there currently and a new Panamera. Overall I have had just excellent service in the ten years I have been there and never had them do anything wrong; my cars are not serviced anywhere else apart from tires. Not sure why yours went sideways, but I guess it happens sometimes.

 

Have had both my 2014 Cayman S and 1990 911 serviced there. Great service and I usually hate dealerships. Service, parts and sales at DFC are great.

 

I haven't given you any indication of what I think. I just asked a clarifying question. I was interested in what you thought the dealer should do for you in this situation, and I was also interested in the outcome. BTW, I have no idea who else has worked on that vehicle, and I suspect you don't either. I'm seldom entirely happy with the work anyone does on my ___________ (insert any item here, from cars to furnaces to windows to surgery). My base position is to do most everything myself, or hire labour and supervise it myself. My wife's 981 is from DFC, and about to go in for a warranty issue wrt power locking and remotes. This will be my first exposure to DFC service dept.

 

The previous owner of my Cayenne wasn't a Porsche guy at all, he is a wholesaler of mostly pickup trucks that he shifts from Ontario to different markets. One of his sales guys bought the Cayenne wholesale from Pfaff because he wanted to drive a Porsche for awhile. After he had it for the summer, it went in for the cam bolt recall and the repair went completely sideways and ended up with the engine and trans dropped out and top end engine rebuild. He didn't notice the deficincies on the repair, probably because he didn't know what to look for and just entrusted that the dealer would do everything right.

I ended up dealing with Robert at DFC and he was quite helpful. We talked abot 911's and IMS bearings, all that good shop talk. Once he saw that I was a real Porsche gear head, he made sure the tech took good care of me. Initially I got my back up because my first contact with service told me that unless there was failed part that was invoiced, then this repair would be on my dime, which really got my (and the previous owner's) a bit upset.

As they say, all businesses will make mistakes, the difference between the good ones and bad ones is how they take care of it afterwards. Mine ended up with a good outcome in the end. I hope everyone ends up with experiences like Ronan and Fenix.

 

Bought my gt3 thru them. Robert is great, he connected me on the gt3 in fact. My buddy that referred me to them is **** as anything he takes his 3 911s there. Swears by them
youll be fine.
cheers lee