Do you love, like, or hate your local Porsche dealer?
 

I hate my local dealer (Rusnak Porsche in Pasadena, CA). Everytime that I go there, I am strongly reminded that their business model is built on selling new cars and performing warranty repairs - and that they really don't want anything to do with my "old" car unless I'm interested in upgrading to a new model off the showroom floor.

What is your experience?

can't say that i hate any of the local dealers (there are 5 that i consider "local") but then i really don't do anything with them other than buy an odd part here or there that i need quicker than waiting for an online order to ship.

I personally love my dealer. I go to Paul Miller Porsche and they do a great job. Their personel is always nice and they are straight forward with you. The only complain i have is that well it gets pricey. A major service is $1,700 everything included and with a nice loaner. If i were to get a check engin light I let them handle it because they warranty all there work and well I trust there ability to work on my car. If money wasn't an issue i would be glad to let them work on my car all the time.

In my humble opinion my local dealer is a scum sucking thief. A few years ago I bought a used car that they had sold new and serviced since new. The lady kept every single receipt. For example, when she took her car in for service they charged her extra to "tighten the license plate bolts." They charged $25 labor to change her wiper blades which they sold to her at an inflated price. Given the amount she spent there, I believe these and a hundred like them, were abusive. When I took my box in for a repair they had their noses so far up in the air I'm surprised they knew I was there. I'm glad I found a great independent in Ed Pimm, Plain City, Ohio.

Like.

I know some of the staff because we have our monthly PCA region meeting at the local Orlando dealership.

I do not get any of my work done there, too many other independents that are more convenient and often a better deal.

One thing that I find interesting is beyond them hosting our monthly meeting, they almost never sponsor any other regional events. A dealership over on the east coast of Florida, Porsche of Melbourne, is always hosting/sponsoring meets and have a presences at motorsports events all over florida including the orlando area.

I would be more likely to buy a car from Porsche of Melbourne over Porsche of Orlando because of it too.

I've been in Seattle for a year, I don't even know where the closest dealer is. In FortCollins, I used them to get parts only.

I worked at an Oldsmobile dealer in Denver for a little while as a service writer. As you describe, the entire goal of the service department was to move people into the showroom to buy a new car. Everyone who works at a dealership is a salesman.

blue2000s, your closest dealer is probably Bellevue Porsche....I would go to Larson Porsche in Tacoma though, they are super nice and prices arent bad

I love my dealer. They give me bellyaches from laughing so hard at their estimates.
I only go there for a thorough diagnosis of anything that can be off--and their free buffett and internet terminals and pool tables, shoe shines, 60" inch plasma and complimentary car wash.
I then take that list to my independent.

With the exception of mods and general maintenance, so far I've able to avoid dealerships and "indies" altogether . However, I'm very much aware of what some of my friends and colleagues have suffered at the hands of a dishonest shops. In fact, some have mentioned that they apply 50w100 in places we don't talk about just before receiving the bill .

I was actually blown away by Jim Ellis (Atlanta) service manager's amazing attitude and very reasonable price for a trans swap, IMS upgrade and new clutch. The guy was totally willing to allow me to supply the gearbox and it made me feel good knowing that the car will be worked on by someone that know porsche inside and out.

Also the sales side was nothing but kind and patient with me when I was comparing the Cayman and the Carrera two years ago.

I would recommend Jim Ellis Porsche in Atlanta to anyone and I have always steered as far away from the stealerships as possible. I hate Land Rover dealers with a purple passion so my recommendation is really saying something coming from me.

The dealership in Denver is Stephenson Imports - they've always been great to me. Never "found" anything extra to do and keep my scheduled maintenance to what I brought it in for.

I have had good experience with both indy / dealership.

Last time I brought my car into the dealership with about 50 miles on the clock before warranty expired, they replaced my entire transmission for 'free' .. though a couple days after I got my car back, the car wont start .. turns out the alternator died out of warranty and they refused to admit fault saying the alternator is on the opposite side of the motor as the trans and that was not touched during the replacement. I have a sneaking suspicion it died because of how they kept the car during the month they had it but I don't know enough about how cars work to be sure. 3.5 stars out of 5 for them.

I'm also lucky that I live near a honest ( IMO ) indy .. he is a bit OCD .. lol.. but that's a good thing since it does translate to does very meticulous work. =D

He's great to deal with as long as you recognize the fact that he has to support a family / shop and have to pay bills too. Prices are still lower than dealership but not CHEAP by any means. However, last time I needed an 'emergency' inspection on Monday night before Laguna on Tuesday morning, he took my car at 4:30PM, gave it a thorough inspection, detailed the outside, and plugged a front tire by 7PM. I was on my way to Monterrey at 7:30. Try THAT at a dealership.

I like my dealer b/c i have known the service rep for 10 years and he is pretty much the only non-ripoff guy in the dealer.

We know he is higher in price and he knows i only use him when absolutely necessary. But the guy has given me countless hints/know hows when i call him with a q or problem.

I hate taking my Porsche to the dealership mostly because they charge ridiculous prices. Yeh, they give me a nice loaner (usually a Cayenne S), but the bill usually comes out to over a grand no matter what I'm in for. However, I love taking my Infiniti FX in to the dealership....$39 oil changes, and they give you new loaners too! :)Lol.

I enjoy going to Jack Ingram Porsche in Montgomery, AL. However, the only thing I've ever had done there was activate my child seat harness. Cost me 0.5 hours at $99/hr shop rate. Well, that and buy a few items from their parts counter. Usually stuff I couldn't find on Pelican's website.

This particular dealer is attached to an Audi, Volvo, and VW dealer, and they only have one Porsche mechanic. But, he does seem to know his job well. The Porsche service writer (the previous one) is also the Audi, and Volvo service writer. And I believe his primary knowledge is in Volvo. He was only involved with and learning Porsches for the past few years. They just hired a Porsche specific service writer, who seems like a nice enough guy. I got to talk to him a bit but don't yet know his experience with Porsche.

They had an art exhibit a couple weeks ago, which they invited their customers to. Very nicely catered and had a nice band. Pretty cool event, amidst all the Porsches and Audis in the showroom. Even got to meet Mr. & Mrs. Jack Ingram. Nice folks.

If I had major work to do, or something I couldn't handle, I wouldn't hesitate to bring my '99 Box there.

Over the years I have developed relationships with Circle Porsche of Long Beach, Walters Riverside, and Pacific Porsche Torrance. All are good guys and support our PCA club events generously. A dealership is a business and is very interested in sales and service of new and recently used cars. That is their focus and what they do best. They will never be all things to all people.

I do buy parts from dealerships as needed but for service or repairs, I go to 911 Design in Montclair or Callas Rennsport in Torrance. Both shops are better equipped to handle the specialty needs of a car with motorsport leanings that is long out of warranty. Give em a try.

I love Woodhouse. They're competitively priced, don't rip you off with stupid charges and treat you like someone special. When I had the Boxster in this summer for warranty work on the water pump, the SM told me when I picked her up that he fixed the window rattle. He did this on his own, I never said that was an issue. Earlier this yr they were hosting a spring get together and the SM asked if I wanted to watch while they did an IMS replacement (they're authorized to do the LN conversion). You always leave Woodhouse feeling good.

if that's the same place i'm thinking of (off of 80) then...

back over the summer i was on my way to denver and passing through nebraska. i had been having issues with my ignition switch (natch) but figured it would be fine to get me round-trip from MD to Denver. i stopped in lincoln to get some gas and i didn't think i would get the car started. i ended up calling the porsche dealer in omaha. i told him i was from out of town passing through. he offered to pick the car up, bring it back to the dealership, find me a hotel room and bump an appointment to fit me in. sadly they didn't have the housing in stock so it would have been monday before they could get to it (i called on friday). i remember thinking after the call that i felt like i was treated like a long-time customer even though he knew he'd never see my car again.

we even joked about the fact that all the dealer could do is replace it with the actual housing, and he mentioned that i could buy the audi part online much cheaper than the porsche part and do it myself. i told him i already knew that and we both laughed.

most other shops would have simply said "bring it in and we'll see when we can get to it."

I love my dealer, the Collection in Coral Gables FL. The Porsche parts guy is my buddy and gives me parts at wholesale.

I would never, ever take it to them for service. They charge 145/hr. Its an exotic car boutique megalith, Ferrari, Maserati, Mc Laren, Aston Martin, Jaguar. Their prices are not for the faint of heart.

Yup, Barrier Porsche in Belleuve. I live halfway between Barrier and Larson and as a new Porsche onwer last year, had not, and still haven't found a local indy. I chose Larson because I believed Barrier catered to the wealthy, which I am far from. Can't say much for sales, but the service dept. staff was friendly and treaty me fairly. Yes, they are expensive, but I wouldn't hesitate to go back to them for work beyond my skill level (which is most everything). Plus they just moved into a few showroom closer to home.

Hard to find any that are willing to do something other then take your money and NOT fix what you bring your car in for....still a few more to search in Seattle to see if they are any better.

I have heard this before about Rusnak but that's generaly true about all new car dealers. I hate the parts dept @ Newport Beach Auto center (4 miles from my shop) & usually will drive an hour away to Circle Porsche for parts, I used to take my car & all the PCNA press fleet cars to Circle for service & they had good mechanics then. Tried Power Porsche in Torrance Good parts dept. but service dept was substandard especially service writers.

fivepointnine, Gforrest2, Eric G,

Squire in Redmond did my tech inspection for DEs this year and has reasonable rates and seems to really like the cars. I'll be using him for future work that's outside of my ability.

I have talked to Chris's german and they seem to really know their stuff, might have them do my IMS upgrade after the 1st of the year, also had some interaction with Bristows in Tacoma, they seem fair and honest, unfortunately Im in the south sound area so Redmond is quite a haul for me!

Yes, that would be Woodhouse.

Strong Porsche in Salt Lake is great, I know them for years now, they always treated me right, never a problem.

Thank you guys!

I have Brumos Porsche not too far from my office. ;)

The parts guys are great, the service guy is pretty cool. When I got my Boxster last year, I was getting overly paranoid about an IMS death-rattle. I was near-begging to fork over to have them check it out. Reassured me things were normal, didn't take my cash, and I've been having a grand ol' time with it. :D

Plus, they host our PCA board meetings and special events. We've had Grand Prix viewings in the showroom, a BBQ dinner and tour of the private car collection, and so on. Great guys. Oh, the sales staff is kind, too. Haven't purchased from them, but they usually offer me a soda or such when I pass through.

Since I don't like my local dealer, I have found WerksII in Burbank, CA to be exceptional. I do most of the work on my car myself but they take care of everything else perfectly. Highly recommended - so much so that I have their name on my car as part of my relationship with them ...

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+1
I had Dave Strong do a long distance PPI for me over 8 years ago and they continue to treat me better than my local dealers. They've given me info over the phone on my car (radio code) that the local dealer wanted to charge $100 to supply.

When my car was new to me I wanted the local dealer to do some basic work like the required safety inspection, and install an airbag deactivation bar. They did the inspection but would not fill out the official safety paperwork needed to import and register the car and insisted that the MoT and Registrar of Imported Vehicles would accept their paperwork. You can imagine how that went over with the Mot clerk. When I called them back, they insisted the clerk was in the wrong and still refused to file the correct paperwork. I ended up paying another garage to reinspect and file the paperwork.:mad:

On my second visit to have the airbag deactivation bar installed my service advisor wanted to charge to activate computer when at that time PCNA was covering the bill to do this work. My airbag fault light came on the first time a passenger sat in the seat and they insisted that it was not related to the work they had just performed and quoted me double the amount other dealers were charging to replace seat belt receptacles.

There were other little things that left me with a bad feelings towards the dealership service dept, like telling me they have no coffee for customers and gave me direction to walk to the nearest coffee shop only to find out when i got back from my walk & have receptionist laugh and point out their full espresso bar. :confused:
On the same visit I'm waiting and talking with another customer and we were comparing my Arctic Silver '97 with his brand new GT Silver Boxster SE550 with the espresso interior, when another advisor walks up and joins the conversation and tell us that these two Boxsters are the ugliest Porsches he's ever seen. :eek: The two of us were speechless.

I think the dealerships suck. I do like them for tire replacement work.

I love Sunset Porsche for parts.

My indy is excellent.

It would be nice to have a local dealer in Toledo.
My closest is Howard in Ann Arbor, Mi, from which I've purchased a couple of parts, and they treated me fine.
I did try to contact the dealer in Birmingham, Mi. that had serviced the Boxster for the previous owner, but they never returned my phone calls nor e-mails.
Still looking for a good indi in the Toledo area.

Blue2000s, fivepoint nine,

Thanks for chiming in on the Seattle area indys. Larson's PPI says I need my brake fluid flushed and my CV boots replaced. I'll tackle the flush myself but the boots look beyond my skill level. I think I was quoted $250 at the dealer. I thought, not bad, almost twice what I paid for my Honda. Then he told me it was $250 each. Ouch, that's when I figured I better find a good indy.

And +1 for Sunset Imports for parts. Got my motor mount, rear tail light, and spin locks there for a good price. +No tax.

I hate my Porsche dealer in Rockville, Maryland.

They will not give me any quotes on repairs unless I pay them $133.50 for the quote when I already know what the problem is.

I think I know more about my car than they do since they deal mostly with Porsche's at least a decade newer than my Boxster. They charge nearly double the price compared to the Porsche dealer in Philadelphia area in PA. I usually order parts from there and pick them up when I visit family in Philly.

They don't answer the phone. They can never answer any of my questions. They wanted me to schedule an appointment for a 1 minute job of finding out what type of wheel lock I have.

Auto-haus Porsche here in Winnipeg is pretty good. They have a reduced shop rate for "classic" Porsches over 10 years old and they offer a 15% parts and labor discount for PCA members. Those two discounts together bring their shop rate down to $95/hr. They often host a free inspection day in the spring where you can have one of their mechanics spend half an hour going over your car looking for things that need to be fixed. Granted, this generates paying work for them, but they make a nice day out of it for everyone with coffee, donuts, test drives, etc. It's a good way to get a pro to look at your car for free. ( It's because of this inspection that I found out that a) Boxsters have dual horns and b) one of mine wasn't working).

(The dealer name isn't actually hyphenated, but without the hyphen the forum sensor thinks its a bad word. Not sure why?)

I buy some parts from Larson.....new gas cap was the last thing I bought from them haha.

My local dealership got shut down. They weren't great, but I would rather have a poor dealership than none.