buying a warranty

Hi all, have just purchased a silver 2001 996 Carrera 4 S Tiptronic fantastic to drive and a stunner to look at and still grinning at the thought that I'll be driving it again and again! I was just wondering if it's worth buying a warranty and if so which is the best one to get? Thanks in advance :?

Maybe, maybe not. A new engine is about 9k fitted and a new gearbox is about 4k fitted. They are really your only high ticket items. Other things that go frequently are the front rads - but these aren't hugely expensive. You only have 1 year left to get an OPC one, actually your car might be too old to qualify now (there's also a mileage limit of 120k). You only can get an OPC warranty if the car in its entirety is OEM and it also needs N-rated tyres. It needs to pass a 111 point check and everything they flag up needs to be fixed before they issue you a warranty (cost of £1500 for the year). Alternative is Warranty Wise, which I've heard good and bad things about. Or, if you bought your car from a decent Indy, then they have their own schemes as well. eg. RSJ and Hartech. Hartech will also provide a warranty, even if the car wasn't bought from them, irrespective of age/mileage etc. This probably represents the best value for money, but has three things to watch out for: 1. They're based in Bolton (so not ideal if you're based in the South, like me) 2. Their warranty is only for labour, so you have to pay for the part (but, they typically repair engines and drop links etc, so are much cheaper than a new part) 3. The car will need a inspection by them first and you'll need to pay to put things right (eg. low disk / pads etc) - which is not a bad thing anyway But, also includes the cost of a service and wear/tear items, so is well worth it IMO.

That of course depends on a lot of things. How much of a risk taker are you? Have you got available cash to cover a nasty surprise? Warranty companies are out to make money, fact. So, statistically, you're paying more to the warranty company than you're likely to spend on repairs. If you've got the funds (and the balls) the financially sensible approach is to self-warranty (get a quote for a warranty, and instead of giving that money to a warranty company, put it in a savings account, and use it when you need it. With the 996 the big scare is engine problems. They're certainly less likely to happen than you'd believe from reading various posts on the web. However, *if* it were to happen - would you be able to easily lay your hands on up to £8k? Based on that, I decided to go down the route of getting cover from a local independant. I pay Hartech a touch over £60 a month, and for that I get all of my service and MOT needs met, plus I get free labour on any work that needs doing. The peace of mind offered by this is £60 well spent. The only other thing worth mentioning is that there are many reports of people having to battle with their warrenty company just to get them to pay out. Each person, and each car is different. Only you can decide.

Not sure about OPC warranty but the one I looked at has a max single claim of 5k! putting a full engine rebuild in your (shaking) hands.

Thanks for the advice, something to dwell on.

Interesting thread this one. Like you I have just taken delivery of a silver C4S and can't stop grinning! I am always sceptical about buying warranties. My car has a 6 month warrant with it but I can't imagine it would cover the cost of a new engine... I hate the idea of paying £1500 per year for an OPC (have fitted a Becker navigation head unit anyway). I have also heard mixed things about warrantywise... I like the idea of the Hartech cover but already have a good relationship with my current Indy (RPM (next door to Gmund) in North Yorks... These guys inspected for me before purchasing. Mine has just had a 48k service, new front discs, new pads all round, new Conti N rated tyres all round, 4wd geo and the leather has all been professionally refurbished... Suspension is great so the only reason I would warranty is engine/tiptronic (which are reliable anyway) Big dilemma! :?:

I don't know about you but I'm sort of grinning inwardly so I don't look like a smug git if you know what I mean, it ticks all the boxes the flowing design of the body is absolutely beautiful, the power and sound of the engine is stunning, the well designed leather interior with just enough room for a not to large couple in the back or loads of luggage space is a real bonus. At the moment It feels like someone's given me the best present ever!

Yup! :thumbs:

I got a turbo last May and had the same dilemna. Should I, shouldn't I? In the end I decided to take my chances as the big issues are generally the engine and the consensus seems to be that the turbo engines are pretty strong (here we go, jinxed now!!!). So far I have had to pay out for a new oil pressure sender, new turbo actuator and may possibly need a new front centre rad which I can fit myself. I 'may' need some new coffin arms on the front but still investigating that and I will be changing the heat shields at some point. And, yes, the car was PPI and got a clean bill of health from two known Indys before and after I bought it so all these things have developed since then. If I had a warranty (non Porsche due to aftermarket items on car) I think they would be fighting over the sender (intermittant), coffin arms and heat shields. They might possibly fight me over the rad as it hasn't entirely failed yet (just a slight leak at times) and would probably pay out over the actuator. So for a lay out of over a grand I would have reclaimed about £400 so far with only a few months left on the warranty year. I could wait till the rad fails entirely but that would leave me at the side of the road and I don't want that to happen. So, you win some, you lose some. I decided to take my chances.

Nah - just do it £1300 - peace of mind I have 996 turbo - and bought it with a few months remaining of OPC warranty. Renewed it after a 111 point inspection - (under warranty) - 2 new rads. The following year - some seals, this year - just - centre rad, condenser and a few other bits including a buzzy speaker. Its 8 years old for goodness sake. Which other manufacturer would offer such a comprehensive warranty on a car this old.

Hello, When my warranty runs out, (6 months from the dealer i bought it from) I will be putting on an OPC warranty. So far 5 months on, the car has had over £10k spent on it. OK the first £5k odd was spent getting it ready, oil leak, rims, PU etc. But then another £1k on another small oil leak, another £1k fixing a steering issue, another £1k on a broken casting in the cooling system, and one front rad has just gone.... Luckly the dealer has been great, I'm sure most would have said get stuffed!! For the sake of £1200 it's cheap for the peice of mind. Yes it was 111pt before I bought it. I've been a little unlucky :sad: Can I ask how other people have got on with the OPC warranty? I hear to many horror tales about 3rd party warranties not paying out. So, to the original poster... It's personal choice, attitude to risk etc. I never buy warranty on white goods etc, but a 996tt. I just couldn't take the risk.