New Owners Beware - My saga

[idjiot]

I purchased my 2001 Boxster after careful consideration and with much advice from this forum about 5 months ago. I purchased the car with the extended warranty and had a pre-purchase inspection completed on the car and really felt like I made a solid decision. I spent the first month romancing over what I would do with the car and learning everything I could.

The romance is over because about 3 weeks ago my engine died. Driving in Los Angeles, the engine suddenly starting making little noises and then more noises within about 30 minutes and finally when I pulled over to inspect, it would no longer start. After having the car towed to the dealer, he called the next day and told me he suspected that I had put diesel in the car. I panicked briefly (I don't think it's really possible to make this mistake at a normal gas station due to the size and placement of the nozzles). However, the dealer called the next day and told me that the crankshaft simply broke and that this was a fairly common occurrence.

The damage: $12,000

A call was put in to the extended warranty where they requested a tear-down that would cost another $4,000, which they would only cover if the damage was deemed as being "covered."

The painful process of waiting for the teardown, the inspector to arrive and then to fax documentation (service records, maintenance schedules, etc.) was just about one of the most nerve-wracking things I've had to go through in awhile since if there was a glitch, I'd be on the hook for perhaps $16,000.

I had contemplated posting my story earlier to the forum but it was simply too much to keep thinking about it. However, after much anxious waiting, the dealer finally got the green light from the extended warranty company and I'll be getting my car back next Friday. Needless to say, I am extremely thankful.

Here's some closing questions/comments:
1. My final out-of-pocket looks like it will be approximately $1,000 to the dealer for labor that was not covered by the warranty. Does anyone know if this is standard? My policy is supposed to cover everything but apparently there is a difference between the amount of labor charged by the dealer and what the warranty company was willing to pay. It doesn't make sense to me. I have a zero-deductible policy.

2. Make sure to purchase extended warranty. The original owner purchased the policy for a little over $2k but that has already paid for itself many times over. (I'm not sure which is the best one but so far aside from the hassle, they have paid out - Warranty Direct).

3. When purchasing/owning a vehicle, make SURE to obtain service records and keep any that you have. This was crucial because any type of warranty can be voided if insufficient documentation is produced. If you do service yourself, make sure to keep receipts for all the parts that you purchase.

4. Along the lines of number 3, make sure to maintain your vehicle AT LEAST according to the porsche recommendations. Otherwise, VOIDED warranty.

5. I'll reiterate what a lot of people are saying on this forum to prospective new owners: don't buy this car unless you've got EXTRA money to spare.

Hope everyone does better with their vehicle.

Simon