987 'S' - Build Quality
Discussion
10th December the girlfriend picked up her brand new 987 Boxster S. £44,000 english pounds.
Two weeks later the car has to go back for gearbox problems (linkages ?). Anyway only a days job, so no probs.
However, last week a light came on next to the stereo which caused problems with audio system. Complete failure of stereo unit.
So on Saturday I call to dealer, assuming its a 2 minute fix. He disconnected the battery then reconnected it. Dead. As a doornail.
Sunday comes & goes. Spoke to them this morning & they still have no idea what it is, although another car has just arrived to dealer with same.
To top it off, no courtesy cars availble at weekend. They are delivering one today, although I have no idea what it is.
So then, Porsche build quality........ not all its cracked up to be obviously.
Two weeks later the car has to go back for gearbox problems (linkages ?). Anyway only a days job, so no probs.
However, last week a light came on next to the stereo which caused problems with audio system. Complete failure of stereo unit.
So on Saturday I call to dealer, assuming its a 2 minute fix. He disconnected the battery then reconnected it. Dead. As a doornail.
Sunday comes & goes. Spoke to them this morning & they still have no idea what it is, although another car has just arrived to dealer with same.
To top it off, no courtesy cars availble at weekend. They are delivering one today, although I have no idea what it is.
So then, Porsche build quality........ not all its cracked up to be obviously.
Oh believe me it ain't 'Rollocks'. Tis not a dream that the car has now been in the dealer 5 days in the 2 months she's owned it.
As for living with it. Well obviously there ain't a great deal of choice. It will be fixed and, hopefully, not break down again for a while.
Do I like Boxsters. No, not really, but then it isn't my car so I really don't care that much.
My understanding was that Porsche's were bulletproof though in terms of reliability, but first hand experience is proving otherwise at the moment. I am far from anti-porsche, as I still intend to buy a GT2/3, but it just amuses me that a lot of Porsche owners jump down the neck of what they see as 'lesser' marques, when in fact things are less than rosy at home.
Hey, ho.
As for living with it. Well obviously there ain't a great deal of choice. It will be fixed and, hopefully, not break down again for a while.
Do I like Boxsters. No, not really, but then it isn't my car so I really don't care that much.
My understanding was that Porsche's were bulletproof though in terms of reliability, but first hand experience is proving otherwise at the moment. I am far from anti-porsche, as I still intend to buy a GT2/3, but it just amuses me that a lot of Porsche owners jump down the neck of what they see as 'lesser' marques, when in fact things are less than rosy at home.
Hey, ho.
It is bad luck that your car has had trouble but remember that a instance of unreliability doesn't mean that all the cars suffer the same. It is more likely to be a statistical outlier than the norm. If you look at overall reliability of the marque then think you'll find its pretty damn good.
cue lots of talk about rms, blown engines nonsense....
cue lots of talk about rms, blown engines nonsense....
Just unlucky I guess.
I have had 1 Boxster & 3 911's over the last 4 years & not had a single fault that any of them had to go back to the dealer for, so I guess I am lucky. A lady I used to work with had a Boxster that went back 8 times for the same fault.
In general, modern Porsche's are very well built & reliable, but you will always get the odd problem car, and people tend to shout about problems much more & louder than no-problems.
R.
I have had 1 Boxster & 3 911's over the last 4 years & not had a single fault that any of them had to go back to the dealer for, so I guess I am lucky. A lady I used to work with had a Boxster that went back 8 times for the same fault.
In general, modern Porsche's are very well built & reliable, but you will always get the odd problem car, and people tend to shout about problems much more & louder than no-problems.
R.
Hobo,
I suspect if the title of the thread were "Porsche - Build Quality", the thread would receive much more attention from the 911 owners that frequent the thread. As it's clearly marked "987S.....", chances are it will receive little attention as the 911 boys don't tend to bother about Boxster's and Boxster threads.
As I say each to their own, however if you wish to poor scorn on Porsche build quality, let's be fair and title the thread correctly.
The fact remains that those PHer enthusiasts (and yes - they do exist
), with Boxsters rarely post up problems with their cars, as they seemingly rarely experience problems with their cars. Maybe this is the reason the Boxster forum got so little input. If the Boxster was a flawed car, I'm sure it would have been more active - see the TVR forums as an example.
All the best.
edited: as an aside, not all 911 owners are enthusiasts either - Proof
Can you tell you wound me up a little with your previous remarks?
>> Edited by anniesdad on Monday 27th February 11:03
I suspect if the title of the thread were "Porsche - Build Quality", the thread would receive much more attention from the 911 owners that frequent the thread. As it's clearly marked "987S.....", chances are it will receive little attention as the 911 boys don't tend to bother about Boxster's and Boxster threads.
As I say each to their own, however if you wish to poor scorn on Porsche build quality, let's be fair and title the thread correctly.
The fact remains that those PHer enthusiasts (and yes - they do exist
), with Boxsters rarely post up problems with their cars, as they seemingly rarely experience problems with their cars. Maybe this is the reason the Boxster forum got so little input. If the Boxster was a flawed car, I'm sure it would have been more active - see the TVR forums as an example. All the best.
edited: as an aside, not all 911 owners are enthusiasts either - Proof
Can you tell you wound me up a little with your previous remarks?
>> Edited by anniesdad on Monday 27th February 11:03
As with most forums though, most of the people giving marques their bad name are people who have never driven, let alone owned the vehicle in question.
I had a TVR for 2 years, and in all honesty had less trouble with it than the girlfriend has had with her Boxster. I'm not saying this is common, but in my case its a fact.
I make no argument for wishing she'd have bought a Tuscan2 over a Boxster. Either that or spend a but more & get a GT3 or even GT2 (so that I could nick it at the weekends), alas she wanted a 'vert & the boxster got the nod over the TVR mainly because of the legendary build quality.
I had a TVR for 2 years, and in all honesty had less trouble with it than the girlfriend has had with her Boxster. I'm not saying this is common, but in my case its a fact.
I make no argument for wishing she'd have bought a Tuscan2 over a Boxster. Either that or spend a but more & get a GT3 or even GT2 (so that I could nick it at the weekends), alas she wanted a 'vert & the boxster got the nod over the TVR mainly because of the legendary build quality.
Porsche build quality has dropped dramatically since the 993 as customers demand cheaper cars and Porsche have to find a way of cutting costs,im not sure of the exact prices but i think a 993 turbo in 1997 was nearly the same price new as a 996tt and subsequently the 997tt now.Something has to give if you cant put prices up, and in Porsche's case(and even more so Mercedes)it has been a reduction in quality.IMO The bullet proof feel of a Porsche finished with the 993,the more modern 996/997/caymans etc feel no better than the BMW's i have owned.
As far as I know Becker make the stereo unit and if youreally dig deep a lot of people (myself included) have had the unit die.
It died as I was switching to cd the when it was halfway through I decided to switch it off instead. It hung a bit then shut off. When I came to switch it on again - nothing!
The standard quick fix was to disconnect power and reconnect ( bit like a hard boot for a computer).
Looks like the latest units have a similar glitch.
When my daughter's BMW unit wouldn't switch on I told her of the Porsche 'fix' and she tried it and it worked.... so this sounds like a typical 'gadget that is too clever' situation.
Porsche being tightwads will not take a 'spare' unit from the 30 or so cars in their showroom and send you happily on your way, instead they are probably submitting a claim to the EU Courts of Justice and you will have to wait 3 years for the fatherland to despatch another unit.
It died as I was switching to cd the when it was halfway through I decided to switch it off instead. It hung a bit then shut off. When I came to switch it on again - nothing!
The standard quick fix was to disconnect power and reconnect ( bit like a hard boot for a computer).
Looks like the latest units have a similar glitch.
When my daughter's BMW unit wouldn't switch on I told her of the Porsche 'fix' and she tried it and it worked.... so this sounds like a typical 'gadget that is too clever' situation.
Porsche being tightwads will not take a 'spare' unit from the 30 or so cars in their showroom and send you happily on your way, instead they are probably submitting a claim to the EU Courts of Justice and you will have to wait 3 years for the fatherland to despatch another unit.
I had two Boxsters before my 997, and I am inclined to agree with Hobo. I had numerous experiences, however none of them were mechanical. All were to do with annoying interior rattles. My OPC were very helpful, but it was very frustrating!!
With the 911, I have also had rattles, maybe I expect too much?
Hope you get the prob sorted though, ASAP.
BTW the loan car will
With the 911, I have also had rattles, maybe I expect too much?
Hope you get the prob sorted though, ASAP.
BTW the loan car will
I had two Boxsters before my 997, and I am inclined to agree with Hobo. I had numerous experiences, however none of them were mechanical. All were to do with annoying interior rattles. My OPC were very helpful, but it was very frustrating!!
With the 911, I have also had rattles, maybe I expect too much?
Hope you get the prob sorted though, ASAP.
BTW the loan car will probably be either a V6 Cayenne(nice but SLOW) or another Boxster!
With the 911, I have also had rattles, maybe I expect too much?
Hope you get the prob sorted though, ASAP.
BTW the loan car will probably be either a V6 Cayenne(nice but SLOW) or another Boxster!
I just think it was bad that they did not or could not organise a car for you over the weekend.
I had stereo problems with my boxster and 997. The boxster eventually went in for a knocking in the front wheel arch and after having the car for a 4-6 days i was told that there was also an oil leek and that it would need a new underside of the engine(I'm sure it was explained more technically than that but that was the my understanding). So they came and picked up the golf they had first lent me for the " One " day it would take to sort out the knocking and replaced it with another boxster. I think i had that car a month.
But i think they should have had a car for you over the weekend.
I had stereo problems with my boxster and 997. The boxster eventually went in for a knocking in the front wheel arch and after having the car for a 4-6 days i was told that there was also an oil leek and that it would need a new underside of the engine(I'm sure it was explained more technically than that but that was the my understanding). So they came and picked up the golf they had first lent me for the " One " day it would take to sort out the knocking and replaced it with another boxster. I think i had that car a month.
But i think they should have had a car for you over the weekend.
I think they should have given you a car over the weekend as well. Whenver my Boxster`s have been in for a service I`ve normally had a Saab or another Boxster (althouh they did try and fob m off with a Cayenne once!).
Sounds like you`re probably unlucky with a new car niggle. I`ve had two Boxsters and haven`t had any significant problems at all (thus far!).
Sounds like you`re probably unlucky with a new car niggle. I`ve had two Boxsters and haven`t had any significant problems at all (thus far!).
hobo said:
My understanding was that Porsche's were bulletproof though in terms of reliability, but first hand experience is proving otherwise at the moment. I am far from anti-porsche, as I still intend to buy a GT2/3, but it just amuses me that a lot of Porsche owners jump down the neck of what they see as 'lesser' marques, when in fact things are less than rosy at home.
Hey, ho.
You were under the impression they were bulletproof? As in reliable?
Errrrr. Don't think so.
I too amd far from anti-Porsche. I've had three. Two in recent years. Brilliant cars. Love them. They suffer from teething troubles just like any other make. My current car had four low-loader trips back to the dealer in the first eighteen months....aside from needing a new stereo amp and some twiddles. The previous one did the low loader thing just the once....but I chopped it in at two years old.
Reliable? Well....my current one is now absolutely brilliant...but its three years old and now, since I've got it WORKING, I intend to keep it forever I'm happy.
Whilst I wouldn't want to go down the route of lambasting Porsche - I think they're really very good actually - it would be wrong to paint an overly rosy view of their build quality. Despite them being wonderful.
Fair criticism I'd say...
I tend to agree with the poster having owned five porsches and had quite a few loaned,i have'nt ever come across one that did'nt rattle or was free of problems.
The only german car that i have found not to suffer from these types of faults are mercs.
Its funny that lots of people slate italian or french cars for these types of problems,but in truth i think very few cars built today are trouble free.
The only german car that i have found not to suffer from these types of faults are mercs.
Its funny that lots of people slate italian or french cars for these types of problems,but in truth i think very few cars built today are trouble free.
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