what does it take to be a satisfied porsche owner?

[Brucelee]

To my knowledge, there is no German car out today that would receive high marks from its owner for reliability or value.

I love the way certain German cars look, drive and perform. However, I HATE the way they have become flat out unreliable.

Mercedes is perhaps the most obvious example of this but IMO, they all have fallen prey to this.

I frequent a BMW board and it is the same litany of complaints.

In contrast, I frequent a C5 board where the issues of MUCH less prevelant.

And I don't see any indication that ANY of the German makers are listening and improving their products on the reliability front. The defect rates at Porsche would be a reason for mass suicide at Lexus.

If I were on the Board of a German car company, I would be ALL over the CEO of that company. Sadly, the way these companies are structured, I would likely be a labor rep and of course, would not TOUCH the issue of reliability at all.

And so it goes.

[Brucelee]

BTW- I have bought and sold about 30 Porsches over the past several years so I have a pretty decent sample size to chat about defect rates.

[mach schnell]

this is all good - keep it coming!

[insite]

for porsche, it's all about driving. The cars provide such a wonderful experience behind the wheel that most owners just accept the idiosyncrasies that come with the purchase.

if you want to feel better about the quality of your car, take it to a track. not an autocross course, a road race course. at the end of the day when:

-- the ricers have melted
-- the US cars are out of brakes, overheated and burning oil
-- the british cars never made it to the event (they broke on the way over)

you will ponder.

you look around and you will see the porsches: porsches sitting there, just smiling, eager to run just one more session. it is then that you will finally appreciate what these cars are all about.

on another note, consider you purchased the first iteration of the 987. it will have some kinks that will need to be worked out since it is, in essence, a new model. overall, these cars are pretty reliable. most quality gripes online appear because people are far more likely to seek out a forum in which to ******************** about problems than they are a place to rave about the absence of problems.

i have a '99 986 with 95,000 miles on it. i drive the HELL out of it. i've had a few problems, but nothing major considering the age and mileage. i take it to the track ALL THE TIME. the majority of money spent on the car is for consumables: tires, brakes, fuel, etc. (i spend a lot of money on extra 'stuff' and on track time as well).

sure, some things have broken. here's a quick run-down:

- coolant reservoir
- wheel bearing
- convertible top
- window regulator
- mass air flow sensor
- water pump
- shock tower bearing mount
- microswitch (for conv. top)


for a car that's now almost seven years old with 100K on the odometer, that's a pretty short list of problems. it’s remarkable if you consider how the car is driven. my gut tells me that the people who constantly ******************** about the little things are the people who didn't buy the car to drive it so much as to be seen in it; they're used to lexus. i'll take a car with some hiccups and a SOUL over a zero defect vehicle that's lifeless.

finally, i’m not excusing any repetetive quality issues porsche may exhibit. considering the per vehicle profit margins porsche ag currently realizes, they have created a very strong perceived value in their product lines. porsche must aspire to become that perception or they will surely lose market share in the long run.

enough of the rambling……take care!

[Rondog]

i think it's a safe to assume that the cause of all your problems are the faux-yellow calipers....never mess with karma, my friend.

i'm reading this thread with great interest as i question my own tolerance for unreliability. Having driven a MB e320 for the last 5 years and an Infiniti prior to that -- I have become accustom to reliable autos (BL--- i had no major issues with my benz) in addition, i have also been spoiled by both dealerships--treated very well with great service, loaners and washes,etc,etc.....

We pay a premium for our Boxsters and i have to say the smile on my face as i drive to work is the the reward for that premium. However;.if i have to constantly drive to the dealer as opposed to my office-- not sure how long i'd be smiling....

Good thing is my calipers are Boxster S RED-- and i am not tempting the fates! So, i should be fine........

RD