Question for all boxster owners who bought used...

[pbanders]

It's all about risk tolerance, and perceived and monetary benefits, and your own ability to afford either a warranty or to pay for repairs. The answers will be different for everyone.

What I've observed with owners of "affordable" Porsches is that many buy the car without understanding that the cost of a repair on a cheaper Porsche is similar to the cost of the same repair on a high-end Porsche, since a large portion of the cost is in labor. Porsches and BMW's also have very high part costs, and often have a few chronic repair areas that affect many owners (for Boxsters: e.g., window regulators, leaky seals, coolant reservoir, MAF, RMS, etc...). Many people go in with the idea that they're going to DIY the repairs, and many are successful. However, many find it challenging, when they find out what's involved with doing some of the more complex repairs.

All of these factors figure in to whether or not someone wants to get an aftermarket warranty and how much they'll pay for it. For me, I was able to get good warranty coverage for duration I plan on owning the car for just under $2K. From my experience, if you drive a Porsche or a BMW about 5000 miles a year that's old enough to be out of factory warranty (probably with 35K+ miles), you can expect standard minor repairs will run you about $500 per year on the average, and you're likely to have something else that costs $1K and up fail over about a 4 year period. BMW example: my M3 has had emissions failures (secondary air valve and fan, fuel evap), door lock solenoids, air bag seat sensor, and "sticky 5th" tranny issues (to name a few) that happened out of warranty. BTW, I'm not including the repairs due to wear (e.g. rear suspension bushings and shock tower mounts, brakes/pads, etc.), nor the repairs for preventive maintenance (e.g. 70K mile replacement of radiator, hoses, water pump, and reservoir tank).

So far, my suspicions that the Boxster would have similar costs have held true. I had the RMS done just as my factory warranty expired, and under the new warranty, I've already had about $500 of repairs (window regulator, cam cover seal), so it's about on schedule. Even if I end up with $500 to $1000 left on the table when the warranty ends, I look at it as the cost of peace of mind knowing I was covered for major repairs and could drive the car hard without worry.

As for the difficulty of getting the warranty company to pay for major repairs, it's something I'm prepared to deal with. My Boxster isn't my only car, so I have no problem waiting them out. I also keep careful records and get service done on schedule and on time. Others may not want the hassle of this.

[chig]

Well, I should clear up the issue with my porsche. This is only 1 of my 3 vehicles that I own and it's just weekend car (4-5K miles per year). I got the warranty because 'pbanders' is right, the cost advantage of my having the warranty is worth it to me. I have a warranty on my Porsche and Lexus but not my Land Rover (I know, I must be out of my mind). The thing is, the rover is like a large Ford SUV, easy to work on (I use to work on Truimphs and have the a full British tool set). On the other hand, my Porsche and Lexus are way too complicated for even an immediate mechanically inclined person. It's not worth my time (time value of money vs. leisure time) to try to fix those cars so I just get the warranty on them. By the way, if you are indecisive on whether or not to get a Porsche warranty over a third party warranty just to save a few hundred dollars on your "porsche," you shouldn't own one. I'm not trying to be an a##, but the boxster, by far, is the least do-it-yourself car to work on and the parts are just as expensive as 993s (911). Also, it's where you live as well. In Austin, TX there are very few third party mechanics that will work on a boxsters or caymans. I kind of have to take it to the "only" porsche dealership in Austin...and if you have a warranty from the dealership as oppose to third party coverage, they seem to be more willing to cover the repairs under warranty. It has worked out for me.

[leathers]

RICK3000 - which warranty company do you have coverage with? I am researching who to buy from at the moment and a recommendation is always good.
Thanks

[rick3000]

I got it through the dealer, and you have to have bought the car from them to get a warranty with them.

[Rareair]

I purchased my Boxster from CarMax in Feb '08. Car had 53k miles on it. According to the CarFax report, it was leased as a company vehicle. CarMax offered me an extended warranty for 36months at a cost of $1800. After reading the contact, I took it! The CarMax covereage is bumper-to-bumper on everything including drive train, electrical & mechanical.
Just last month the tachometer took a dive. Brought it to CarMax to have them check on it. They called me and told me that they'll be shipping the car to my local Porsche dealer (Pioneer Centers in Miramar) to get it repaired.
Got an entirely new gauge cluster installed (1927.89) What did it cost me? A measly $50 deduductible. The extended warranty definetly paid for itself one just my first problem.
Think of an extended warranty along this line: "It's better to have it & not need it, then to need it & not have it"

Labor amount: $218
Parts amount: $1584.12

Total: $1805.12
Tax: $122.77
Amount owed: 1927.89

What I paid: $50/deductible

[leathers]

I understand you got it from the dealer but the dealer doesn't underwrite the warranty they are just a broker for the insurance company. Do you know which company it is? Same with Carmax, which company do they use?

[larryshomework]

I bought a low-mileage (20K) 2002 from a BMW dealer out of town. I had it sent to a Porsche Dealer for a PPI (which it passed).

I bought a 4year/50K mile extended (bumper to bumper) warranty from the dealer for about $2000.

My reasoning was that this was my first Porsche and I was guarding against RMS, Intermediate Shaft issues. I haven't used it other than the Roadside Assistance.

The brand is EasyCare from APCO (I think it's a dealer only brand).

I've since paid for the car so it's nice to have - if I sell, I can get a pro-rated portion back.

Hope this helps.