Repair costs out of warranty

[eslai]

Certainly it's possible. I also think that Porsches just aren't as durable and bulletproof as people think they are.

No big deal. I'll wear this one out and move on I guess.

As a side note, I'm thinking of getting an Audi S5. I think they look awesome, don't know about y'all.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by eslai

Certainly it's possible. I also think that Porsches just aren't as durable and bulletproof as people think they are.

No big deal. I'll wear this one out and move on I guess.

As a side note, I'm thinking of getting an Audi S5. I think they look awesome, don't know about y'all.

If you think Porsche's have problems, just wait until you buy an Audi.

[bmx672]

My Audi is 8 years old and has 160k... runs like new!!! (Mod'd A4 1.8qt) I bought it new.
But, I also do all of my own work... I just recently did a clutch.
Next summer I'm going to do a clutch in the Boxster as well...

I made my wife a deal... let me have nice cars and I'll offset the expense by doing the work myself! Plus, I know it will be done right.

Eslai, did that axle sustain any damage that time you were in a rear-end accident?

Why are you upset, the car is under warranty?

It is one thing to purchase a vehicle, it is a whole additional value proposition to properly maintain and run that vehicle, especially a high-performance sports car. Remember the "risk and reward" balance too. We get a lot of reward from our cars. Along with the additional risk of proper repairs and higher maintenance costs.

You don't get something for nothing.

[racer_d]

I'm a bit perplexed... you noticed a month ago that there was a problem, did a half -assed diagnosis and are now complaining that it will cost you money to fix? I am not familiar with how the cv/axles are currently assembled, but it can be a near financial wash to pay a shop to remove, rebuild and reinstall your current one vs simply installing a brand new one.

That said, the current cars are not as robust as 911's of 15 years ago. Also realize that if they were as well built, they would cost twice as much as they do and Porsche would have ceased to exist long ago.

[eslai]

I'm just going to ignore the unnecessary vitriol in your response. I love how everyone likes to jump on anyone that says anything that can be construed as even slightly negative about our beloved cars.

I'm not complaining about the costs of course, because I'm under warranty of course. What I am doing is sympathizing with those of you that are NOT under warranty because it seems like the answer to something as simple as a torn boot is "replace". Most every little thing that I've had go wrong with the car, the answer has been "replace the whole thing".

That would get pretty expensive if I had to do it out of my own pocket I bet.

I've replaced axles on a lot of cars myself and yes I understand that nowadays it's often cheaper to just do the whole thing, but c'mon, a leaking boot?

[racer_d]

I enjoyed my Boxster ownership sans warranty coverage. A 2000 Non s. 40K miles when bought. Sold 1 year later for the same money.. 4k miles and a ripped rear window later. No RMS failure. No engine failures.. A Maf failure, an oil pressure switch failure ($200) and, suprise, a Variocam actuator failure. Part was around $800.. labor? a lot more.. About $3K out of pocket to fix. Suprised of the failure? yes. but owning what was a $50K car and trying to maintain on a $15K car budget is NOT being realistic. This is why 944s sell for $3k. Lots of people can afford to enter the dance, but staying there costs some serious time/money of upkeep (a clutch job in a 944 is a $2k proposition.. if you only paid $3K for the car, where's the incentive to fix it for example).

If anything, I hoped you learned that Porsche ownership is an ACTIVE relationship. It asks the owner to learn its intricacies and notice when things aren't quite right.. then have them attended to before they become even larger problems. You new there was a problem. You have replaced axles before.. was there not cause for concern that the joints were now dry and grinding?

Did your dealer determine to replace the entire axle after removal and inspection of the actual axle? here the bearings ruined? dry? missing? My hope is that more than the boot was at issue here and you are not sharing the whole story of any damage to the parts that would make replacement the way to go.

I would also venture that the "repair vs replace" mentality is now EVERYWHERE. Why spend $20 to fix a $10 watch? Cars are built as cheaply as they possibly can, and in that formula, "replace" is the new "fix". It costs the shop less time and if the costs are nearly the same, wouldn't you want a "new" one than your "old one fixed"?