how many miles is too many?

I am in the market right now for another 911, and am considering a 996. I am wondering how many miles, is too many in terms of a used 996? Anything to keep an eye out for when looking? I have owned a few Carreras (84' coupe and 88' Targa, along with an 83' 911 Turbo), but the 996 cars are not something I know anything about. Thanks for the help.

You'll find lots of opinions on this one. Personally, I prefer a 996 with what might be considered higher miles. Many people feel that garage queens have more problems. I've got 113K miles on my 996 now and it still runs very well. I believe that high miles are not problematic for these cars if they are properly maintained. I'd look for a car with maintenance records that has been properly maintained over a low mileage car with no records.

my experience - i purchased a lower mileage (12k) '03, 15 months ago. just turned 35k on the way home tonight. all i have done is oil changes, and new rear tires for maint. i did have an exhaust tip bracket that broke. otherwise quite happy.

I purchased mine with 102K on the clock and after doing some minor repairs and upgrades, I now have 122K in less then 2 years. It is running great, and I've only had to do oil changes I'm not sure if there are too many miles; however, the amount of miles on a car for sale should be reflected in the price

That last mile after the engine blows up is 1 mile too many

I agree that these cars need to be driven, and less sometimes is not more with them. That being said I am worried about purchasing a 99' or 00' with 120K on the clock...

Depends on the quality of miles. 10k per year on a car that is driven primarily an the freeway and well maintained is not too many. Too few miles is a big concern. 12k on a 10 year old car, I would say could be a concern. All motors are happier if they are driven. Cars that sit are a recipe for problems.

My 2002 996 (my 5th) is about to turn 172k miles. I did a partial rebuild on the engine but it's never had a catastrophic failure. It drives very well and feels fresh. I say that with conviction as I've driven dozens of these over the years. I do want to get a more capable car but it's relatively cheap running costs and reliability has had me staying with it for a while. I will probably get more aggressive about selling it soon.

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You pays your money and you takes your chances. At 120K miles, while this is a lot (relatively speaking) of miles if the car and engine check out as healthy then the car and engine have been treated rather well. It is unlikely one of these cars would obtain 120K miles if the car and especially if the engine was neglected or abused. 'course, miles related issues can start to appear. Thus even though the car checked out just fine there's some risk say a water pump could fail shortly after you buy the car. Unless the water pump is exhibiting signs of trouble during the used car check out you can't know how many miles are left on the thing. For instance the one on my 02 Boxster was fine right up until it started making noises at 172K miles. No warning. Quiet from the 1st day I drove the car (new) to the day at around 172K miles later the water pump was not quiet. The rather faint grumbling noise proved to be the early warning signs of a water pump going out. I did not delay but had the car flat bedded to a dealer and the water pump replaced. The fuel pump? Same, sort of. It worked just fine for over 200K miles then just moments after starting the engine the engine died. I hadn't backed the car halfway out of the parking space. I restarted the engine and it caught and fired maybe 3 or 4 times then died. That was the end of the fuel pump. Still, there is some risk. The engine might run another 120K miles or it might expire in the next mile. The odds are that the engine will not expire in the next mile. But you need to subject the car and the engine to a thorough test drive. Sincerely, Macster.

of course the obvious - records, drive, ppi

I'd get a 996.2 in the 60-80k range ... depends how many miles a year you plan to drive it ... I'm doing 5k .. so I figure in 5 years id get to 80-100k or so .. hopefully no major problems .. and then still some value when I sell it to trade to 997 .... or 981 .... If you start at 100k and do 10k /yr .. in 5 years you get to 150 and then drive until it dies ... could also be an option .. id just say higher chance of major issue and being stuck at side of road .. Id avoid a 996 under 50km .. because of higher chance Imo of ims issues and probably premium price ....

Seems like market out there for 996.2 with 50K miles is around $35-40k. This is where I was looking to purchase, but since this would be my first p-car. What is the possibility of the price decreasing on this on the release of the new model this year? Did the marketplace flood with more cars during last years release allowing the buyer to haggle the price down a bit?

Miles don't hurt the car at all. It's parking all day in the sun that takes a toll on most everything in short order. My wife's '99 Boxster still looks new and still has the new leather smell. The plastic rear window is still pliable and crystal clear. It's never parked in the sun longer than a few minutes to an hour. I have maintained the car since it was off warranty in '02. Hasn't been to a dealer sense nor had a problem. The '99 996 I had for 7 years looked nearly new with 61K miles when I sold it. Never parked all day in the sun and it showed. I've seen cars with less than 40K miles with cloudy headlights, hardened dried out leather, and cracked weathered rubber seals and trim. Too bad most owners don't think about the effects of UV and ozone until it's too late.

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I think you are about $10k high on that price estimate. The number you mention sounds more like the current value range for the 996TT. But it seems like the value of good, low-mileage 996s has leveled out from the big drops a few years back. However, as much as I might wish, they are not worth $40k. As for the 991 effect... it is hard to say now as the immediate impact will be more on 997 values. But since the 996 introduction the 911 is no longer a rare car. Porsche sells, and more importantly, leases a whole lot of them (relatively). It is availability that most directly impacts value.

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I would not do that unless that is your only way to get into a 996 & even then after a good PPI including compression & leakdown tests.

What do you want the car for... garage queen, track events, daily driver? For a non-dd Porsche that occasionally sees the track, a club run, or a road trip (I just described my own car), lower miles (say, less than 7-10k/yr) is probably a good bet. In terms of paint and interior the car is bound to be in better condition. But for a dd or track car, higher miles may not hurt. Note also that folks who argue the merits of higher mileage cars usually do their own maintenance. In the end, it is condition and regular maintenance that rule, not necessarily miles.

What about the dreaded IMS failure? There are several drivers that report mileage over 100K, but don't mention the IMS.

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Do a search, there are 100,000 posts on that topic.

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Not so.....got mine with 46000 and running great with almost 59000 14months later. I will say, getting an extended warranty on these used cars is a must.

As for the IMS I am not all to concerned about it. I understand the risk is there with any of these cars from 99'-05' and it can happen in the 06', 07' model years well. My concern with a higher mileage car is the typical wear items like shocks/struts, gaskets, clutch, water pump, etc.

It comes down to advice that has been provided many times before: Buy the newest, most well maintained 996 you can afford. You can buy a 99 with 120K on it but don't expect the car not to need anything. The somewhat suttle improvements made to the 02 - newer 996 (MKII) would make me take a MKII with higher mileage over a MkI with lower mileage. Every car you look at should be evaluted on it's own merrit and then compared to the other cars in your search.

people get soooooooo wrapped up on the "how many miles" thing. Its really a question that has no answer. It is really what ever makes it right in your mind, and thats what is important. Being from the US anything over 100K will be too much for you. why? because thats what dad, media, and all your peers pounded in to your head since you were old enough to listen and understand. No Im not being rude, but its true. Mileage is a state of mind and a stress point that I let go about 5 years ago when I bought my 928 that had 120K miles on it. I drove it to 170K before I sold it for my 109K mile 996. I didnt drive it becasue I didnt want to run up the miles.... After waking up one day and saying WTF????? after realizing I bought the damn thing to drive it, I mentally let go of the miles thing and I now drive the crap out of my 996. The only reason I know how many miles it has is becasue of oil changes, and insepction and tag re-new. It currently has 150-60K +/- on it. I cant wait to post when I hit 200K. Be proud of high miles. not ashamed of it.

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i honestly don't get why people buy awesome cars like a carrera and not drive it as much as they can. the machine is made to be driven, not looked at and preserved. what exactly are they preserving for? drive it and maintain it!

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It is my understanding from reading many threads, that the IMS failure usually occurs within the first 50K miles. One of the issues that I was concerned about with I bought my car was the high mileage. Just prior to purchasing my car, I was at a local car show and met a guy selling a really nice '99 C4 cab with 230K miles on the odo. Unbeliveable if you considered the condition of the car. After 30 plus years owning Porsches, I am convinced that preventative maintenance is the key to successful ownership

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+1000 - I live in Missouri where we have 107 in the summer, blinding rain & snow in the winter - the only two seasons we really have ... I plan on driven my c4 grocery getter year round. She is a liberated garage queen for certain w 37k on the clock. I don't think PO took any care of anything. But it's just shown me the ropes of working on my car sooner than I hoped for. The dealerships said "Never by a Carrera w more than 80k" this is jack opposite to what forums say. I'm going to do what I always do anyway - sooner than needed oil changes w the best oil I can find (Mobile 1 in my machbx's case) I am also getting a spin-on filter so I can filter 100% of the oil

Thanks for all the advice, and please keep it coming. Higher mileage has never really bothered me before (88' 911 had 120K when I bought, 84' 911 had 130K, and the 83' 911 turbo had 55K and it had the most issues from not being driven.) I was really wondering what people are seeing in their 996's in terms of miles and issues as I am till learning about these cars. I have a call in on an 01' C4 with 88K miles and I am looking forward to driving it.

I would think, all other things being equal, that the only reason to buy a high mileage car would be to save money. I would also think that the cost to recondition a high mileage car could easily exceed the amount of money saved. So the best decision is to buy the best car you can afford. That might be related to overall mileage, but no doubt also to condition and PPI results. Here endeth the lesson.

I have the odometer "hidden" in my C4S (somewhere around 98k right now, with ~2700 hours or so on the engine according to Durametric). I only care about mileage for maintenance scheduling purposes.

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Hopefully for people like us! I subrscribe to the I bought it to drive it mentality, but boy is it nice to have cars well cared for by PO's that were "preserved" to be driven fully at a later date, and for dimes on the dollar of the original purchase price. I am still in awe that I can drive one every single day year round.

Bought my 2002 C2 from Rennlist member. It had 157K with all records and lots of work done. Now after 8 months, it has 163K .It has needed NOTHING. Runs and looks new. I almost bought a '02 with 35K miles, no records, bought at Texas Auction. Happy I didn't. Miles don't mean much!

My 2000 996 has 137,000 miles on it - 100,000 of which have been driven by me in the last six years. For the most part, it has been very reliable. Yes, I do most of the easier maintenance on it, but that's mostly been oil/filter changes, brake pads and disks (SO easy), serpentine belt, air filter, etc. I've also taken care of engine mounts (easy), water pump (easy), belt tensioner bearings (easy), coil packs (easy), and the AOS (not so easy) myself. I had an alternator replaced early on, which I could have done myself (normal for any car). For the most part, this is the sort of stuff that ANY car will need with mileage and age, and is not indicative of the overall reliability of the car, especially considering that most of those items wore out somewhere around 100,000 miles or so. I had my first clutch replaced at 110,000 miles, and while my mechanic was in there, I had him change out the IMS for the LN Engineering version, along with an upgraded RMS. Normal stuff. The car still runs super strong, is tight as a drum, no squeaks, everything works normally, and there's not a whiff of smoke ever. It gets great mileage - especially for a twelve year old, 300 HP sports car, and has never had any smog test issues. My car is paid for and I plan to drive it for at least another five or six years as my daily driver.

Sold my 02 with 86,000 and a IMD detection kit. Always great oil analysis and it was a great car(regret selling it).

I had been in the market for a Maserati Coupe because re-sale value sucks and I dreamed of buying at the bottom of the curve, but every once in a while I would check 996's hoping for a great deal (because they do hold resale value since it's a much more reliable and lower cost of ownership car). A few weeks ago after almost pulling the trigger on an '04 Maserati Coupe (everything was perfect except the color combination), I decided to re-check 996's and found my steal: an '02 996 Cabriolet Tip with 27K miles, very well maintained and nicely optioned (optional hard top, premium wheels, side skirts, radar detector and jammer that already delivered value ;-). KBB on this car is about $36K and I got it for under $30K. I have been looking for two years because I did not need the car. I wanted a car. So I'd say have patience, be diligent in your search and then pounce when you find "the" car. There were a couple of other '02's with similar mileage, thought not as well optioned, that I was monitoring that sold for $35K-$37K.

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Throttle, Wierd, I too was looking for a Maserati Coupe before finding my 996. I found that all the Mazis in my price range were abused. Also, aftermarket support is almost non existant. (Oil filters must be imported). Porsche is the superior car and a better choice.