Certified Porsche - What does it really mean?

[RandallNeighbour]

Downsides:
You will pay far more for the car than if you bought the same car with the remainder of the factory warranty on it and no factory-extended warranty from a reputable source like Richard (BruceLee). Richard, my bird dog check should be sent to 10055 Regal Row, Houston, Texas.......

If you plan to race the car on a track and they find out, the factory warranty remaining and any extended warranty on the car is dead.

The last downside is that if you put on a bunch of aftermarket intake/exhaust, chip it, or put on anything they can use against you in a court of law, they'll not repair the car. (ie, you lower it and your control arms go out prematurely and they may not replace them under warranty saying your non-approved coil-overs did the damage when this is not really the truth).

If you don't plan to race it or mod it a lot, I think you'll enjoy the upsides...

Upsides (potentially huge in my not-so-humble opinion):
The service guy will certainly tell the mechanic to hunt for any kind of repair he can make to your car when you bring it in for something simple like an annual oil change. Your service paperwork will be five feet long because Porsche is paying and the service advisor is making lots of commission off it if he discovers worn or broken parts on your car.

The other upside is that Porsche doesn't usually certify Porsches for this program that have known problems they haven't already fixed or are unwilling to willing to fix for you should you find them. Abused and neglected cars are supposedly auctioned off and not allowed to sit on a Porsche lot as a CPO car.

I've bought other CPO cars (a 95 Lexus LS400, for example) and I am bound and determined to buy my next Boxster as a used CPO car from a dealership with a nice long warranty on it, which I will pay to extend as many years or miles as is legally possible under the program. Then I'll finally be able to sleep good at night and not worry about big repair bills because I've already shelled out 10~20% more for the car than from buying it from an auction reseller.

I say if you can afford one, you won't be dissappointed when and if you need service down the road because it's covered and not eating you out of your vacation cash.

[Brucelee]

As usual, Randall has done a very nice job answering this question.

Thanks Randall!

One thing to mention is that what constitutes a CPO car and CPO warranty can vary greatly from one manufacturer to another. I too have had CPO car from Lexus and found their warranty to be top drawer.

I have NOT had to use a CPO warranty from Porsche so I have no direct experience.

Irrespective of which manufacturer/dealer you purchase the car from, it is criticial to receive a copy of the warranty contract. If the dealer says there is no such thing, then he is lying or just plain wrong and you should tell him so.

I did have to chat with Lexus about this and they did find the paper work for me after our chat.

Elsewhere on the board, one of our members is fighting with Porsche as we speak in regards to replacing his top under warranty. This member does NOT have a warranty contract and is without a reference when Porshce says, "no go!"

You should NOT assume that the extended warranty is identical to the new car warranty. Often they are NOT and yet, the sales pitch is otherwise. Many states are now starting to crack down on this practice, writing new regulations on the use of the term CPO and how it can be used.

As in all things, Caveat Emptor!

Best of luck.

[NNH]

Randall mentioned that the warranty will be invalidated if you race or modify the car. Is this true for track days too? What about reversible mods like a BK rollbar?

[Brucelee]

I think that the track day is "racing" as far as I would define it. However, that is why I mentioned that you need to obtain a contract, because, if it is in there, you are stuck.

Good to know about it before you buy rather than later.

Also keep in mind that the computer in your Box can tell Porsche if you have run the car a certain way, ie over rev etc. If the contract allows them to void coverate for these issues, well then they can!

[RandallNeighbour]

Hey BruceLee, is the CPO warranty work done on a Porsche with more operator scrutiny than on my Lexus?

[Onad]

Does anyone on the board have a copy of what the "limited certified warranty" covers (or doesn't cover)? My 03 is certified, but I never recieved any information (even after requesting it) regarding what will change when the regular warranty ends and the certified kicks in.

Also, I read a couple of months back that Porsche had hired a team to go around to their dealerships to do random checks of their CPO vehicles. Apparently this is to ensure all cars meet the basic CPO standards and dealers don't cheat to earn a few extra bucks.



From a dealer's website:

"Once enrolled, your Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with the Porsche Approved Limited Warranty coverage of up to 6 years/100,000 miles, plus Porsche Roadside Assistance, an exclusive support service that offers added security when travelling."

[Brucelee]

I asked for one recently and was told, "Hey, we have never seen that, but your car is marked in our computer as "extended warranty." This leads me to believe that the coverage is the same that you can buy when you buy your new Porsche, but that is a hunch.

If it were me, I would never buy a CPO car unless they had a written coverage statement (contract) to hand me. Or, if in writing, they affirm that the new car warranty is simply extended.

However, that is not the way most CPO car warranties are sold and that is why CA is taking steps to regulate this a bit more.

Normally, I am agin regulation but in this case, I would support it.

Originally Posted by Onad

Does anyone on the board have a copy of what the "limited certified warranty" covers (or doesn't cover)? My 03 is certified, but I never recieved any information (even after requesting it) regarding what will change when the regular warranty ends and the certified kicks in.

Also, I read a couple of months back that Porsche had hired a team to go around to their dealerships to do random checks of their CPO vehicles. Apparently this is to ensure all cars meet the basic CPO standards and dealers don't cheat to earn a few extra bucks.



From a dealer's website:

"Once enrolled, your Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with the Porsche Approved Limited Warranty coverage of up to 6 years/100,000 miles, plus Porsche Roadside Assistance, an exclusive support service that offers added security when travelling."

[cyclocross]

Originally Posted by Onad

Does anyone on the board have a copy of what the "limited certified warranty" covers (or doesn't cover)? My 03 is certified, but I never recieved any information (even after requesting it) regarding what will change when the regular warranty ends and the certified kicks in.

When you purchased your CPO Boxster the salesman should have given to you the completed "Record of Certification" and a brochure entitled "Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles" (MKT 001 00009 04). The brochure explaines the CPO program and mentions the approved limited warranty. Later, you should have received the "Welcome Kit" from PCNA. In this kit is the "Porsche Approved Limited Warranty" (PNA 000 196 ed. 1/04) which details the warranty coverage. Work with your dealer if you do not have these documents.

It pays to thoroughly inspect the car prior to purchase. My 2001 Boxster had a repaired windshield and came with a set of new Federal tires of the correct size. Not having heard of Federal tires I asked to see the 100+ point inspection sheet. The dealer was not able to provide to me the actual inspection sheet. I was able to look at a blank inspection sheet at a different dealer. It clearly states that a Porsche must have Porsche approved tires to be certified, amongst other points. Federal tires are not Porsche approved. I brought this to the dealer's attention and they promptly installed a set of new Conti CSC2s and replaced the windshield. They did not have to replace the windshield under the terms of the limited warranty. The dealer also R&R'd the dash under warranty to fix a creaking noise. Many thanks to Porsche of Oakland for stepping up to the mark!

I hope this helps.

[Brucelee]

Randall,

Not sure what you mean? Can you clarify your question, please?

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Hey BruceLee, is the CPO warranty work done on a Porsche with more operator scrutiny than on my Lexus?