would you buy a 996 without a warranty

i bought a 3.2 without a ppi...it was stupid but i got lucky..i put about 5 grand into it the 1st year.There were things broke that I knew about,and then a major service,a bad alternator,a set of fuchs,well it adds up.I have been very lucky to get a great car.No leaks,no issues..I would like to add a 996 but can only afford a 99 or 00..i could sell my car and buy an 02 or 03 or a c4s,but I love my 3.2 and want to keep so..what do you think?Would it be crazy to buy an early 996 without a warranty? thanks,joey

I'd get a warranty if I was you. I only ever used mine once, but the first time I had to it paid for itself. These cars are expensive to drive and maintain, it's better to be safe than sorry. Just my 2 cents.

i got a warranty, but the provider got liquidated.....$2000 gone within 6 months!....I am winging it...if the P stops driving...I will use it as a drive way prop!

that was another ?...aftermarket warranty...do most of them stink..

I wouldnt get one wo warranty. I got lucky i bought a 03 cab that was a Porsche CPO car i got xtra 2 years up to 100k so with the warranty still on the car from the start i got almost 4 years 80 k miles. Does Porsche give extended warranties?

Yes, as I did so with my '99. Purchased from an individual, so no opportunity for CPO. What I saved (no reseller markup, no CPO fee) is probably close to paying for a replacement motor if necessary. I'll pass on the white collar gamblers (aftermarket "warranty" providers) thank you.

Yes as long as a very thorough PPI was done, all the service history was clear and a reputable body shop inspected it for repair and repaint. And finally, I'd also go with my gut feelings about the PO. BTW: I did buy my car privately which has 5 months of warranty left and then I'm flying solo. The best deals are the private ones and often you'll find cars that have been pampered way more than anything the dealer is selling. Just do your due diligence.

I bought mine without a PPI, without a warranty... Did a full service after I got it and my mechanic said I was VERY lucky.

I just bought an 02 without...but I also came from 16 years of 928's

I got my 02 C2 without warranty, the car was in perfect conditions and it had a brand new engine (with only 7k miles) the chassis had 30k miles.. PPI came clean but still I got a extended bumper to bumper warranty (Warranty Direct) now I sleep a lot better. I have only heard good things about warranty direct..

no warranty here..but the owner is a GOOD friend...and I know the car's history and he did a PPI for me anyway...

I think it's worth the risk to get a 996 without a warranty. I'd say think about finding a good tuning shop to take your car to instead of going to the dealership. I take my VW to a local shop that works on VW's, Audi's, Porsches, BMW's, and other high-end cars like Ferraris and Bentley's, and they are relatively cheap in the work they do, especially for repairs.

I bought a 2001 C4 with a CPO warranty 2yrs 10K miles later received a RMS under warranty.If I didn't have a warranty it would have cost $800. It was nice to have it covered, but if it wasn't it wouldn't have killed me.

you don't need no stinking warranty!!!

i looked on the warranty direct website,they DO NOT warranty 911s before 2002.rms i can handle,its engine failure would suck,but what are the chances?

I bought a 2002 C2...RMS done at purchase (14000 miles) car was certified at this purchase(october 2004). Had rms at approx 35000, 60,000 when i paid for new clutch but almost no labor because of the seal. Now at 70,000, getting a new transmission ($6000) from Porsche. Get to drive a cayenne for a few weeks. Also, thought the rms was leaking again, but just told it was actually Intermediate shaft seal. So even with a PPI, or buying from a reputable person, if you can not afford to pay for some major repairs, i would definitely get a CPO car. That being said, my car will now be out of warranty at 100K which for me is probably about a year from now. I am trying to decide now if I should plan on keeping it out of warranty. I probably will at this point assuming that no major engine issue come up. I use mine daily and was not in a position to risk crazy maintenance bills. However, mine car has been driveable always and would have not left me stranded, and i could have probably gotten another 30K miles out of the tranny. Again, the seals are not catastrophic, and can be fixed at convienent times as well. Clutches are expected, and you could probably wait on a leaking RMS until you need a clutch. Good Luck

No warranty here too ...

I just bought an '02. I got a warranty through Warranty Direct. I don't like surprise expenses and I didn't want my first Porsche experience to be tained by recurring repair costs. I bought private party and with the warranty on top I paid about what I would have at the dealer, but I have the added comfort that I was able to meet and size up the original owner, I know the car was well cared for. Who knows, maybe you are better off taking 10 grand and putting it into a money market account for repairs. It's just a decision you have to make on your own and be comfortable with it. I'll tell you though the smile you will get from driving the Carrera will soften your worries. One more thing. After the first of the year, warranty direct will no longer offer bumper to bumper coverage on '02 911s. They will just offer the catistrophic coverage (ie, engine and transmission). Andy

thanks for everything guys..i may wait a bit..i love my 87 911 and want to keep it.i might wait till i have more money to do an 02 or newer..thanks,j

FYU warranty direct "major care" package (drivetrain only) only covers internal lubricated engine parts and transmission, that means, for example that the cooling system of the engine is not covered!, if your engine fails due to coolant mixing with with engine oil they will NOT cover the damage!! The "secure care plus" plan (the one I got) cover the whole car exept the clutch, brake pads, and navigation system. I would highly recomend getting the secure care, I just got it last week and now I am covered until Dec 2010. They only cover cars up to 4 years old.. that means that the car has to be at least an '03 to get fully covered. greg

Exactly what I did, and these guys have great Porsche credentials. I ended up spending the money on actually getting into the car and finding and fixing everything that needed it rather than on a warranty that wouldn't kick in until something actually broke. I'll admit that I'm not financially afraid of anything going wrong, and I'm lucky for that. But as far as sleeping well goes, I like the sleep I get knowing that someone who knows what he's doing has had his hands inside my engine. I prefer the feeling that I can count on the car over the feeling of knowing someone else will pay when it lets me down. Just another POV.

thankks greg..i thought that was the case..j

I did not buy a warranty when I bought higher mileage '99 C4 a few years back, here is why: Say you and a bunch of your smart friends were going to open a car warranty business. 1st you would study the repair history and cost for the cars you were going to warranty and figure a price for the warranty, then you might pad that a bit, then you would add in commissions for the dealers that sell your warranty, then you add in some to cover your expenses and payroll, then you would add some for profit. Rather than pay a warranty all the "then's" I would rather take the cost of the warranty, bank it, figure my expense (at least the stuff covered) will be less but have the reserve. If the worst most catastrophic thing happens (engine blows up) I probably will not be that far away from having the money myself to repair the car as compared to paying for a warranty.

Missmy993 hit it on the head. Statistically speaking, buying a warranty is a losing bet. The warranty company is a for-profit venture so they are always priced for them to win (on average). Think of a warranty as insurance, its main purpose is to avoid catastrophic loss, i.e. a MAJOR repair bill. If you can afford to 'self-insure' and are in a position that a big repair bill will not leave you in place where you are unable to fix the car (or need to liquidate college or retirement funds) go without it. Otherwise get the warranty and sleep better at night.

Nope, maybe a Nissan or Toyota product but Porsche never.

I agree. I'd have no problem buying a 996 (w/o warranty) after a thorough PPI.

Full PPI and talked to the mechanics themselves, went ahead without any warranty.

I bought my '00 C2 Cab in '05 with 27k miles and no warranty for a nice price. Knew the 1st owner who papered the car and was naive as I had 5 BMWs before with no issues at all. However a 911 is another car. The engines are so hard to reach and obviously very sensitive, so every even small repair cost so much time and therefore money. Put already pretty much money into repairs and mods (oil pipes, coolant, RMS together with clutch just to be safe, waterpump, ...) that I could have bought an '02 with warranty.

Personally I would not buy one without some amount of initial warranty. When I made my decision, I decided I was definitely getting a 3.6l. I was targeting 02' and 03' cars last year. If I went with an 03', most still had 1.5 years on the warranty. With an 02', I wanted on Certified. My 02' was one of the last from that year and sold in August of 02' so it is certified through 8/08. It is just that little extra safety. I also have a 79' 911 I bought used that has been a great car. I woudl not be as concerned with having a warranty on a 96-98' 993, a later 964 or any older 911 as I would be with an early 996 just because of some of the issues those cars may have.

I bought a '99 996 earlier this year from a Porsche dealer. They were able to certify it under Porsche's certified, pre-owned program. The car had 44K miles on it. Here's my experience with the warranty/repairs since I bought it (it now has 54K miles on it): cracked plastic coolant tank (not covered) and a problem with the cam chain tensioner (a $2,500 job that will be covered by the warranty when it goes in to the shop next week). It's always a crapshoot...you either take your chances without a warranty (and pay less for the car, one hopes) or you pay somewhat more for the car and are insulated from cataclysmic costs relating to the drivetrain.

Just another anecdote but three years ago I bought a 99C2 with 35,000 miles from an individual. As someone else said, really all you're gaining with a warranty is protection against catastrophic loss (ie, "Bob" type scenarios). The only thing I'd even consider buying a warranty for would be engine protection (cracked cylinder, etc) and I just don't think that's likely enough to justify the cost....and frankly the hassle if you have to actually make a claim. So far I've done okay, all the repairs are of the $500 variety and wouldn't be covered anyway. Bottom line is these are relatively expensive cars to own and maintain, know what you're getting into and what you're willing to deal with before you pick one up.

K996 made the point! A Porsche is a real sportscar like Ferrari and sportscars are expensive not only to buy! Problem is that early 996 get into the price range of other nice non sportscars so more an more people can afford a 911 and try fulfill their dream which might end in a nightmare. I don't think a lot of Ferrari owners complain about their even higher repair and maintenance cost; they just know what they get. Harold

Just got off the phone with WD and that advised no more coverage on 911's model year 2002 and earlier after 1/1/07. My search just turned from an 02 to an 03....I have to have some type of warranty.

they do. the best one is 456 auto tranny costs 55K replacement if ANYTHING wrong with it. nobody wants to repire it. not to mention those 12K valve job.

Trust me, they complain a lot about the cost of fixing their Ferrari, and their complaints are justified.

I bought a 996 without warranty and knew ahead of time that it needed about $3K in repair to bring it up to spec. That $3K job was done for $1.5K (buying smartly, i.e., not from the dealer) and proceeded to spend another $2K of "unexpected" failures (the evaporator just died yesterday). I got lucky in the sense that I can sell the car for what I paid for plus repairs, but I am getting tired of sinking money into the car. I am now thinking "what else can go wrong?!". If I were to do it again, I would have gotten a car that was in better shape to begin with, even if it was a tad more money (in my case, nearly $10K).

only with a compression and leak down.

I don't understand the need to have a warranty. If you're buying a car our of warranty, you're saving at least 50% off the purchase price of the car (usually 40-50 grand), and if you can't afford to run the car after that, then Porsche is not for you. If you have to have one, lease a new 997, or a BMW. Having often owned older cars, I accept that repairing them is a cost of doing business - I own the car, I control the mechanic and the terms of the repair, and I'm not about do drop several thousand dollars to protect myself against the miniscule chance of engine failure. I'd rather spend the money on rims anyway....

It goes strictly by selling date. The warranty is 4 years from the original date of sale. Keep in mind that CPO extends that 2 years. Locally, my Porsche dealerships have cars as old as 00' that are CPO. I fyou are not lookign at goign through a Porsche dealership, then you should look at an 03. When I was looking last year, I saw several early 02' that were already out of warranty. The one I bought was a late 02' that still had 8 months under original bumper to bumper + an additional 2 years CPO.

I'm with Nutbeem, except for the rims part! HA! I look at the cost of unexpected repairs as the cost of ownership since the car is nearly fully depreciated. I can take a $5K repair bill, its the huge cost of depreciation I cannot handle.

A thorough PPI and documented service history are the most important. If you know the car personally that's gravy. IMO extended warranties are just a bet with the house that you are going to have a catastrophic failure in the next 2-4 years. Unlikely if you find a well maintained car with a solid history. The warranty companies wanted $4K+ for an extended warranty on my car when it was coming off the factory warranty, my car had about 22K miles at the time. So I was essentially betting the car would have a major failure in the next 4 years ( as I would never hit 100K miles). I'm now into my fourth year without any extended warranty and no major problems, in fact had a clean 30K service this fall. So I guess it depends on the car.

hey guys, i started this thread and wanted to add that i am not a 1st time buyer..i have owned 4 p-cars..2 of which had warrantys(boxster s)..and i am glad cause they both had rms issues and other little things.i owned a 993 and now a 87 911..i have put 5k into my 3.2 in a year and its fine..but..what scares me about the 996 is how engines fail without any warning.(at least this is what i have read)..with the 3.2 you know when big engine work is coming..ie oil consumption..leading to a rebuild..and leakdown and compression tests..i am leaking no oil..and my consumption is good..i dont consider engine failure should be a maintainance issue..its a flaw in their design thats so common its hard to get a warranty(so i am told)..i dont mind spending money on cars(its a hobby)lol..but knowing that these engines are Far from perfect scares me..even with a ppi..i need a warranty..i have done a lot of reading about engines failing,and do not want a 9-12k bill for an engine cause porsche has made a mistake..i had so many issues with my bosxter s that with out a warrnaty i would have spent thousands..my 3.2 has been very reliable..5k for a:major service,brakes,rotors,sunroof fix,alternator,a set of fuchs(1000),wheel bearings..but no real surprises.. i would love to keep my car and add a 996 but i need a warranty....its tempting to buy a 99 cause they are so damn cheap..we will see..j

joey c, if you have to have warranty, (and i understand where u came from). you should really try to get CPO car. i have warranty from http://www.continentalwarranty.com/ Term: 47 month/49K additional miles. Deductible: $50 Features: towing, rental car, road- side assistance, seals & gaskets and full parts and labor replacement are included. Based on contract guidelines. Discounts: $2,798.00 Payments: One Payment. but i never used so i don't know how they pay out, but at least they still in business. i know warrantydirect has some reputation around, but their price simplyly too high. unless you think 996 engine has more than 33% chance of blown up. their price doesn't make sense.

plus, ive been back and forth on my second p car. 911 3.2/964/boxster. now i want another 996! same reason, their prices are the best!

hey guys ..if you need a new engine,is there a warranty on the new one?..j

Exactly. Warranty is nice but eventually you won't be able to own a 996 with a warranty. I have an 88 911 (no warranty) and wouldn't let go of it for the world. I do most of my own work though. When I wanted something more modern, I chose a 99 996 without a warranty. I've been very lucky so far but figure I could almost install another motor with the money I saved.

if you or your after market warranty pay for it. yes, engine has porsche warranty for 2 years. if paid by CPO, no addtional warranty.

will DEs void the warranty?