Scared to Death of these cars !

[Mr Snappy]

I guess I should say howdy! I just found this forum.

Little background, I was a Corvette guy but sold it about 18 months ago....seemed like the thing to do at the time, definately miss her

Anyways, I decided I wanted a new toy and was amazed at the prices that used boxsters were going for. I had almost pulled the trigger and then decided to do some more research on these cars....I have to tell you, i'm not so sure now.

Yes, I know that people are much more likely to type a post about a problem then a post about no problems with their cars, but i don't know...

After reading the thread about "how much have you spent on repairs this year", I am amazed! To be honest, in the 6 years I owned my Vette, with the exception of a bad rear-end that was replaced under warranty, I never put a dime into any repairs. Mods? Yeah, lots of bucks, but that was fun stuff at my discretion.

I don't race or autoX. I just want a nice cruiser for weekends and love the Boxster...always wanted a Porsche.

Are yearly parts and maintenance really in the range of $1500 per year? Is this typical? I'm looking at 2003-2007 model year with as low miles as possible, so don't expect a factory fresh experience, but I don't want a money pit either.

Can you talk me off the ledge, or is this just par for the course?

[jcb986]

If you want piece of mind, get a dealer certified Porsche and have them add an extended warranty. You can get some good deals with Porsche sales down.

[23109VC]

YMMV and it all depends on the car, how it was maintained, ,etc..

I bought a 2000 with 75k miles on it.. from my dad..the car had all it's records since new, was always well maintained, and driven responsibly... despite knowingi the history, I still did a PPI which it passed with flying colors.

I've had it about two years and drive it on weekends... i put ONLY about 5000 miles on it in two years of ownership!

in ONLY those 5k miles I've had to replace the following:

I put new tires/brakes..but that was routine maintenance.

in terms of unexpected repairs I had a leaky windshield washer tank, two vacuum leaks, a bad MAF, and a bad water pump. total out of pocket by me to fix all this stuff was about 1700.

my window regulator is now broken..the window goes up and down but it makes a terrible crunching noise..so it's only a matter of tiem untit it stops working. $200ish dollar part. I also have a crackion my rear plastic window.. another $350-400 to get fixed at an upholstery shop.

to me.. that's a LOT of stuff to go bad on a car with only 75-79k miles that ONLY had 5k put on it in almost two years of driving! Compared to some of the horror stories on here, I've had it not too bad.. but compared to other cars I've owned, I think more stuff than normal has worn out..

I have owned quite a few other cars, some better some worse. I had a 1990 Miata tat I owned when younger, thoroughly abused... and it NEVER broke. NEVER. it just ran and ran.. i ran it almost 50k miles. I had a Honda Prelude that I redlined every time I drove it.. and put almost 60k miles on it and it NEVER broke.. nothing. I had a 1999 Volvo S70 T5 turbo that I bought used with 30ki miles and sold it to my bro in law at about 140k... he still has it...it now has almost 160k on it. it maybe cost $1700 in repairs over the LIFE of the car... fr unexpected stuff... and it's still on the OEM water pump, engine, tranny, turbo...

I'm NOT impressed with teh reliability of Porsche stuff. compared to other cars, I think they have a far worse track record for parts going bad and unfortunately, ALL the parts are expensive...

I AM impressed with how muc fun it is to drive. it is THE most fun car I have ever owned.

you pay to play.

if you want a fun roaodster with more peace of mind get a newer one with a warranty or buy an S2000. they are pretty nice, used ones are less than a Boxser, and they likely will have far better reliability...

good luck.

[backman_z]

I have had my Boxster for about 14 months. I bought it with Porsche dealer certification. It is a base 2004, with a 2.7 liter engine. It had 35K miles when I bought it. It has about 4K more now. It is my fair weather daily driver and weekend cruiser. I do not drive it in snow, try to avoid the rain and I have not raced it (yet). I have put $0 into repairs since I bought it.

There is a problem with the ignition switch, but that is going to be covered by the dealer, I just have not gotten it in for the repair yet.

I love to drive this car. I look forwad to driving it, every chance I get. While some guys do spend a lot on their cars, every one will tell you it is worth it.

[blue2000s]

These are not inexpensive cars. No European sports car will be as cheap to own as a Corvette. If you want peace of mind do NOT buy a modern Porsche.

What are your priorities? Fun to drive? Cost of ownership?

If you buy a Porsche with the wrong expectations, you'll only be dissipointed. If you don't like the prospects by what you're reading, and there is alot of exageration on the boards but failures do happen, do yourself a favor and don't buy the car.

[kls]

I have had a base '04 for three years and have put about 20K miles on it with no repairs. I change the oil myself for about $75 a pop and I've had a 30K service, but otherwise no problems. I don't expect to be that lucky forever, but for now I'm not complaining.

[jbs986]

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

I guess I should say howdy! I just found this forum.

Little background, I was a Corvette guy but sold it about 18 months ago....seemed like the thing to do at the time, definately miss her

Anyways, I decided I wanted a new toy and was amazed at the prices that used boxsters were going for. I had almost pulled the trigger and then decided to do some more research on these cars....I have to tell you, i'm not so sure now.

Yes, I know that people are much more likely to type a post about a problem then a post about no problems with their cars, but i don't know...

After reading the thread about "how much have you spent on repairs this year", I am amazed! To be honest, in the 6 years I owned my Vette, with the exception of a bad rear-end that was replaced under warranty, I never put a dime into any repairs. Mods? Yeah, lots of bucks, but that was fun stuff at my discretion.

I don't race or autoX. I just want a nice cruiser for weekends and love the Boxster...always wanted a Porsche.

Are yearly parts and maintenance really in the range of $1500 per year? Is this typical? I'm looking at 2003-2007 model year with as low miles as possible, so don't expect a factory fresh experience, but I don't want a money pit either.

Can you talk me off the ledge, or is this just par for the course?

I to was a Vette owner for 17 years, I have owned my Box for 18 months now I have put about $ 400.00 into it so far.

I to also have always wanted to own a porsche and am happy W/ the car I bought it is a 99 Boxster,it had 57K miles on it when I bought it, the car was well cared for be the last owner.I bought it at a dealer for: $ 9,400.00 as-is out the door Tax,title & plates.

Before I bought my Box I did my homework part of my homework was on this site it was vary helpful in me finding the right car.

Yes P-cars need a little more maintenace then a Vette but thay are easy to work on,You should go to the Porsche links,on this site and find the link to buying a 986 it will be vary helpful in finding the right car for you & tell you what to look for in buying a Boxster.

Good Luck

[Gforrest2]

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

I guess I should say howdy! I just found this forum.

Little background, I was a Corvette guy but sold it about 18 months ago....seemed like the thing to do at the time, definately miss her

Anyways, I decided I wanted a new toy and was amazed at the prices that used boxsters were going for. I had almost pulled the trigger and then decided to do some more research on these cars....I have to tell you, i'm not so sure now.

Yes, I know that people are much more likely to type a post about a problem then a post about no problems with their cars, but i don't know...

After reading the thread about "how much have you spent on repairs this year", I am amazed! To be honest, in the 6 years I owned my Vette, with the exception of a bad rear-end that was replaced under warranty, I never put a dime into any repairs. Mods? Yeah, lots of bucks, but that was fun stuff at my discretion.

I don't race or autoX. I just want a nice cruiser for weekends and love the Boxster...always wanted a Porsche.

Are yearly parts and maintenance really in the range of $1500 per year? Is this typical? I'm looking at 2003-2007 model year with as low miles as possible, so don't expect a factory fresh experience, but I don't want a money pit either.

Can you talk me off the ledge, or is this just par for the course?

I just got an '03 with 80k miles. Lots of horror stories here, but like you say, people or more likely to complain than they are to praise.

But had I done my homework, I may not have gone the Porsche route. And had I read this forum, I know I would not have purchased a Boxster. What really gets me are the failures that are chalked up to "wear items". I'm changing my motor mount this weekend. I've read that these just wear out in as little as 30 or 40,000 miles and replacement is to be expected, huh??? I've read it's the same for the suspension. Parts that typically last the lifetime on other cars don't with a Porsche.

But like others have said, what a fun car to drive. And I'm just learning to drive it and will probably never be able to drive to even half it's potential.

And it is a Porsche. Yes, there are better cars out there, faster, more reliable, cheaper, and maybe even just as fun to drive. But they aren't Porsches. If you have your heart on owning a Porsche, then get it, enjoy it, and be prepared to maintain it.

So I'm torn. Big grin while driving, but always worrying if the next funny noise I hear is going to bankrupt me.

Oh, one other thing. Get the S. If you're going to get a sporty looking car, it ought to at least have the performance to back it up. Just my 2 cents.

[Lil bastard]

Your concerns are very real.

The cost of ownership thread and several of the anecdotal replies here average out to somewhere around $1500/yr., some years more, some less.

But, that average can swing wildly with a near or catastrophic failure - IMS, Chain tensioner failure, etc.

Two schools of thought here:

a.) Drive it like you stole it, throw caution to the wind, and if (some may argue when) you come up Snake Eyes, part it out or sell it to a spec racer. The loss is matched by the car's Fun Quotient.

b.) Live under the Sword of Damacles, baby the car, worry about every little creak, rattle or hickup and still crap out. Then lament that you didn't have the fun you intended with it.

If you're more the 'b' type, take a pass.

Life is too short not to enjoy the car you drive! Some may say at whatever the cost.

No one can tell you if this is the right car for you, except you. Do your research, drive several and then decide.

The Boxster isn't the only nice car out there, BMW, Nissan, MB, Mini, Mazda make many nice cars and some of these are more reliable and less expensive to maintain. These are facts.

But, if facts or praticality were the only measure, there'd be only 1 car on the market and it's nameplate would likely be either Honda or Toyota.

Cheers!

[AlexH]

For me, I am quite surprised that the 03 Boxster (manual) I bought with 52k is holding up quite well. I did not do a PPI as people have recommended but I know a little bit more about cars than an average person. It now has 68k miles in a yr and a half that I have her. I did a couple of oil changes and air filter myself, and paid a mechanic $70 to replace the plugs that I bought online. Generally I think there are certain years that you should try to avoid (such as pre-02), I think Porsche made some changes to 02-04 cars that have improved the reliability.

[cvhs18472]

I have a 98 tip with about 68K on the clock. I bought it 4 years ago with 32 K miles. Besides oil changes and other wear items and normal maintenance I have about $500 into mine. it boils down to about $1000 per year when you include trans flushes and brake fluid & such. It is a sort of everyday car which has seen track days and rallys and some all around stupid driving and has never let me down. If you consider all the Boxsters which were made and the actual # of really bad things happening, I would wager it is not much more than normal , but yes it does happen. All I can say toyou is that the first time you a Boxster in earnest, you will know what the grin is about. Ed

[VGM911]

It's a high performance sports car - repairs and maintenance are less than a Ferrari, but more than many other sports cars (Mazda Miata and Honda S2000 come to mind).

It's simply the price of admission. And it's the premium one pays for the fun of driving a Porsche.

[ekam]

It depends what you consider as "repair" and what is "maintenance".

I consider the motor mount as a maintenance item, but most people here see it as a repair item. :ah:

[fatmike]

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

Are yearly parts and maintenance really in the range of $1500 per year? Is this typical? I'm looking at 2003-2007 model year with as low miles as possible, so don't expect a factory fresh experience, but I don't want a money pit either.

Can you talk me off the ledge, or is this just par for the course?

Just curious, what do you think is a reasonable expectation for annual parts and maintenance for an 8 year old car? How about a 10 or12 year old car?

$1500 is low when you factor in oil changes, fluids, tires, etc.




/

[ekam]

I forgot who wrote this (23109VC?) but I thought someone said he/she should have $5k in reserve annually for repair/maintenance and I think that's a safe number.

[Pat]

Step 1: Don't buy a car that you are scared of.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by Pat

Step 1: Don't buy a car that you are scared of.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit

so far, year and a half later i'm not sorry i bought the car. it's been fun. every once in a while some little bit of my brain will say "what about the IMS?" and then i just give the car a little more gas and go around a corner. that part of my brain shuts down and all is well again.

if you're scared, pass on it. it's not for you.

[stephen wilson]

I was worried also, so I bought an '06 CPO car last year, and I'm in love every time I drive it! ( well, except for the ticket I just got.... )

I will have to make a decision in 2 years though, when the warranty is up. I'd love to trade up to an '09-'10 S.

Steve

[Mark_T]

-new top $500, should be good for the life of the car now
-1 drop link, don't remember how much, but not that expensive
-a section of clutch line that was damaged by road conditions, not the car's fault, cost about $300 including the power bleeder
-new tires, about $1200 for Michelins cuz the tires on the car when I bought it were crap. Based on the wear I see so far they should last another couple of years
-regular maintenance, filters, fluids, plugs, a couple of hundred bucks per year
-upgrades, about $2800. Includes new seats, steering wheel, shifter, cupholders, all totally discretionary
-I need to do brakes next spring - that will be $800 or so.

So, actual required maintenance and repair costs the first year were a little over $2200, and I expect that to be a bit above average because it was the first year and I had to deal with the previous owner's neglect. This is better than any other car of this age that I have ever owned - American, ricer, whatever and certainly less than I expected to pay to keep an exotic on the road.

Hey, if they were cheap to run then everybody would have one. Any good hobby costs money and this is no exception. I am actually suprised that somone might balk at $1500 - $2000 a year operating costs for a vehicle of this type.

[Lucky]

My '00 S is up to 108K miles & it has been problem free during my 3.5 years of ownership. Only work has been maintenance, including a few major wear items at 103K -- clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, throwout bearing, and rear wheel bearings. All done by me for a total cost of about $950 in parts.

It is on engine #2 -- first one started leaking oil at 69K and PCNA offered to cover 75% of the replacement so previous owner went ahead. No clear indication of what necessitated the replacement -- but could have been a failing IMS or an unrepairable RMS.

I may be crazy, but this car is now my DD and I plan to run it into the ground. Should be a good reliability test over the next few years.

I find the Boxster to be extremely well built and easy to work on. The model does have a few problem areas -- some quite serious -- but I'm more than willing to roll the dice. If I find any evidence of a failing IMS (I cut open and inspect my oil filter at every change), in will go the Raby upgraded bearing.

As others have said on this thread, you won't enjoy a car if you are worried it could blow up at any moment. If that's your mindset, stay away. Me, I'm very comfortable rolling the dice given how little I paid for this very fun machine.