Dealer service in LA/OC? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Hi gang, I'm up for my 30k service! Can anyone recommend a good dealer for service in So Cal? I'm thinking Newport Auto, Circle Porsche, Pacific Porsche, or even in Laguna area. Any other non-dealer service centers between Long Beach and Laguna? When I bought the car from a smaller dealership, they mentioned that different dealer service centers are stingier or easier when it comes to providing warrantee service. Who are the easy ones out there? Thanks!! - Xavier

There's a little place called DDK Motors in Newport Beach, actually just a bit west of the OC airport. Call Don at [phone removed]. While I haven't yet taken my recently-purchased Boxster there, he's done great, thoroughly honest work on my BMW, and my wife has been taken her Mercedes there for a couple of years. He could be the only honest mechanic who specializes in German motor cars.

Great tip. I'll be looking for service other than at a dealership in the Newport Beach or Laguna Beach area. Post again if your suggestion changes for some reason once you take your Boxster to DDK.

I am confused by this post a bit. Is your car still under warranty? If so, why are you not going to use a Porsche dealer for your 30K?

I'm guessing because routine maintence is not covered by warranty and dealer prices are typically higher. Actually the 30k is really a pretty easy DIY job and taking it to the dealer isn't necessary(except for pre-00 cars which are more difficult because a spark plug change is recammend but still doable by all means). I talked to a Bosch rep today at Porsche Fest and he said the platinum plugs in the 00+ cars are good for 100k miles BTW. No offense Brucelee, but the more I find out about the Porsche dealerships, the more I try to avoid them. I haven't seen my dealer since the day it left the lot almost 2 yrs ago. I found out some interesting things this weekend. A rep from Billy Boat said that Porsche Dealerships take notes on any noticable engine mods that have been done to the car and enter it into a Dealership database so other dealers are able to access this info. In essence he was saying that if you put headers for instance on your car and have engine problems you are basically flagged if any dealership finds out and none of them will honer the warranty if they don't feel like it. I'm not sure if this is true, but it causes serious concern with me. I think if I ever run into any non-warranty related issues with my car I can not handle, I will be going to an independent shop as well...plus I may save some green by going independent.

No offense taken. I have a great relationship with my local dealer for service and parts. Obviously, they know I turf them LOTS of business so I get treated somewhat differently I think. Having said that, they are a quality shop indeed. IF IT WERE ME, during the warranty period, I would use a Porsche dealer to do the regular services. Why? Because doing this build rapport and in general, gets them on your side re: warranty work/claims. I have seen this work to my advantage in several instances. Having said that, when I have an out of warranty car and we are talking routine service, I will often have my non-Porsche mechanic do the work. That does save some dough. Re: the engine mods issue. It is my understanding that Porsche USA has requested that dealers note any mods made by customers. The factory is concerned (rightfully so I think) that customers are messing with the car, then asking Porsche to fix something that might have been from the mod. This is not new and not specific to Porsche. Years back, Chevrolet and I had some dancing around some Corvette mods I made, but that is another matter.

Hey guys, I am very interested in taking the car to a dealer for the 30k. I am more than happy (ok I'm kidding I'm not too happy) to pay for the dealer service because the car is still under warrantee - and I want to flag all the possible issues with the car before the '02 warrantee expires! For that reason, I am curious if any dealers around here are particularly lenient with regard to warrantee service, and I want to take it there. I don't have any previous relationships with Porsche mechanics because I've only had this car for 5k miles. Though I know one or two good Mercedes mechs. Thanks! - X

I have chatted with the Newport Beach folks on numerous ocassions. They seem quite straight up. Other than that, my experience is solely with Hoen down here in Carlsbad.

Newport Porsche sucks. I have had friends and I have horrible experiences with them. They scratched my car by hitting a sign on the side of it when it was 2 weeks old coming out of service. After scratching, the porter took off in my car right in front of me and tried to buff it out. I was obviously pissed. Not only that, they give you the run around there. My friends have had other bad exeperiences such as my friend being REJECTED for service for giving a bad score. Can you believe that? So you have to lie about your service experience to be servied at all? My opinion, I've been to Walter's Porsche in Riverside with Angie. They have been by fat the most knowledgeable and hassle free dealership compared to MOSt places I've been to. I know it is a drive, but the hassle free service is worth it.

Take it to Hergesheimer Motorsports in Lake Forest [phone removed]. www.hergesheimer.com The price will be the same as the dealer HOWEVER you get the tranny serviced plus additional preventative maintanance (mispell) AND they will give you a heads up on what to take it to the dealer for before the warrantee expires. Plus the place is freak'in cool. They also race two Porsche Cup cars. KRZ

great find KRZ