Bruce Anderson and the 996 update

I haven't posted on this site for sometime...it's become a little unexciting. I thought that I couldn't let this latest article in Excellence slip by. I cannot believe that the only complaint reported by Bruce in this update is the "check engine light". There have been NUMEROUS complaints about oil starvation, the damn clutch problem, the magical automatically lowering window, the faulty airseals along the windshields and windows, the airbag light staying on, etc.... It begins to become obvious that someone might be in PCNA's payroll that is reporting in this magazine.

I'm pretty new to the forum here so bear with me if I sound like a newbie for I am! Are those problems you are speaking of above pretty common in the 996 Porsche's or are they things that 'can' be problems for people like maybe every few cars have them or something like that? Did the older 993's and 993's TT cars have those types of problems also? (curious for later on I may be looking into getting a 993) Thanks in advance! Ted

The problems I described were more common with the 1998 and 1999 manufactured dates. I've heard of 2000 year cars that still had the problematic lights and leakages. I have a 996 put together in 1998. It is overall an extremely fun car to drive. I've taken the car to 3 DE's, and I'm inline for my 4th event. If I were you, I'd buy the latest 996 that you can afford; I think quality control has improved somewhat since the 1st 996 rolled of the assembly lines.

there's a lot of different opinions on when the 996s "got solid". in general, MY99 cars built in 1998 are regarded as the riskiest. some people say they did a lot of retooling of the line over the holidays in late 1998 and the MY99 cars built in 1999 were notably better. other people say any 996 built in 1998 or 1999 are problematic and it wasn't until the holidays 1999 that they did the retooling "right" on the line. there are PLENTY of people with 1998 and 1999 build date 996s that have had ZERO problems. remember, this is one of those things where you usually only hear from the people who've had problems. that said, i do agree with Arthur's suggestion to buy the latest model you can afford. if you are looking at a 1998 or 1999 build date pre-owned car, it's important to know what TSBs it's had done and find out if it's had any of the major engine problems that required an engine replacement. these are actually pretty good cars to get because PCNA apparently extends the warranties. good luck. doody.

Thanks for the replies guys! Now I know this is the 996 area of the forum, but what about the 993's regarding common known problems people have had? I have a liking towards the '96 and '97 993's and was wondering if they were known to have any major common problems like that of the first few years of the 996? I have two knowledgeable guys answering my questions here so I'm going to take the opp. to get answers for ya while I have both of you in the same thread! Thanks in advance guys! Ted

sorry, no clues on 993s. can't help you there. also remember, that the opinions you receive on these boards are sometimes worth as much as you paid for them ;-) make sure you back up all the crap that comes out of our keyboards here ;-). as mister forbes once put it "sometimes wrong but never uncertain". doody.

Ted, I own a 97 993 TT, and know several people with '96 and '97 993's. In general, the last 993 models have the reputation of being bullet-proof. I have 10k+ miles on mine, drive it every day since I bought it last year, and nothing ever goes wrong with the car. I replaced a sunroof seal when I first got it, but that's it. Robin

Ted I have a 993 cab bought new and a coupe bought used I guess I'm happy with the 993. They are pretty much bulletproof. The dealer mecvhanic said do not sell this car. But like any car there are a few problem areas - clutch slave cylinder and some of the windshields creak. Both are easily fixed. Also some of the wide-body cars, TT 4S and 2S, had a bad batch of rear windows that were prone to shattering. I've heard most of the common 996 problems have been resolved, and the body gets updated this fall. Both are gorgeous. tho each has its own character, both are a ball. So try driving one of each. Then buy the one that gives you the biggest grin. Good luck. Mike (in Chi)