Are Porsches unreliable?

[RichB]

TVR & Aston owner here in peace

So having convinced my wife to replace her beloved Alfa Spider 3.0 V6 with a 987 Boxster 4 years ago (ex-demonstrator - 9 months old) it's gone off to Porsche Reading yet again in trouble So far we've had clutch pedal micro switch failure, very inconvenient, wouldn't start - low loader job. Battery died after 18 months - low loader job again, replaced under warranty.

This time we returned from Goodwood, in the 55 year old Aston (totally reliable - took it to the Italian Lakes this year including a track session at Monza ) only to find the boot lid popped, the windows lowered 4" and the battery totally dead. After a brief discussion about who drove it last and didn't shut the boot, I called Porsche Reading, removed the battery and charged it overnight. They've just collected the car and it was hilarious! I re-fitted the battery only to get a barrage of warnings and odd things happening. The spoiler came up not to go back, the boot lid popped again, the rear tonneau raised, thought better of it and shut again, the brake lights started flickering like a disco strobe and the reversing lights came on The chaps from Porsche were most confused.

He's just gone off down the M4 with my AA card saying it could be damp. Of course it's damp the bloody windows have been open all weekend and it's been pissing down

All part of the Porsche experience I suppose but my wife is now suggesting we get rid of it and get her something else that's more reliable, a Chimaera maybe?

[mrdemon]

Clutch pedal micro switch is a issue, have had 2 done, got Porsche to by pass them now, as it's a daft design.

Again battery are an issue, they should change to Bosche, it's a pain in the arse.

lucky both are cheap to change, although to keep warranty you have to buy another Porsche battery at £220 over a better £85 Bosche one !!

[RichB]

Chaps from Porsche said the battery is too small but it's a Porsche battery so maybe they should spec a bigger one Micro switch has a recall this time so perhaps they've finally made something stronger that's up to the job.

The argument will come when they say there's water in the x,y,or z and it's going to cost £x hundred quid to replace. If the car's not driven for a few days it should go into standby mode but not open the windows and boot lid Fortunately my wife used to work in customer relations for a major car manufacturer so knows exactly what to do to get parts replaced outside of warranty as goodwill

[V8KSN]

mrdemon said:

Clutch pedal micro switch is a issue, have had 2 done, got Porsche to by pass them now, as it's a daft design.

Again battery are an issue, they should change to Bosche, it's a pain in the arse.

lucky both are cheap to change, although to keep warranty you have to buy another Porsche battery at £220 over a better £85 Bosche one !!

How did you manage to bypass it?

I have just come back from a European trip and several times the car refused to start telling me I had not depressed the clutch pedal. All sorted now but I am curious as to how you can bypass it as it may help me in the future if I get stuck.

[cd1957]

To RichB,looking through your issues when u connected the battery,I would say you have problems with rear control unit,normally caused by water ingress.

Chris

[RichB]

cd1957 said:

To RichB,looking through your issues when u connected the battery,I would say you have problems with rear control unit,normally caused by water ingress. Chris

Interesting, thanks Chris. I wonder how that's happened, I try to keep the drain tubes clean and the OPC checked them all last time. I guess it's in the rear underneath the hood mechanism?

[pugfun]

To the original question yes porsches are unreliable.
I was saving up years for the non-ims 987.2 only to have the sat nav pack up and the car wouldn't start days after I got it.
On the bright side it cost nothing to fix both issues. Since then luckily no ill effects, touches wood.
Sat nav required un plugging and replugging the antenna cable (using a small mirror under the scuttle panel).
Micro switch required by-passing. (I just unplugged the wires going into the switch and plugged them into a spare fuse I found in the fuse box, I only needed to remove two screws to push the ducting out of the way as the switch was behind it)
Porsche has a recall for the micro switch. They replaced it two times. Third time lucky. I don't need the switch but I do need peace of mind so bypassed mine. Car starts every time now and also in neutral without having to keep foot on clutch or even being in the car.

[mrdemon]

V8KSN said:

How did you manage to bypass it?

I have just come back from a European trip and several times the car refused to start telling me I had not depressed the clutch pedal. All sorted now but I am curious as to how you can bypass it as it may help me in the future if I get stuck.

my OPC did it so I don't have to press the clutch to start the car now. not sure if they did it with software or just shorted a wire ;-/

[dadofbud]

I don't know if Porsches are unreliable? all I know is mine is, rain or shine it performs, perhaps I'm lucky, however I doubt I'm the only one.

[alexisn]

On my fourth Porsche, never had any issues at all. Astonished to hear of a reliable Aston !!!

[RichB]

Be astonished

[boxsey]

In my experience my 987 was more unreliable than my previous 986. The 987 had more electronic/electrical glitches that got very annoying; windows opening by themselves, roof not aligning, cds getting stuck in the player, interior light staying on with the engine on. I guess as they get more sophisticated, there's more to go wrong. Looking back at them now (both are now gone), I fondly miss the 986 (had it for 7 years) but couldn't care less about getting rid of the 987.

[spyderman8]

Porsche's chosen Moll batteries appear to be pretty crap - combine that with the very strange electrical behaviour a duff battery causes and you can suffer all manner of side-effects - like a car full of water. Sadly if you're under the Porsche warranty you're forced to use their battery - and they won't replace it until its dead. By which time its too late.

[RichB]

Thanks chaps, pretty worrying to return to ones car with the boot open and the windows half down. As has been said it sounds like something has got damp but it would be better if it just went into standby and stayed locked.

[anonymous-user]

RichB said:

Thanks chaps, pretty worrying to return to ones car with the boot open and the windows half down. As has been said it sounds like something has got damp but it would be better if it just went into standby and stayed locked.

Certainly Porsches have significant weaknesses but I don't think they are unreliable unless they aren't looked after properly, which does require a bit more understanding than some other, less complex, makes.

From what you say, you have suffered from a clutch switch (easily dealt with if you understand the car, just pump the pedal when they first start to play up and the odds are it will work again at least till you get it changed at your convenience) and from not maintaining the battery, again easily dealt with if you understand the car.

[RichB]

REALIST123 said:

RichB said:

Thanks chaps, pretty worrying to return to ones car with the boot open and the windows half down. As has been said it sounds like something has got damp but it would be better if it just went into standby and stayed locked.

Certainly Porsches have significant weaknesses but I don't think they are unreliable unless they aren't looked after properly, which does require a bit more understanding than some other, less complex, makes.

From what you say, you have suffered from a clutch switch (easily dealt with if you understand the car, just pump the pedal when they first start to play up and the odds are it will work again at least till you get it changed at your convenience) and from not maintaining the battery, again easily dealt with if you understand the car.

Possibly the best "let's patronise the OP" post I've ever read I take my hat of to you sir.

[spyderman8]

RichB said:

Possibly the best "let's patronise the OP" post I've ever read I take my hat of to you sir.

You've obviously not been on here very long then!

[RichB]

Just the odd 157 months

[anonymous-user]

RichB said:

REALIST123 said:

RichB said:

Thanks chaps, pretty worrying to return to ones car with the boot open and the windows half down. As has been said it sounds like something has got damp but it would be better if it just went into standby and stayed locked.

Certainly Porsches have significant weaknesses but I don't think they are unreliable unless they aren't looked after properly, which does require a bit more understanding than some other, less complex, makes.

From what you say, you have suffered from a clutch switch (easily dealt with if you understand the car, just pump the pedal when they first start to play up and the odds are it will work again at least till you get it changed at your convenience) and from not maintaining the battery, again easily dealt with if you understand the car.

Possibly the best "let's patronise the OP" post I've ever read I take my hat of to you sir.

I apologise. I didn't mean to patronise you, OP.









My remark was aimed at your wife....................

[RichB]

Fortunately (having, as I said, worked for a major motor manufacturer) she knows more about cars than you do about tact or diplomacy!