Door striker area rust on a 2005 997.1
Discussion
Had my Jan 2005 911 since early Nov 2012. Has a full OPC SH with 4 rust checks in place. Noticed when drying it down that there was a very small area of bubbling right next to the driver's door striker and contacted the local approved body shop in St Albans. They have measured the paint depth and concluded it is original. Rectification works total an amazing £935.36!! Was referred to Porsche HO who knocked it back saying it was an external influence and outside/in rather than inside/out but offered £335.36 as a goodwill gesture.
I went back to query where it says in the original 10 year anti-corrosion warranty that these were the terms and conditions. They came back with:-
"In relation to the warranty handbook, the terms "inside-out/outside-in" are not used to classify qualifying conditions to repairs under the long-life guarantee. These are terms we use as they are more understood by our customers in relation to the nature of the corrosion.
The Porsche Long-Life guarantee covers the bodyshell of the vehicle against rust holes only, that have occurred as a result of our manufacturing process. The nature of this corrosion indicates it has occurred from the inside of the materials and therefore would potentially indicate an issue with the material of a panel. To clarify the striker plate is not part of the bodyshell.
As I mentioned in my earlier email, the corrosion to your vehicle has been deemed to be caused by an external influence and this is the reason for it not being supported under the long-life guarantee. External influences are out of Porsche's control. Although the striker plate is fixed to the vehicles chassis, it is still subject to large amounts of force every time the door is opened and closed."
I think they are splitting hairs and it is a poor show. What do fellow forum members think? I would like to have the claim independently assessed at a Small Claims Court as clearly corrosion has occurred and the car is 8 years old. Am hoping the attached picture upload works.
I went back to query where it says in the original 10 year anti-corrosion warranty that these were the terms and conditions. They came back with:-
"In relation to the warranty handbook, the terms "inside-out/outside-in" are not used to classify qualifying conditions to repairs under the long-life guarantee. These are terms we use as they are more understood by our customers in relation to the nature of the corrosion.
The Porsche Long-Life guarantee covers the bodyshell of the vehicle against rust holes only, that have occurred as a result of our manufacturing process. The nature of this corrosion indicates it has occurred from the inside of the materials and therefore would potentially indicate an issue with the material of a panel. To clarify the striker plate is not part of the bodyshell.
As I mentioned in my earlier email, the corrosion to your vehicle has been deemed to be caused by an external influence and this is the reason for it not being supported under the long-life guarantee. External influences are out of Porsche's control. Although the striker plate is fixed to the vehicles chassis, it is still subject to large amounts of force every time the door is opened and closed."
I think they are splitting hairs and it is a poor show. What do fellow forum members think? I would like to have the claim independently assessed at a Small Claims Court as clearly corrosion has occurred and the car is 8 years old. Am hoping the attached picture upload works.
Think I'd be accepting the goodwill offer...could get messy / expensive if you get into an argument over the exact wording of the anti-corrosion warranty.
Just edited to say, this assuming you didn't buy it from an OPC...if you did, then I would pursue it with them for sure.
Just edited to say, this assuming you didn't buy it from an OPC...if you did, then I would pursue it with them for sure.
Edited by OggyDJ on Friday 1st February 21:24
OggyDJ said:
Think I'd be accepting the goodwill offer...could get messy / expensive if you get into an argument over the exact wording of the anti-corrosion warranty.
+1. Take their money and get it sorted and let it go. Small claims? Let it go bud. If you don't want too, have a quick look at the LR bodywork warranty, that basically doesn't cover anything the moment you drive off the forcourt
MrC986 said:
the 996 cure to prevent a reoccurrence after rectification is a £6 plastic gasket...it makes you wonder why they didn't do a recall as part of annual servicing! As for the quote the OP had...listen to this- l got quoted £400 just to paint the bumper on my car by an approved repairer 
I think we all know the answer to that!MrC986 said:
the 996 cure to prevent a reoccurrence after rectification is a £6 plastic gasket...it makes you wonder why they didn't do a recall as part of annual servicing! As for the quote the OP had...listen to this- l got quoted £400 just to paint the bumper on my car by an approved repairer
To be fair, £400 for a bumper paint isn't the worst I've heard of. I was £350 for my rear bumper on my last car (Impreza) from the local Porsche Approved Bodyshop. ClarkPB said:
MrC986 said:
the 996 cure to prevent a reoccurrence after rectification is a £6 plastic gasket...it makes you wonder why they didn't do a recall as part of annual servicing! As for the quote the OP had...listen to this- l got quoted £400 just to paint the bumper on my car by an approved repairer
To be fair, £400 for a bumper paint isn't the worst I've heard of. I was £350 for my rear bumper on my last car (Impreza) from the local Porsche Approved Bodyshop. 
I will see if HO would be willing to give me the cash for me to sort out locally with the addition of a plastic gasket which I will also have added to the other side! If they don't play ball I will go to Small Claims as the cost is minor and it will be good to see them argue their way out of different types of corrosion!
I had a W210 Merc in 2002 which had bonnet, doors, wings all changed under the rust warranty with no contribution from me whatsover and these Mercs were bad news iro rust!
I had a W210 Merc in 2002 which had bonnet, doors, wings all changed under the rust warranty with no contribution from me whatsover and these Mercs were bad news iro rust!
It's worth you doing a search of this forum to find a PH'ers similar case, that he took to court and it was settled in full at the last minute by Porsche.
From memory, his car had door entry guards in stainless steel, which were supplied & fitted by Porsche (at the factory I think), and one (or both) had rubbed the paint, causing corrosion. Porsche tried to claim that the cause was an "outside influence" - the influencing item being the trims - which they had fitted!!
In this case, the item causing the corrosion is not even an optional item, it's a standard part of the car, so I think your chance of success are very high if you go about it the right way. The fact that they have offered a goodwill contribution must surely help too.
Once Porsche agreed to cough up for the other guy he got great service - he asked about the cost of attending to a cosmetic issue (he'd scuffed a bumper or similar) whilst it was in with them and they just did it for FOC.
From memory, his car had door entry guards in stainless steel, which were supplied & fitted by Porsche (at the factory I think), and one (or both) had rubbed the paint, causing corrosion. Porsche tried to claim that the cause was an "outside influence" - the influencing item being the trims - which they had fitted!!
In this case, the item causing the corrosion is not even an optional item, it's a standard part of the car, so I think your chance of success are very high if you go about it the right way. The fact that they have offered a goodwill contribution must surely help too.
Once Porsche agreed to cough up for the other guy he got great service - he asked about the cost of attending to a cosmetic issue (he'd scuffed a bumper or similar) whilst it was in with them and they just did it for FOC.
Andy Goss would have had that buttoned up. See if Chris Craft cares a toss...write to him and ask him why a totally original, from the factory element of the car is deemed not to be covered by the corrosion warranty. I note they refer to external factors...that's what durability testing is meant to uncover...do you live by the sea perhaps or maybe you choose to park the car in the sea?...
branko said:
External influences are out of Porsche's control. Although the striker plate is fixed to the vehicles chassis, it is still subject to large amounts of force every time the door is opened and closed."
This is obviously where you and previous owners have been going wrong - by opening and closing the door you have caused this problem.Plainly we should have our cars programmed so that the windows open fully when the remote unlock button is pressed and then we could enter and leave via the window aperture (like the Dukes of Hazzard!) without resort to such violent procedures as actually opening the door and then closing it.
I would be going to small claims court..
It's cheap and I would enjoy watching them trying to
explain to the judge that its the wrong type of rust
and thus not covered..
The fact that they have offered goodwill gesture imo
will be seen as an admission to blame.
Furthermore I also feel that the time it will take
just trying to brief their own
lawyers will cost them more than your claim..
It's cheap and I would enjoy watching them trying to
explain to the judge that its the wrong type of rust
and thus not covered..
The fact that they have offered goodwill gesture imo
will be seen as an admission to blame.
Furthermore I also feel that the time it will take
just trying to brief their own
lawyers will cost them more than your claim..
had same rust problem on 7 month old 996 carr 4 all becuase the factory missed out fitting a thin gasget to drivers door and overtightened the one on passengers cuasing it to bite into paint work after usual hassle porsche fixed it after 3 visits to paint shop ....thats another story
branko said:
I fully agree with you. The door striker was fitted on day one and simply can't move at all. The corrosion has not been caused by anything "external". If the striker metal and bodywork metal have not worked well together I don't see why I should be compromised.
^ This.I think there was a workshop recall (Campaign, in Porsche-speak) to replace the gaskets due to rusting on the strikers of certain year 997s - I believe it was around the time they 'Campaigned' to replace the bonnet striker due to defective bolts (!) Might be worth checking to see if this was done by your OPC as it means they've had the catch off in the first place...
Either way, this is still 'with Porsche' in my mind, and think its very poor on their part not to Man Up and deal with it for you.
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