Well, my new to me 987.2 Spyder showed up and I have a few challenges upon arrival. The most annoying/concerning is that the blend door foam is deteriorating and blowing all over the cabin. This was not disclosed to us when it was delivered yesterday and the dealership has offered to take back but does not appear to be playing ball other than that. What would you do, keep it or return it?

can I fix it like on the YouTube videos…yup, but these Spyders are going for $80k so this seems like it should be a dealer issue not mine. Thoughts?

 

Depends on how good of a deal you got. I haven't experienced this on my 987.2 but had the issue on my 986 and 987.1 cars. These cars still seem too new, but I guess it's just a matter of time.

$80k seems high unless you got one in a unique color combo with carbon buckets, manual gearbox, PSE, Sport Chrono, full leather and less than 5k miles


All 987.2 Spyders sold on BaT as of 7/18/24

 

Not a good deal at all IMO but the right color/mileage for my wife. The mileage was <10k which was also another attractive feature. Unfortunately the new expectation for good example spyder <20k miles is closer to $80k…not a fan but it is what it is. I think the word is out how good the vehicles are.

I would LOVE a MT, LWBS Spyder but wife needs AT. Trust me, I tried to convince otherwise, I even taught her MT on my 991.2T but she said no.

 

I’m at 23k miles with mine and haven’t had that issue. It seems odd that a lower mileage car would already have the issue unless maybe it was stored outdoors in a hot environment?

I would start by asking your local shop for a quote to perform the repair to see what it will cost. If the cost is extremely high then returning it to the dealer might be the best option, especially if you’re wanting a PDK/Sport Seat configuration which comes up more frequently. A unique color combo could make it more difficult, what are color did you buy?

Having said that, at some point we all will be dealing with this issue and it’s only a matter of time so your next Spyder may eventually have the same issue.

 

Hotter climate: check - Texas
probably outside (at least for a little while): check - found a lot of leaves in the front bumper, but at least the top looks great along with the paint. My guess is it was in a non-climate controlled garage down there.

talked to an Indy here and they quoted me $1500 for the Blend Door and another $1500 for the Mode Door. This is experimental and they cannot guarantee its success but everything I see is it’s not impossible but the Porsche fix of replacing the entire box is crazy. I can’t even get the dealership to quote me so it’s probably something around $10-$15k to take the dash out and replace the whole thing but that’s a complete guess.

 

Mine has over 50k miles and absolutely no sign of foam deterioration. Makes me wonder if they disassembled the dash for some reason, or they could have run something through the AC ducting to take out a smell and it deteriorated the foam. They make fogger sprays that deodorizer and "clean" the ducts. Maybe something like that or they used an ozone machine to eliminate smoke smell. I'm just spit balling, but for the age/mileage you shouldn't have that issue.

 

If you’re even mildly handy it’s not that hard to fix DIY, can probably do it in an afternoon. There are a few threads and videos that cover the steps needed if you wanted to get a sense for whether you’d feel comfortable tackling it yourself. I certainly wouldn’t be paying someone $3k+ given the relatively low time investment and difficulty.

 

It’s not about being handy at $80k, it’s about expectations. I have certainly fixed my plethora of issues but I’ve never bought an $80k car and had a problem child from the moment it was placed in the driveway. As @Jack L stated, odd for this age and mileage of vehicle. Like most Porsche owners, there’s not a limit to what I can do, it always a limit of time to do it. I never expected a concours level vehicle when delivered at the above price point but if y’all were also having the same issues with the foam then id be a lot more understanding but it appears this car is an outlier which definitely makes me uneasy.

 

I'm sorry but I have NO IDEA what the heck "blend door foam" is. Maybe I'm the only guy here (possible) but can you please humor me and explain, add a pic?

Thanks,

 

sure! So over time there is foam with adhesive within the heater box that deteriorates. The HVAC system will begin to blow out chunks of black foam with a residue. The black chunks are sticky and leave a residue where they land and are known to stain your clothes and even interior if you have a lighter color (tan) interior. Eventually (think years of it blowing stuff out) it will stop and the HVAC will also not work properly as these doors no longer seal. The adhesive that Porsche and the VW group uses is a known issue but is forced on them through government environmental regulations. Even as late as the 991 these substandard glues are problematic with headliners and even door cards separating. As far as the blend door here are 2 videos:

1.
the above video shows you how the to fix the blend door only on a 987.1. The mode door can be reached through the inside of the vehicle but requires cutting a plastic airflow tube and then taping it back together:

2.
the third video is of a GTI with the same problem but shows you what it really takes to fix the problem completely by removing the full heater box and cracking its case.

3.
Lastly here is what it looks like in a car we are most likely sending back to the dealer:

 

This will likely effect most cars eventually. You've done your research on how to fix the issue (via heater core/central air duct or remove entire HVAC assembly).

Here's some RL threads about both methods:
Heater core method:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ntn-issue.html
Remove entire HVAC assembly method:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...vents-fix.html

Whether it's a deal breaker or not is entirely up to you. Nice of the dealer to offer to take it back.
Link to the dealer/listing or VIN for future buyers?

 

Unfortunately the time to address such problems is prior to your purchase. Once you agree to buy the car “as is” then you’re pretty much stuck. I agree that a dealer should disclose such issues, but there’s a reason we use the term “used car dealer” as a derogatory. There was a time when Porsche dealers were held to a higher standard and that time is long gone. Every single Porsche Dealership that I have dealt with in the last 20 years was awful. On my last visit to the factory, I spent a good part of the time railing anyone who would listen to me, about how bad the PCNA’s dealers are and that Porsche better get their hands around it. Just fix the issue and move on.

 

I’ve had the opposite experience. I bought it from a Porsche dealership and they are picking it up for a full refund. They have been professional and tried to make it right. I have nothing but praise for the way they handled this.

I have my reservations about the initial buying experience but it really comes down to salesman aren’t Porsche fanatics, they’re just salesman with minimal knowledge of cars let alone Porsches. If you ask a salesman if there are aftermarket parts on the vehicle, they have no idea, even the technicians have trouble with this question. Which is why we get EVERYTHING in writing via email. Documentation is key especially when buying out of state. But again, I have nothing but praise for this Porsche dealership, they bent over backwards to make it right in the end.