Full warranty...........

If you purchased a 996 that looked clean and drove out well and came with full warranty for next 4 years, would you bother with a PPI? thanks RBC

What does the fine print say?

Yes - I would still do a PPI.

After market warranties have a questionable reputation in car guy circles. Claims often involve heated debates over what "normal wear and tear" means, in which the loser is invariably the customer. Let's face it: indy warranty companies make money selling policies, not paying claims. relinuca

Caveat emptor, yes PPI

Out of curiosity, who is the warranty through?

this is a Car max warranty.

This is the C4S Tip for sale? I would still get a PPI from a reputable Porsche mechanic. I can't imagine that Carmax has the wherewithal or expertise to do a proper inspection of a 996 before they put it up for sale on their lot. Even if the seller only did regularly scheduled maintenance, who knows what wear items are nearing the end of its useful lives. Knowing about those items will help to budget for the purchase and initial maintenance, if needed. The car does present well in coltswitch's ad though. Why not minimize any surprises? It could be the best $200 you've spent.

some warranties will not pay out on common issues for certain cars so make sure things like scored cylinders & IMS would be covered. I had a 3rd party warranty in my last car and was glad I did. head gasket popped at 135k km. 4500 bill covered with a 100 deductible

They don't cover maintenance items either. Brakes, for instance, are very expensive.

Quotes source post: 12491661

Really??? Carbon fiber maybe, but otherwise, it is an easy fairly low cost DIY I guess "very expensive" is relative Also as a general habit, a good dealer will replace brakes with less than 1/2 their life left before selling. Its a safety thing In any case, get a PPI before buying any Porsche

Price reimbursement or coverage aside, you also have to think about the time aspect. I personally wouldn't want to skip a PPI and get a false sense of security through a warranty, only to find out there could've been some obvious symptoms that a PPI could've uncovered. This while your car is in the shop for a few months while the shop plays tag with warranty company and figures out what they'll cover not to mention on waiting for parts and time slot to open up to do any major work potentially.

Most after market warranties are complete BS. Also, I'd never buy a Porsche from CarMax. I've read some demented things right here in this forum about people dumping their problems on CarMax when they were looking at engine replacement. Careful!

Quotes source post: 12491661

if you get the dealer to do it, yes.

Quotes source post: 12491782

Since the car "came" with a 4 year warranty, I assume that the OP purchased the warranty from CarMax. I would also assume that someone who purchased an aftermarket warranty would also be someone who would not usually DIY their car. As stated, most aftermarket warranties do not cover maintenance items and I guarantee you that CarMax doesn't give a crap how good the brakes are. A $300 PPI could let you know what expensive maintenance items are forthcoming and this info could also help negotiate a better price for the car. 996: Cheap to Buy, Expensive to Own

Quotes source post: 12492163

Yes but based on reading someone with a used Range Rover with warranty from Carmax, seems like their warranty covers everything. YMMV But yes when JR introduced The Guardian alarm, he didn't realize it would really turn into a IXX Carmax trade-in alarm. It doesn't mean all the bad 996's end up at Carmax though.

Quotes source post: 12492288

Having sold cars for a little bit while I was between jobs, a good dealer will often replace the brakes on a used car, especially if they have a few pounds( $k) of profit in it. It is a safety issue that they want to cover their *** on. It does depend on how worn the brakes are. Yes, brakes are a maintenance item and unless it is a true bumper to bumper warranty, they are probably not included like tires, wiper blades and light bulbs Spending a few $100 on a PPI is a good idea. If you can use the results to negotiate with CarMax, well that may not happen as they generally do not negotiate. All you can do is wait until the car ages on their lot to 30 or 45 or 60 days as the generally reduce the price if it has not sold at those birthdays and after 60 it often will go to auction

I would still get a PPI but if you're doing it to find some peace of mind on the IMSB, just know that even a PPI won't catch an IMSB that's nearing end of life. Also, double check with CarMax whether things like the IMSB would be covered under their warranty. -Eric

Quotes source post: 12492480

+996. In fact in this day and age, I would be more hesitant on buying a car that has had IMS retrofit because you don't know if it was prequalified or how late in the game it was changed out(before or after it started shedding metal). Owners or sellers could easily do a fresh oil change before you come to see it and you would never know the true state until you drove it a few thousand miles potentially to discover any metal fragments. And generally warranty will only cover things that are actually broken. Engines that shed metal but still runs might not be considered to be broken by many. Bottom line is I feel potential buyers get a false sense of security these days just by buying a car that has had a IMS retrofit. This doesn't guarantee anything imo. The only PPI worth a damn when it comes to the state of any major engine issues unfortunately are the invasive ones costing a few hundred and only done by certain shops willing to do those. my $.02

Quotes source post: 12492471

I saw that & was thinking the same thing.

Car max has a pretty sweet warranty reputation. Obv read it closely.

Doug DeMuro swears by Carmax warranties. http://dougdemuro.kinja.com/why-your...m-ca-814250605 I'd do a PPI simply because of the hassle factor: even if CarMax covers a destroyed engine, there's the hassle of getting the work done. Carmax is a no haggle place and will be priced higher than other used cars.

Car max is supposed to have a pretty good warranty program. I'd still do a PPI as they are relatively inexpensive.

I sale houses, sometimes new ones. Many of the new homes come with a warranty and the resales, the seller usually buys the new buyer a home owners policy. Guess what? New or old, I always recommend a home inspection. You'd be surprised even with a new house what you may find. Same goes when I purchase a car new or used. Negotiating to buy a new car not long ago, I saw the new car had the wrong tires and the air filter was missing! Beware, no PPI could and would possibly bite you in the rear. I even did a background check with credit report on my daughters fiance' ...... lol

thanks for all the replies. I am now certain I will do PPI. RBC

Most warranty companies are horrible. We won't even accept jobs if a warranty company is paying the tab. That said, the one and ONLY warranty company that we work with, is LaSalle Warranty. We do 100% of all their Porsche engine claim work. In the past year they have paid for two complete engine repairs, no questions asked, and no BS. They paid the shipping and even made a claim good for 20k on a vehicle that faiked before the owner ever made it home. He purchased the car and the warranty from a dealer and the payment for the warranty to LaSalle, from the dealership hadn't even been received before the engine failed. They even made that good.. The owner also operates the business, and not some polyester suit wearing, cubicle sitting puke, that gets paid via reverse commission. I won't even talk to those people. BUT LaSalle will not cover vehicles older than 10 years. They do cover IMSB failures, no questions asked.

That's great info Thanks Jake

You came to the right decision. (Always, always do a PPI. It's a low cost way to get some peace of mind.)

Comments deleted - looks like OP has already decided.

Quotes source post: 12491210

I didn't get a PPI on my car, and the only PPI that would be worth anything is one that drops the pan and checks for scoring. Other than that most of the items they check can also be looked at on a test drive.

Quotes source post: 12494227

^He said "PUKE"^ LOL ! I don't think I've heard that term applied to a person since Cheech & Chong (back in the '70's I suppose)!!! I still love it though

Pre Purchase Inspection? 100% YES! That full warranty won't be anywhere near as full as you think. The PPI is what $150 - $225 max. I paid $190 for a PPI and they looked over every inch of the car, took paint depth readings, etc. Best $190 bucks ever spent on a car. Porsche 911s are expensive to maintain, that's a fact, no point in trying to cut corners on a vehicle where cutting corners always costs you triple or quadruple in the end.

Quotes source post: 12509454

x2 As I've stated previously, most PPI's are like home inspections. They can only go by what they see. You don't see too many home inspectors tearing into Drywall to inspect the pipes behind the walls or the building structure.

Quotes source post: 12509641

+3 Actually, home inspection can be a lot more invasive than a PPI on a car. In CA where most homes are raised foundation, they can easily check the plumbing. What chiamac mentioned is simply not done in any PPI. If you're knowledgable in cars, all you need is a pair of good ears, a good feel, and a good flashlight. You can check most things a mechanic will check. If you can put the car on a lift, even better.