Engine/transmission failures - action time

I own a 1999 C2 996 Manual (3.4 engine) which was originally bought from an Official Porsche Centre in the UK and all services have been carried out by OPCs since. It has had an engine and transmission replaced already due to internal component failures. It has had the usual leaking RMS problems. Recently the car went in for its annual service. The car was fine when it left me and but after the service had been carried out and during the final road test I was told that it developed a major engine problem which has subsequently been diagnosed as a big end bearing failure which requires another engine replacement. The car is now out of warranty and I have been informed by PCGB that because of this and the age and mileage of the car, they will not cover the costs. They have offered to make a contribution, but I�m still facing a very big bill. There is plenty of information around on forums about the RMS oil leaks and engine failures due to liners cracking and bearings breaking up in 996s and Boxsters. Transmissions also seem to be a problem. Some owners have received 'goodwill' FOC replacements and others have been left to pick up the bill. Is this just a case of who shouts loudest or complains the most gets the goodwill and rest are left to find more money to pour into a car which has already depreciated more than any almost any other Porsche model in history? I do not want to be a cause of further depreciation but isn�t it about time something was done about this situation? If the number of failures occurring is a small percentage then it would be in Porsche�s interest to simply replace them FOC and keep their customers happy. If it is such a big issue that they don�t want to spend the money doing this, we all should be made aware. A few people in the past have tried to gather information, set up websites etc. to bring this out into the open but don�t seem to have got very far. I would like to do something not just to sort out my own situation but also to help all 996 and Boxster owners, past and present, receive fair treatment from Porsche. To start with I'd like to hear your stories, good and bad. So if you've suffered an engine or transmission failure with your 996 or Boxster, please let me know the VIN/chassis number, year, model and mileage when it happened, description of fault/failure and what the result was (warranty replacement, goodwill replacement, contribution or no help given). Please post here or e-mail me privately: [email removed] All personal information will be treated in the strictest confidence. No names or e-mail addresses will be released to anyone without the consent of the contributor. Please feel free to copy or e-mail this post to anyone you know who has had engine or transmission failures and help get the truth out in the open.

feel free to search the archives under my name.. your story sounds like mine.. I had 2 engine failures and a transmission failure (among many other problems) on my 99 in 1,100 miles. With everything that went wrong in the 1,100 miles since I bought it, I ended up spending about $47,000 in repair costs.. wasn't too happy about that situation... still have the porsche but haven't been around much, been enjoying my new sl55 too much :> I'm back! - Bob

Does anyone else have anything to contribute? I really need as much information as possible

Mr P....3 suggestions: 1. Do a search (you will find plenty of reading, especially regarding Bob's situation) 2. Do more than just come to this board to complain about the "little" compensation that PCGB has offered on a car WAY past its' warranty. The car is 7 years old (not sure how many miles it has) but PCGB has told you "based on age and mileage" they would only offer partial comp. Take it adn be glad. Are you even the original owner? Do you know how it was driven prior to you? If you answered No the the first question (original owner), then the you already know the answer to the follow up question. 3. Take this to PM or you are really gonna get responses you don't care to hear. One final thing, you are not going to get much sympathy here when you are saying things that you "want to get the truth out" and "isn�t it about time something was done about this situation". What is that? Sounds like bitterness and trying to get something for nothing. We are all (mostly) here b/c we love out cars and have a passion for them. You will learn quickly when researching past threads (especially Bob's) that threads like this are not going to garner much sympathy (especially when it is the first thread and the only reason you came here anyway). Everybody here though does feel bad for the situation you are in but you just can't approach it the way you are. Best of luck to you though and hopefully all your car woes are solved.

I appreciate your comments. My post on this forum was intended to provoke discussion and gather information. I did not come here to complain or express bitterness. My complaint is directed towards Porsche and nobody else. I had reviewed previous threads, including Bob's, before posting this and just like every other forum on any other subject, I was expecting the usual mix of helpful comments, criticism and childish nonsense. I'm not looking for sympathy as that won't get my car back on the road. I too have a passion for cars and I loved my 996 until I learnt that instead of buying into the heritage that I have followed since I was a kid, I had actually been sucked into the great Porsche marketing machine and been sold a car which has the same Porsche badge and price but has lost the engineering excellence of the previous 911s. I had to wait many years and work very hard to buy my 911 and now I regret it. If I had bought a used 993 instead of one of the first 996s I wouldn't be writing this now and I would have the passion like you. Mr P

Mr P I have a 986 and 996 and have had no major failures with either car. 986 has 105k 996 48k miles. I also have a 968 that has eaten huge holes in my wallet for repairs. The 968 has a very good reputation as a reliable car, but the one I have just seems to break more often than most. Maybe it was built on friday, who knows? Having said that, I would very much like to know the answers you are seeking. What percentage of these engines have failed, how many were repaired under warranty, paid for by Porsche after warranty, and no help at all. I would like to know if this has contributed to the depreciation of these cars, and whether or not Porsche is no longer the company it once was. Driving my 986/996 leads me to believe the car is very well engineered, and I love them both for their sameness and differences. I have had many Porsches over the years and had only one that I felt was more troublesome than average, and that may not be entirely true. I could have been duped by the paperwork I received from the PO when I bought the car, which showed a very well cared for, maintenance oriented owner who did everything that was needed even before it was necessary. All of the things that were replaced according to that paperwork have since been replaced again in less than 5k miles. I sympathized with Bob when he was going through his trials and tribulations and I sympathize with you. I just don't know if the cars are inherently not as well made, or if there are just a small percentage of them experiencing failures as most other models have done. Every 911 model has had its' cross to bear. Tensioner failure in an SC could be catastrophic, but they are now considered to be one of the most reliable 911s ever. Who knows what the reputation of the 996 willl be in 25 years. I don't believe Porsche will divulge any engine replacement information, but time will ultimately tell the tale. There are a lot on 996s on the road. If 80% of them are still running in 2025, some with 250k miles and no major failures, then it may well replace the SC of todays market. If it does not, Porsche won't be sellling many cars in 2025. I'm betting they will be. Good luck to you and sorry you are one of the unfortunates. I do agree with LVDell on one account....take their offer, get your engine replaced and enjoy it. I take exception to the comment "are you even the original owner" I don't see that it makes one whit of difference, although from your comment it appears you are the original owner. I have never bought a new Porsche. Way too much money for a single car and I have never felt I had to take the initial hit of depreciation when I expect the car to last a lifetime, but to each his own.

My point about asking him "was he the original owner" was clarified by the follow-up of there was NO WAY to know how it was taken care of a priori IF he wasn't the original owner (it wasn't to belittle that he bought used vice new). Documentation is a start but not the whole enchilada. The latest issue of excellence talks about how strong the 996 motor is and how reliable it is compared to all the 911 engines of the past. Catastrophic failures are few and far between. And the numbers you would like to know will NEVER be given out by PAG. My reply was very honest and very sypathetic as well. But he even said in his post that we wanted to "get the truth out". What truth? That the 996 is a great car and that it is very easy to work on and maintain. As well as a very reliable car? Please. And for the his lame comment of "If I had bought a used 993 instead of one of the first 996s I wouldn't be writing this now and I would have the passion like you" well that is just hindsight bias bitterness becasue he got a rare bad one. There is NO WAY to predict if the 993 would have been any different (better or worse). yes there are a few bad ones out there and it appears that this guy (and Bob too) got the ones "made on Friday". I feel really bad for him but will not make any excuses. I sincerely hope he gets his situation remedied and would love to hear that PCGB stepped up and helped out.....but very unlikely on a car the is over 7 years old and "X" many miles. Come on. Do you really think the auto manufacturers should be covering the repair bills that far out?

This promises to be another long and protracted thread, with nothing but opinions and personal anecdotal stories that may or may not be true. One poster in the past got a website going for P car owners to report their problems. I believe he was from UK, too. Haven't heard anything else from him, though. Maybe nothing to report? Phish, you are making a common mistake researchers make. You've made a conclusion before your facts are in. If the facts agree with you, you publish it. If they don't, you skew it so it sorta agrees with you, then publish it. Rarely do these kind of researchers actually publish the truth. Best of luck on your crusade. I really do hope you find the truth. If the truth is the same as your assumption now, then let us know the facts. Facts are all about numbers. Real numbers, complete numbers. Not stories told to willing ears. If the truth does not support your assumption, are you going to accept that you got a P-car that was either abused or is now old, and let us know about it?