Bought my first Porsche 911, should I get a warranty?

Hello everyone, I bought a 1999 Porsche 911 C2 manual with 80,000 miles. I did a lot of research on the forums before I made the jump! I am definitely worried about engine failure.....(IMS, RMS, and sleeves slip) My Credit Union is offering me a warranty of 48,000 miles or 4 years for $4,500 and this would cover engine/drive train/suspension/etc. with a $100 deductible and not limit to how many claims can be made. Should I buy the extended warranty or should I just do the IMS retro fit kit from lnengineering? If I do the IMS kit from lnengineering should I not worry about engine failure? Thanks Moe

Welcome, Moe. Was a PPI (PrePurchase Inspection) done and what were the findings? You will get a 50/50 split on opinion re: warranties......"The warranty is only as good as the company making it" What does the warranty fine print (inclusions/exclusions, how long must you own car/mileage driven before a claim is made, etc.) stipulate?

Moe, kromdom is right, the warranty is what it is, not what the person selling it says it is. Read and more importantly, understand the inclusion/exclusion clauses. If you are not sure what it says/means, ask someone who will: your indy, P-DEALER, this forum, etc. Who is the provider? Do you plan on driving the mileage limit or run out the clock first? Would spending the money really contribute to more peace of mind? (think about that one for a day or two) Where are the pics

Hi guys the warranty company is Mercury Select Management Company, Inc and I checked them out with BBB and they have an A+ rating with them. As for the clauses of the contract I haven't seen anything that seems alarming but I think I will take it over to my local P-dealership and see if they catch anything funny. The only exclusions that I've seen in the warranty so far is the exhaust system, they don't cover the muffler or cats. The PPI came back clean and I didn't see any red flags which is why I decided to buy this car. I plan on driving this car for as long as I can, I am not the type of guy who lets his cars sit around (my 2001 M3 had 160k before I sold it). This will be my daily driver and I am really excited to experience the thrill of driving a P everyday.

Oh I am having the car detailed and I should get it back from the shop by this Saturday so I will post up pictures then.

Welcome aboard You are doing the right thing by checking with the dealer. At 80k miles a this 4 year warranty does not sound too bad of a cost, BUT make sure what its covered or not. Cheers

I didn't buy an extended warranty when I bought the C4S. I have never regretted that decision. When I bought the Cayenne, I bought an extended warranty from the Porsche dealer that extended my factory warranty to 8 years or 80,000 miles. It was about $3,400. I never used it once, and I'm now past 80,000 miles. I regret buying that one.

Quotes source post: 9103579

Warranties are a personal thing. I don't buy them and you don't buy them because we are at peace with the "chance". Some people are constant worriers, regardless of the numbers. Once bitten...

Talk to the dealer/service manager and see what his experience has been with that warranty company. Maybe ask some non Porsche service depts also.You'll find out quick if it's any good. Welcome !

If the warranty has no $$$ limits (so they would replace your engine in the event of a failure) and every aspect of the fine print you can accept, being that the car is an early one (99) I would seriously consider the warranty. 80k miles is a testament to the drivetrain thus far but, if you want another 80k out of it without any large "hiccups" I would buy the warranty. Did it come with a service history? If not, find out how old the water pump is. If it is orginal, REPLACE IT NOW!!! Good luck

I'm currently considering purchasing a 2003 C4S with 60K miles and am also debating a warranty. Does anyone have a recommendation on a warranty company and the length of warranty (miles vs. years)? What should this cost? I don't mean to hijack this thread but thought this question was on-topic.

Carefully read the warranty, in particular look for coverage of gaskets and seals. Most require a seperate rider to cover these very common to Porsche problems.

Just a guess, but it appears this warranty would cost between 20-30% of the current value of the car. Probably not worth it IMO as long as you keep up on your maintenance. Just remember its a 13 yr old car and wear items will need replacing

In my mind, even with 80k miles, the LN Engineering IMS replacement bearing is a must (or at a minimum the IMS Guardian). A warranty is less than must. If you are on the original clutch it probably needs replacement soon. A good time to do the bearing too. The potential big ticket items on a 996 other than IMS: clutch - wear item not covered by warranty catalytic converters - probably covered RMS leak - probably covered (depending on seals and gaskets wording) coil pack related problems and leaks - probably covered general oil leaks - probably covered window regulator failure - probably covered regular maintenance - not covered (what did I miss?) You could do most of the covered work on that list for $4500 (except the cats, which are not cheap but don't fail much)

I would add Transmission - the pinion bearing can be an issue Variocam solenoids AOS Cracked head / intermix Expansion tank

If EasyCare is still offering the TotalCare warranty on the 996, I would highly recommend it. I got my warranty out of fear of catastrophic failure, which to date has not happened.. ...but the warranty paid for itself 100% for other seemingly simple but expensive jobs (alternater, AOS, coolant overflow tank, coil packs). I still have 1 year and 25k miles left.

My wife woke me up at 3AM the morning after I bought my 03. She said we have to go back and buy the 2 year 24000 mile warranty $2725 (no negotiation they new she wanted it) CareGard I think. I had turned it down 12 hours earlier. IMHO it's a question of peace of mind. If it makes you feel better and you can swing it... buy it. I just finished ironing her pants also.

An engine rebuild can be quite costly as Ive found out. On a car with 80,000 miles I think it would be a good investment. I wish I bought one. Too late now....

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I think you still wear the pants. She just tells you which pair to wear.

I'm a big fan of extended warranties because every one I've had has paid me back at least its cost, and in many cases more, even double. That said, all my warranties have been "exclusionary" meaning there's a short list of non-covered items, and everything else is covered. I doubt anyone is selling that kind of warranty on a '99. The "named item" warranties cover only what is named. Look at the list, and if Intermediate Shaft isn't listed (and I bet it isn't) then you could be SOL if it blows up. It'll come down to an argument as to whether the IMS is covered under "all internally lubricated parts, bearings etc.", as the IMS bearing is NOT lubricated by the oil system. Bottom-line, read the fine print before you buy.

I just finished ironing her pants also This comment made me lol literally!!

Bought my MY03 Cab with 48k Miles back in August. Purchased an extended warranty (36k miles or 36 months) for $3,000. Had PPI prior to buying. So far, I have: Replaced a window regulator, e brake sensor (top would not work), camshaft adjustment all totalling just under $1500. So far, I am happy with the warranty purchase. READ the policy and note things like "all electric pumps and motors" which would exclude any hydrualic pumps. My warranty was also heavy on failure of any "lubricated part" which involved the engine and drivetrain which would cover IMS failure. I plan on keeping this car until the 3 years are up. Then...we'll see. How much value can you place on peace of mind?

I actually bought the extended warranty but now that I really love the 996 and wish to keep it for the long run, then I'd wish I had spent the $5k in preventive maintenance, new IMS, RMS, water pump, clutch, AOS, chain tensioner ect ect .. might cost a little more but this way your car should be golden for a long time. Of course there are still small things that can happen and peace of mind is... priceless