Boxster Purchase - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I'm having some trouble navigating this forum; I thought I already posted this, but apparently not. I'm considering buying a used Boxster but have some misgivings, having seen some things about the car being expensive to maintain and fairly unreliable. I currently have a 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata but have wanted a Boxster for some time. I do most of the maintenance and repairs on my MX-5 and a 2006 Chrysler Sebring convertible I've had since new that now has 277,000 plus miles on it to save money and because I enjoy it. So...is the Boxster an expensive car to own, is it reliable, and can a DYI guy do much of the maintenance and repair when needed himself? Any insight or suggestion from actual owners would be very much appreciated.

I've owned mine for 15yrs. Best car I've ever owned. There's squawk about the IMS bearing issue, so if I were to buy one again I would buy a new or used durametric scan tool and read the car's computer for overrevs, a clear sign of abuse, before purchasing. Not the best way to determine engine life, but it tells what's been going on.

With no formal car training and just YouTube videos and a few books, I got almost all of the maintenance done. The car is my weekend car so I was able to take my time. Initially, when I got it I was going through everything. It spent about 6 months on jack stands with me sourcing parts and going nice and easy. So yes, it's doable. Don't think that things will not break with that age. I am going on 3 years with the car and never left me stranded. I made some costly mistakes, but it's a joy to drive. I say get to those items before they get to you.

A Boxster is not necessarily more $ to maintain than any other car, nor are they unreliable. In 6 years my 986S that I tracked and Ax'd was extremely reliable. Other than tires and brakes from tracking, I replaced a water pump and alternator, both myself. Oil changes are an easy DIY. Sure a little more $ as it uses 9 quarts of oil, but if you get your oil at wallyworld, about $60-70 including filter. Are parts more than a Miata, yes. Harder to work on not really

I think the cost will depend greatly on deferred maintenance items. I was budgeting $4k for a clutch and ims on my “bargain Boxster” but that cash got quickly eaten by wheel bearings, water pump, SAI issues, suspension, brake work, lots of little things, and fluids. Are parts that pricy? No but, labor is if you don’t do it yourself. And working underneath on a mid engine is a pain with regular jack stands. But it’s great fun to drive. I would look at an $18k well sorted Boxster S over a a bargain $12-13k one unless you really like doing the work. If you’re patient you’ll find something great.

I bought my $5K 2000 986 with the understanding that lots of maintenance and repairs would probably soon be needed. The car had 154K on the clock, but it had been exceptionally well maintained, as attested by a thick folder of service receipts that came with it. Nevertheless, so far I've replaced the water pump and thermostat for $89, the EVAP system regeneration valve for $57, and the heater core for $109. I did all the work myself, because I'm cheap (and truth be told, I enjoy wrenching on my cars). So it all depends on whether you do your own work.

I heard the same as you when I purchased my first Box (2000S) in summer of 2007. I heard about $300 oil changes and $1,000 alternator replacements amongst other things. Turned out oil changes (DYI and easy) was about $85. The alternator? A $50 Bosch OEM voltage regulator solved that issue in the driveway. You get the idea.... I owned the car for 10 years and NEVER had an occasion to take the car to a mechanic. I did have access to a lift, which certainly made some of the tasks much easier. The car never broke. It never left me stranded. I owned the car from 75K miles to 134k miles. Everything still worked on the car the day I sold it. I'm by no means a mechanic but I found most maintenance items to be well thought out.

My 98' Boxster just turned 25 years old. I'm the second owner. I bought it when it was 4 yrs old and had 24,000 miles on the ODO. (5 speed manual) It now has 92,000 miles (only summer driving) on it and the only things I've done over those years are regular 5,000 mile oil changes (not 10,000), air filter changes, replaced the water pump, replaced the coolant expansion tank in the rear trunk and obviously a few tire changes. The car is in near perfect cosmetic condition inside and out.....and even though the "book value" is very very low (around $7,500 - $9,000) it's worth lots more to me for the fun I get from it on a beautiful summer, top down driving day. BTW.....my indy Porsche mechanic says that in all of the years they've worked on Boxsters he's only had ONE that suffered the IMS failure.....he says it should not be a concern. Buy a Boxster and have fun!

Depends. Are parts available still after so long out of production. Seems so. Is it possible to spend thousands on deferred maintenance? Yes. After I bought my second and after a thorough Pre-Purchase Inspection by a guy who had a pure Porsche shop and preped cars for racing, I spent several thousand having his shop bring it up to my standards. Now I agree my standards were darn high as I wanted to know the status of every fluid, rotor, pad, tire, alignment figure etc. And the number included a set of tires I was lucky enough to find as take-offs all fresh from the factory at a very upscale dealer...not something you could find today. Oh, and those prices were probably 18 years ago prices. But then I drove the car for 5+ darn near every day years with zero expense beyond oil and a new set of tires as a precaution. Buyer of my car got a great car with lots of records. Do I regret my expense. Not a bit. I drove it in a downpour in preference to a 4WD. Took it on 260+ mile trips, drove it to work, got nice remarks from kids waiting at the school bus stop, took it to Porsche meet and greets .... And when I moved and had 3 cars and didn't use it enough it was gone in 4 hours. I miss it.

I bought my 2004 “50 years of the 550 Spyder edition” Boxster S in 2015 with 25,000 miles on her. I have spent $20,000 on preventative maintenance. BUT, the car has been amazing and worth it. I had a 1993 Miata for 23 years as my only car. We just got back from a 5,200 mile drive from our Louisiana home to Rennsport Reunion 7 in Monterey and back. Car was perfect. I have spent a LOT of money on preventative maintenance. But, it was worth it To Me. My wife and I drove two laps at Laguna Seca, then the entire PCH from San Francisco to San Diego, and back to Louisiana What price do you put on that? I have the “IMS Solution” from Flat 6, now LN Engineering. New water pump every four years, replaced all the things that fail. I haven’t touched the suspension, but it needs replacing now. I got a big “clunk” on the Corkscrew at Lagun Seca. I have a vibration. I need to tackle the suspension. So, that more money. Priceless.

A car hit 80,000 miles on this trip.

About 5 years ago I sold my 2001 s2000 with 190k miles on it and bought a 2001 Boxster S with 45k miles. I bought it on craigslist from a dead guy's family (he was old), so I cannot be sure what all was done. Obvious was the wheels, intakes, an aftermarket front bumper with side marker delete, Cayman spoiler, and custom exhaust. It also came with the removable hardtop, which I highly recommend. He might have done the IMS or not, but to be honest, it's a rare enough occurrence that I would have taken that gamble and not done it either way. I replaced all the fluids and checked everything I could. Replaced the water pump that was working, but starting to seep a little. I put in a new double DIN touchscreen with backup camera, did more subtle black badging, and removed the secondary cats. I've been considering a short shift kit (I miss the S2000 shifter) but the reviews for shortshift kits seem mixed. Other than what I did above, the only issue I have had so far is the air/oil seperator. I am very happy with my decision. The Boxster is both faster and more solid. It also had 150k fewer miles and shows it. Car nerds were always more interested by the S2000 but regular people are far more excited by the Porsche. I get a lot of compliments, and have a lot of fun here on the backroads of Sonoma, California.