Would you buy without a PPI?

When I bought my 928, there was no question about the need for a PPI. Now I'm considering a 996 C4S. If you had the service records from the dealer, would you take a chance?

I would still get a PPI. I might consider not getting one if I had all the service records and a CPO.

I wouldn't buy one without a PPI.

you don't say if you would buy without ANY inspection . If YOU can inspect the car and take the time to do it. an hour or so, laying on the floor and flashing your light under each pieces, then you don't need a PPI. My car's PPI was done...quickly and I could have done better job. Only thing you might want to get is one of those cable you can plug into the computer of the car and look about the over revs. Even though I think very few cars have over rev problem without being damaged for good right there on the spot. PPI usually don't come with cooling system pressure test or compression test anyways, so they really just drive and look around carefully. If you are a total newby in term of mechanic, then PPI is the way to go, but again any other trusted mechanics should be able to evaluate the car. It is a porsche but it is still a car like any other. Most thing failing can be detected by any mechanic. To finish the argument, a lot of problem can be there and ready to fall off but impossible to diagnose, so buy an aftermarket warranty and don't worry about it. MOST IMPORTANT: take the time to drive it, curve, street, highway, fast, slow, all gear, because if it got a small problem and 'just' doesn't drive well, then it might be hard sale to the extended warranty to replace things. My 2 cents

bought one without a PPI and really didnt even look that much at anything, turned out OK because I got the car from a good guy... but I wished I had known the history prior to buying it and more importantly how that history would effect the people I would one day try to sell the car to...... better to know up front

Agree - if there is papertrail history, cpo, etc etc etc then yes, no ppi

There can be a huge difference with PPIs, I believe most are casual observations or inspections like brake wear, tire wear, body condition etc. that anyone can do.

I bought a 01 BMW 525 out of Texas and my current 996 from IS imports/Smith Volvo with out a PPI and both sellers lied there asses off. The BMW blamed the shipping co for the dings dents and IS lied about corded rear tires,missing wind screen,filthy car... so no.

Best $150 or so $ you'll ever spend. Usually it will identify problems (usually small) that you can further negotiate into the purchase price. If there is a BIG problem, you walk.

I bought mine without a PPI. It came with full records so I took it on an extended test drive and did my own "once-over" using all of the knowledge I gained while lurking on this forum. I knew the risk but felt comfortable with the vehicle and had a good deal going so I jumped on it!

PPI...always... There is no downside.

If it was a CPO, then maybe no PPI. Even then only if you are capable of identifying things that go wrong, look for leaks, etc.

Nope, not worth the risk without a full ppi.

Quotes source post: 8370857

Wow, PPIs are free now? I bought my 996 without a PPI. I had all the records and talked to the Porsche mechanic that installed the reman engine. I haven't had any problems.

Quotes source post: 8370879

Agreed... though CPO 996s are pretty few and far between now. Here is another argument for a PPI on a car at the dealer: whatever you find they will probably fix on the spot to make the sale. We usually think of big things that come up at a PPI - stuff like RMS leaks and such. But lots of other stuff can be found by a good PPI, stuff that costs money to fix but would not necessarily stop you from buying the car. Price negotiation is another reason for a PPI. Mine identified a mostly cosmetic problem with the HVAC readout. Didn't stop me from buying the car, but gave me a nice negotiating point on the final price.

Quotes source post: 8370879

this is the one exception... but still a PPI can tell you about any body work (unless it doesnt qualify for CPO with body work, I dont know the rules) If I was buying a CPO car I wouldnt even open the engine bay to look at it... buy it a laugh as I peeled rubber out of the parking lot!!

I did a PPI on my recent 996 Cab purchase. Was it worth it? Yep, because I was able to use it in negotiations. I am of the mind, the more people that look at a car the better. Even a great mechanic occasionally misses something. Bring your whole local PCA club to look at a car!LOL

i bought my car from the 2nd owner who only owned the car for 5 months (his wife wanted a beach house). The car had 19 months of CPO left which transferred to me, he had his receipts from ownership (3), and he got a complete printout service history of the car from the dealer where he bought it. He bought it from the same dealer who sold the car new and all the work was done there. I still got a PPI. Paid $250 for it and it came back with no issues. It is still the best money you can spend. Used car = PPI. No exceptions.

Did you not read my thread? Not getting a PPI before you buy can be suicide with these cars. It's not like buying a Toyota. When things break and you are out of warranty, you may have to take a second mortgage on your house. I made the mistake of making an emotional purchase and not using my logic as I normally do. I knew what I was doing was wrong but I did it anyway. Now I have a nightmare to deal with (IMS failure, seized engine). Don't be like me.

PPI would not detect IMS failure. Wouldn't even detect a clutch that only has 20k left on it or a pressure plate that will go or drive shaft or transmission problem. PPI is good for people that have no clue at all and check for themselves. With service records and if you pull down a list of what they check for I would do it myself. Along with a test drive to ensure gears not popping out. I would recommend a leak down test and an oil test.

I bought my car from a friend of mine who runs a small independent dealership. I didn't do a PPI because I am the person who drove the car the 300 miles from where the car was located to my friend's place. Even so, the first thing I did when I bought the car was send it to the local indy Porsche mechanic for an oil change and a complete inspection. The only failure in the 9K miles since has been an oxygen sensor, and I doubt a PPI would have caught that. As others have said, the PPI is not going to identify an IMS that is about to fail or many of the other catastrophic failures that people fear. If I hadn't been afforded the luxury of such an extended test drive, I would have gotten a PPI.

Quotes source post: 8371536

Well said. I think I'm actually starting to get annoyed by the PPI talk around here because so many people act like a PPI is a magic inspection or something. A bad PPI is worse than none at all because it costs you money, and a good PPI can save your ***. PPIs really can't do much for some of the worst issues that affect these cars and could actually give people a false sense of security if they haven't done their homework.

Purchased my 99 red cab from a private owner that had all the service records from a local Porsche dealer. Spent 2+ hours with the vehicle driving and checking things out per my own PPI checklist. Had the RMS, IMS, clutch, and a few other things done at Callas Rennsport 2 weeks after purchase. Shop confirmed that the car was in excellent shape and provided some tips on known issues to be aware of (e.g., AOS and coolant tank). I am pleased with my purchase and love driving this 911.

A couple pics of my 1999 Guards Red cabriolet.

Go with the ppi

I went CPO but no PPI and worked out fine. But mainly because I had such a good dealer.

i did

I researched the majority of the "inspection experts" list of items they'll test & check and it wasnt any more detailed or difficult than the inspection I did upon arrival. I did my homework on here and other sites and had the maintenance records since day of purchase (gotta love those Porsche nuts) prior to flying to Miami so that was a major motivator to buy the car "as is". If I felt the car needed anything major - I'd walk. Having said all that, the combination of a GREAT deal, knowing the car's history, and seeing it LIVE & IN PERSON pushed all common sense out the window. I was very lucky and got a great car - I could have just as easily gotten screwed... If I you can take the car to a PORSCHE mechanic for a pre-buy inspection, compression test, etc.... DO IT. If the seller balks, then you should walk away... quickly.

BTW... aint she pretty

In terms of a PPI ... ... unless you get a bad PPI (not sure what the legal recourse is there), the worst case scenario is that you end up buying the car having spent a few hundred dollars for peace of mind. Given the overall cost of owning a 996, that seems like a very small investment (and if you can't afford the PPI, you're probably not in a position to buy a Porsche). The best case scenario is that the PPI turns up some potentially expensive problems that let you either walk away from the car, or negotiate a price that takes these problems into consideration. I'd rather risk a few hundred bucks up front than suffer (avoidable) consequences that could potentially cost thousands of dollars down the road. Cheers, -- Mike

Quotes source post: 8373811

Ditto. Cheap insurance. I've bought cars w/o a PPI and not had a problem, but then I know cars pretty well and take the vehicle for an extended test drive. I've also bought cars with a PPI and still had expensive unforeseen problems - simply because modern cars are complex mechanical things that can and will fail.