new engine for 02 cab

I need some advice, I was backing out of my garage on Saturday, and my car made a horrible noise and then died. I had it towed in today, and my dealer said it was a bolt that broke off the crankshaft, and basically the engine is shot. A new engine is completly covered under warranty. I am also trying to sell it. Will this be a big minus for resale, because of a new engine, or a plus because it is a new engine, or not matter? Any advice would be appeciated. Thanks......

I had the engine go on my '02 coupe the same way yours did and after many phone calls and letters, the dealer replaced the car (the new car had more equipment and I paid for it). They engine had 4400 miles on it at the time. They originally offered to replace the engine, but I had the same concerns about resale as you and would not accept the new engine. Good luck

Yea, I dont know what to do, all I got was a message, saying it needs a new engine, we have one in stock, your old one is already out, and the new one should be in by tomorrow afternoon. Once I go pick up my car am I stuck with it? Was you replacement an '02, I dont expect they would replace my '02 with 11k miles for a new '03 or '04.

doesnt sound like you have much choice at this point. The dealer having a complete engine in-stock says alot to me about the all-to common failure mode. Any serious buyer should by now be aware of replacement engines in the 996's, and should be happy as this engine should be the latest spec.

Same thing happened to my 2002 C2 Cab. They offered a rebuilt engine, but I insisted on a new one (and I got it). Search the site for 2 threads that I have on it, but here's a clip: "Here's the update to the thread on my 2002 C2 Cab's engine replacement after it had started making "bicycle bell" ringing noises upon startup one day. The car had 10,000 miles on it. It turns out that the crankshaft pulley guide pin had broken off, and the noise was the pully moving erraticaly. PNA had authorized a replacement rebuilt engine under warranty, but ultimately approved a brand new replacement engine which had to be flown over from Germany. "

I don't know if you're getting a NEW engine or a factory REBUILT engine from Porsche. I wonder...if it is in fact a re-built engine, would the original engine number be the same, or would it carry a new factory engine number????????

This is absolutely awful and it gets me MAD We should all make a stand to ensure we are all covered. You don't expect to go out and by an $80k car and then have to live with the notion that the engine or gearbox could blow up at any moment. It's got that way I take my car out and I am so pre-occupied listening and waiting for somthing to go bang that I am forgetting all about that "driving experience". It's got so bad I literally don't enjoy driving this car anymore and I am frightened to take it out the garage! It's all very well your dealer replacing the engine under warranty but what happens when you run out of warranty and it then happens. You've all heard me say it before: my cars done 30k. Had it from new. Just had the RMS done 6 weeks back. Now its gone again. And to top it off the gearbox is hosed too. Car's just out of warranty and Porsche UK won't fix the problems gratis. I have to pay for them. It wouldn;'t be half as bad if Porsche would honour their custromers but its not Porsche that makes the stand. It's the country dealership. But you would expect better quality and reliability from these cars for what they cost us. Hearing now about engines failing prety much makes up my mind which has been to sell or not to sell. It seems absolutely crazy to hang on to this car....waiting for the engine to blow up next. Would I buy another? Not for all the tea in china. Anyone contemplating buying one of these cars needs to be made aware that they are a time bomb waiting to go off. It's not just my car. I am seeing on a daily basis lots of other 996 owners posting the same problems. Iv'e said it before and I will say it again and again and I will keep bugging everyone about it until Porsche AG do something it. They are rennlist sponsors so they surely must read our postings. So Porsche AG, what are you going to do about us loyal Pcar customers? I warn you all...start putting away some serious cash if you intend to keep your 996 after warranty. You have got some big time bills to pay when your RMS, gerabox and now engine blow up. You can all say what you like regarding reliability, but when it's your turn to dish out, then come tell me how you love this car. I just wonder having seen all these horrible stories how many of you 996 owners out there out of warranty feel about taking your car out for a spin. Maybe its another poll idea I might post. Are you comfortable taking your car out knowing what could happen to it? I mean, just back it out the garage door can potentially blow your engine up!!! Now will you all please go vote (if your eligible) on this thread and give us some support! https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...threadid=98554

This is exactally why I just sold my c4 cab. The warranty runs out in January and I wasn't interested in an after market warranty. For all of us who dreamed of Pcar ownership, this is an unforgiveable issue. I will wait till the 997 and maybe even the 998 to see if Porsche gets their act together. Untill then I'm staying away from Pcars. Even though I was lucky and had no real issues, too many people have have bad problems for me to keep mine after the warranty is over. Phattey..!!!

Well on that note... what is to say porsche latest spec 3.4 litre motors won't have the same problems if were seeing problems in the 2002+ 3.6 litre engines... for all those interested.... the new ACURA NSX (different body style) will be out soon... it looks like an exotic... the current one drives as well as a 911 (IMHO) and is dead reliable.. haven't heard about any quality issues with these cars... none at all... blown motors (thats a 996 phenomenon...) C70 Coupe Silver 996/Boxster Red

Well I spoke to the service advisor again this afternoon. The engine was decscribed to me as a " 'new' engine with a 'remanufactured' part #, which may or may not have a reused block, but all other components are new." This sounds like a rebuilt engine to me. It makes me mad that from the time I talked to him at 11:30 AM Monday to 4:00 PM, he found the problem, contacted Porsche, had the old engine out and the "new" engine started to be put in. It sounds like they want to get me on my way before I realize what is going on. I also had a small paint bubble on the car forming, which I asked the dealer about and he is still "waiting to hear from porsche" about that. It seems they are very willing to replace an engine within a few hours, but a paint bubble takes several days? I am more angry at the dealer for doing this so quickly, without giving me a chance to figure out what to do. I am sure Porsche presures them to do it quick, hence to "extra engine in stock" but as a customer who has spent over $300,000 there in the last 5 years, (1 Porsche, 3 BMW's), I dont think I will be buying from them again. Also they tell me it will be covered only under the balance of the 4/50k Warranty, which means this new engine will only be covered for another 1 yr, 11 Months. Should I try to get the warranty for the engine to be for another 4 years staring now?

my buddies engine up here in Toronto blew and he is getting 2 years additional warranty on the motor.... I would ask for at least that. sounds like their replacement motors are "not that new"

Hey what dealer did your friend, go to to have his motor replaced, and who gave the extra 2 year warr, the dealer or Porsche them self. I am curious because i need to know where to take my car for service Thanks

The way to tell is the part number. If it has an X at the end of the part number, it a remanufactured engine. Jeff

I'm meeting up with my buddy late this week... when I have all the facts I will let you know... if I forget to post... please pm me.

Why do you guys keep scaring me with these horror stories! I just sold my absolutely reliable 993 C4S and am contemplating a 996 in the next year or so. These 996 stories are scaring the hell out of me! Maybe I should go back to the 993...at least the carbon buildup issues a minority of cars have won't blow an engine! When will Porsche get their act straight? Cayennes's will only get them so far. When the diehards start defecting then Porsche is in BIG trouble.

Well, maybe you should have read this forum before you sold your 993?

Maybe you feel the same way, Viken? Actually, I knew of the problems but it seemed like they were contained to the '99's and maybe '00 cars. Seeing problems on the '01's and even '02's makes me wonder if there is a serious underlying engineering issue. You've been around Porsche's for a while, Viken. Do you think the 996's will fall in to the same category as the mid-70's 2.7L 911's from a reputation standpoint?

No, I don't. Reputation? What reputation? Does Porsche have a reputation? Just kidding. LOL! I think the 996 is a fine automobile. It has had some teething problems just like every other 911 and other Porsche models. The only difference today is the fact that this type of stuff gets put on the Internet and thousands more are aware of them. Go ahead and continue your search for a 996 and be sure to get a good PPI done.

Valid points to keep in mind

Ditto! As someone comtemplating their first Porsche purchase, all this news about RMS and blown engines is starting to give me major second thoughts! Is there any source for real data on these problems??? I would love to know more precisely just how widespread these problems are?

Perhaps ignorance is bliss. I have made my mind up that I won't read anymore posts on the engine issues until I have a problem, if I have a problem, and then I'll come to it for ammo. I agree that it scares you to read these posts. Prostrate cancer also scares me and as a male, I probably have a better chance of getting that than blowing my engine. The reality is I can't worry about it and I refuse to quit driving, or any other fun stuff, worrying about the pending doom. That said, no one at Porsche should be content with building a car that is less reliable than a Chevy Cavalier when driven sensibly.

I don't understand all the uproar over this. Any other manufacturer would first tell you its your fault then tell you they'll just tear the engine down and re-build it...and lend you a 4 year old Kia for the 2 weeks it taes them. I had the internal flange bearing detonate on my 996 Targa after 1.5 months of ownership ( its was a previsously owned 15km car ) The guys at Pfaff couldn't have been nicer and more apologetic..they gave me a super Cayenne for the 7 days it took to fly in and install a new engine and slapped a RUF short shifter in as well. My feelings are that this is the best car I have ever owned and better service then anything I got or get at BMW, MB and Audi. A very small percentage of these things blow, the resale value is thus far intact as I got it valued for a trade in on a C4S ( no discount for new motor at all...). That being said I have never owned any car out of warranty and ave a reputation for not putting up with any **** from anyone ( Just ask the poor bastards @ MB Canada who sold me a total lemon ML430 a few years back) Could be worse, we could be complaining about our 92 Chevelles !! Anyway, no car engine is ever going to be perfect across the model..mine happened to blow, was fixed gratis plus and I am still happy every time I fire it up. Cheers

Guys I have to agree with this I am scared ****less at the thought of incurring a major repair bill for my cars so I keep them only as long as they are warranteed and then lose them like a bad habbit. I also lease b/c 1)lI am going to turn it in when i am done 2)cost less out of pocket 3)I flip cars pretty quick (3-5 years)...i get bored 4)road side assistance is covered for the life of both my leases I also used to think you were locked into a lease until the end....but I have found that there are ways to get out of it way early without going upsidedown on a new lease!

I wonder just how many problems these cars have? I agree with those who state that the internet is a great way to communicate, but in some cases over-communicate. If these cars have so many problems why would Porsche extend the warranty to 100,000 miles for $1,595? Why would third-party underwriters even touch them? If you want the car I think you should buy it and then deal with it one of two ways. Either get a car with a warranty or purchase a used vehicle for 50% of the original list and then be prepared to POSSIBLY face a 5-10K repair bill. My car stickered for around $110K and I paid $54K for a 27,000 mile vehicle with a clean history. If I have a problem I'll fight to get what I think is fair and then I'll deal with it, but I won't run scared. This might be rationalization, but hey, when you pay as much as we do for cars you have to be able to rationalize.

In regards to the extended warrantee that Porsche offers for $1,595 that Bobw stated, how does this work? As a current owner of a '99 C2 with 63k miles, can I take my car to my local dealer have it certified to 100k miles? A friend of mine who owns a BMW did this by selling his car back to BMW, paid for the certification, then bought the car back (without profit to the dealer) and now he's driving a CPO (Certified Pre-Own) car thats warranteed up to 100k or 2 years drivetrain warrantee. Has anyone done something like this with their P-cars? Thanks....

Charles The only problem you might encounter with your plan is sales tax. If the dealer sells the car back to you someone has to pay the sales tax. Bob

Well my saga with the car is over. It started when I put my car up for sale and the day after the engine broke. After I got the car with a new "remanufactured" engine back, which Porsche did not even extend the warranty for, I continued to try and sell it. I got about 2 dozen calls, two people actually came to look at it after hearing about the engine. The other 20 some callers wanted nothing to do with the car. I am so frustrated with Porsche and my dealership, I dont think I will ever buy a Porsche or go to them again. If I was a car manufacturer and I sold a $95,000+ car and the engine was shot after 11,000 miles, I would be so embarrassed about it, I would bend over backwards to try and rectify the problem. My car was in the shop for over a week, I was never even offered a loaner. My Service Manager said I was "lucky" that I got a "new" engine which I find out was "remanufactured", and legally Porsche or them don't owe me anything. So I am out of luck I guess, sold the car for the second offer I got (over a 6 week period). Maybe I need some time to cool off, but during this same time, I had computer problems in my $90,000 S500, another high-tech car that should not be having problems. The best car I currently have is my 2001 Chevy Tahoe, I have had it for 3 years and not a single problem. The day after I sold my Porsche, I bought an Escalade ESV, I can only hope its an dependable as its sibling Tahoe.

Sales tax.... right.... forgot about that. I guess it would probably be easier if I just started looking for a low mileage '02 thats certified. But just in case, I'll ask the local dealer if certifying my car was possible. I've grown attached to my '99 (even though I bought it pre-owned).

Unfortunatly, that's not true -- at least with the current NSX, where at 90k they rot on dealer lots given the price to performance ratio.

After reading this thread I am really bummed I had second thoughts about buying the M3 because of its engine problems, and was considering a new 996. Now it sounds like the 996 has its share of engine problems! Granted they sound like 2 totally different problems, but it doesnt matter. These engines should be super reliable for what we pay for the car. I remember reading horror stories some poor folk who had engine problems with the M3's back in 2001, which seemed to be the worst year especially the November production units. BMW claimed "user" error, and didnt actually fix the problem until late 2002. I hope Porsche and BMW can increase the reliability of their 6cyl engines!

The engine failed under warranty and they replaced it. Seems to me you now have a brand new engine in it, increasing the car's value. I just don't see a horror story there, nor do I see why they should be expected to replace the entire car. What was wrong with the rest of the car? If some future buyer gives you grief over having a newer, fresher engine, they are just using that as an excuse to see if you will lower the price. (Gee, I'm sorry the engine doesn't have more miles on it ...)

Or (Gee, I'm sorry the engine doesn't have more miles on it.... this means you had a new engine.....probably because its been beaten to death....so what could go wrong next I wonder?.....[running away very fast]....)

What Porsche should do is build much more reliable engines ... hmmm, ok, low compression, two valve, pushrod motors with no variable valve timing ... all parts beefed up and heavier ... and best of all, then we can run regular gas in them ... seriously though, I see no evidence that there is any systemic problem with their motors ... but if they'll give you a brand new car if some part in the motor fails, I'll take one ...

I'll go for that

I love my P-Car, but like all of you, am concerned about the longevity of the engine. I don't care if it is a high performance engine or a Honda Civic 4-banger, there is no excuse for the rear main seal issues that are all too prevalent on these cars. I am on my second P-car (2000 Boxster S-RMS fixed twice) and a newly purchased 2002 C4 Cab with 27K miles - (RMS just "fixed"). Porsche should acknowledge that they have an RMS problem and just flat out warranty this part of the engine for 100K miles - or some number as other manufacturers have done if a car has a problem that has become prevalent in their product. This should be done whether the car is under its original warranty or under a certified warranty-or out of its warranty period. Now that I have said that, has anyone considered contacting a product liability attorney to see if there is a cause of action against them for product defect? This would be a big step, but we all love our cars but don't want to spend a small fortune if the RMS goes and the car is out of warranty. Thoughts????

I will say that I bought an extended warranty for mine - a '99 cab I bought in May of 2003 with 17K miles. Not that I expect there to be trouble, but the cost of repairing high-end cars is so great that I felt it worthwhile. Certainly I agree that a problem like the RMS should be covered by the maker, a la BMW's problem with alusil and US high-sulfer gas in the mid-90's. They replaced numerous engines, and covered the cars for that specific problem well beyond the expiration of the original warranty. Fortunately my local dealer (Pioneer, San Diego, CA) has thus far done an outstanding job whenever I have had a warranty-related issue.

Or (Gee, I'm sorry the engine doesn't have more miles on it.... this means you had a new engine.....probably because its been beaten to death....so what could go wrong next I wonder?.....[running away very fast].... This seems more like it. Like I said, out of the 2 dozen+ calls about the car, only 2 actually wanted to see it after they found out about the engine. Not "I want extra money off because off the engine replacment". Just "Ok thanks anyway", or "Oh no that does not sound good, bye", etc. They wanted NOTHING to do with the car. True the fact that the engine has been replaced should make the car worth more for having a new one", But the perception on the engine problems were a BIG turnoff to almost everyone.