OK, so this is a strange post, and first off, I don't have any problems with my IMS bearing, or anything else for that matter, but I am a brand new owner of an '01 S, and well--seeing that video of the engine going out due to bearing failure the other day was the worst thing I've ever heard.
As a car forum veteran, I've known about these issues for many years, and knew to some extent, the pervasiveness of the failure. What I've found post-purchase from research sounds like the problem is everywhere, which leads to a rather hard-to-deal-with situation, and need some consoling from happy owners. When I discovered the settlement document, I found I was within their range. I don't think, due to the 10 years lapsing, that I have any options with that avenue
if I needed to use it, but I can't tell exactly how many cars this covers, or what percentage of boxsters produced are indicated. Is mine particularly prone to failure because it's in the range? How small of a range of cars, and why the hell did
they get the reimbursement conditions? I'm still trying to figure out if it's single, or a dual row bearing, or if that makes a difference. Is the '01 as serviceable as the earlier models? It seems I've read both--that it is, and isn't. There is so much info, and polarizing views, that I just noticed the spirits seem a little down and confused by this issue around here, and that sucks for a new owner. It's like walking into a party that's already over.
So, how do we enjoy driving? It's a psychology principle now, if failure could happen to any car at any time, no matter what; so maybe we can build on a positive note here. There is so much that can happen to you that is our of your control every time you leave the house, or exist, in general. If it's going to come down to a monetary thing, then I'd say the same applies, even if you have good insurance. I don't know how else to deal with this. It's the most amazing car I've owned, by far. It's in perfect shape, but I'm afraid to drive it, even though I could probably cover the expense of replacing the engine. It would be a pretty big blow. Almost embarrassing if it did happen. People in my life wouldn't understand the issue, thinking I contributed to the failure. All around, I don't know what else to say. You have to be prepared, I guess. Let's put the preventative maintenance aside, because the fact remains, they can go out again quickly for what appears to be a number of possible contributing factors. Also, it's a pricey proposition to go ahead and do replacements on a car that has such low mileage too, because what if the clutch goes 10k miles later? It seems you have to replace perfectly good, or slightly used stuff all at once to proceed with peace of mind. Not really that great of a scenario.
So, maybe help me get very clear as to what we are looking at, should the problem arise. What is the exact replacement cost of total failure if you get a good indy and a good deal on an engine for a Regular, as well as the S model? If it's a lot lower on the regular one, then maybe I should try and sell this privately for what I paid and "move down." How long is the car typically off the road? That might make it easier to break down into something more digestible for me, such as, "likely additional monthly costs of ownership" compared to the failure rate. Something to make this more acceptable. It doesn't deserve to be a garage queen, though she's worthy of the crown. I want to drive the thing like Ferdinand intended.
She's so gorgeous. Hope you understand my lamentation--and strange introduction. I couldn't pass up this combo 2001 S w/ 18s/grey/black interior. 45k miles, so I don't think it was driven much, which has its plusses and minuses, cause the body is almost flawless with original paint. Even came with the original window sticker tucked neatly into the owner's manual.
I doubt the bearing was replaced already, and I have no idea how to find out. Maybe I could look for marks on various bolts to see if they have been removed before?
BTW- I like it around here. My kinda place. I'll be a regular poster. Wish me luck, and share you're happy stories of ownership, whether you had to pay the price, or not.
