'99 996

Looking at this particular year/model as an everyday driver. My big question is reliability. seen the articles on the RMS issue/blown motors, etc. Is it overblown or are they genuine, real world concerns? Should I look at the Porsche certified cars only so I get the benefit of the long term warranty? Ever since the 997 has been talked about/released, there are some nice deals out there on the older 996s..... Thanks!

Here's a list of things that could go wrong. Cracked coolant tank, Key jams in the ignition switch, MAS Air sensor tends to go out around 30k and immobilizer control units, Airbag warning light/sensor harness issues, RMS issues, Low radiator hose issue (get a plate), Rear glass seal issue, Sunroof cover rattle issues

All depends on the month it was built. Later 99 models are as reliable as any other 996 I've heard of. I've had mine for almost 2 years with no real issues (knock on wood). Seems like post-02s have more RMS isues, fewer little issues... could be just wishful thinking...

I have had my 99 Cab for only a few months and so far I have had the coolant tank replaced and a switch for the top. That's it. Oh and I do have a certified 2 year 100k warranty. The dealership treats me as if I bought a brand new one for $80k. I wouldn't have purchased a used Porsche of any kind without this POMG... Looks great in Guards Red with the 18's! Good Luck!

How does one fix the suroof cover rattle issue... it can get annoying at times...? Dealer told me bunch of bull****.... said "don't retract it all the way back" cheers Pete

Other than the air bag light fault which was fixed under warranty by replacing the seat belts, I have had no problems with my 99 c2. Driven 44,000 hard miles so far. I burn NO oil and leak even less. Original brakes, sparkplugs and clutch. Maybe I have been lucky, but the car is very dependable and I would buy another 99 today if I didn't own one. If you can get a warranty, I would do so for piece of mind. I haven't been under any warranty for 2 years.

My late 99 year model had 0 problems for 3 years now...

As another point of reference... A friend of mine recently traded in his 01 he had leased and said that it was the most reliable car he had ever owned (he's 52). He had 0 - Zero problems with it....

Other than my RMS issue (which Porsche fixed even though my car was out of warrenty) ZERO Problems...extremely reliable daily driver! I have had easily triple the number of issues from my Rover and Mercs, and the 330i Bimmer has been a miserable disappointmnet and failure!!!

I had a '99 C2 cab (Sept. '98 build) that was a daily daily driver in New York City. I had absolutely no serious problems with it for three years and 50k miles when I traded it in for an '02 cab.

i also have 99c2 /sept build date and it has been super reliable so far. i know i may have to replace the coolant tank in the future according to the dealer. no big deal.

my 4/99 build c2 needs its motor replaced at only 12,500 miles. the counter-shaft is broken. just my luck, but i'm taking the lemon and making lemonade: i'm having it replaced with a 3.6L X51 with custom tuning... gonna make a killer track car! have the car checked out by a qualified porsche mechanic and make sure you have full service histories. if it checks out, then you should be good.

My C2, that I mentioned above was built in March 1998. They don't come much earlier and I have had no problems.

have a june '98 built '99 coupe. bought it 3 years ago with 14k miles on it. 30k miles later i have had very few problems...No RMS, NO leaks at all....I have had a MAS Air sensor failure at 42k ($500) but other than that NO PROBLEMS....I love my '99. Runs great. Looks Great. Maintain the car and don't abuse it and you will have a great experience

I bought a CPO 99 cab in May, 10/98 build date, with 25k mi. 6 months and 8k mi later, only have done regular scheduled 30kmi maint of spark plugs and air filter. No oil leaks, has used 1/2 qt oil, no rattles, perfect. The CPO warranty was a must for me. I couldn't be more happy with the car.

My 99 C2 has been a reliable daily driver. I have only had two big problems. I have the ignition switch failed and I easily replaced it in about 15 minutes. The car still wouldn't start so I had it towed. The shop reset the computer with the PST2 to clear the DME immobolize code. One of two things happened; 1. I didn't leave the battery unhooked long enough to clear any faults caused by the bad switch; 2. I didn't wait lon enough after unhooking the battery to start replacing the switch (or possibly both). The switch cost about $6 from Pelican. I also had the oil separator fail at 92k miles. This resulted in massive amounts of smoke out of the tail pipes, not unlike a holed piston. This was expensive to fix due to labor but was a very cheap part (in more ways than one). The front rotors wore to below the allowable minimum thickness at 94k miles and still stopped very well, vibration free to the bitter end before I replaced them. I change the oil every 5k miles and never add any between changes. No RMS issues, but a little sweating around the variocam covers. Overall, the 996 is an economical daily driver compared to my previous 911. The 911SC was expensive to use as a daily driver compared to the 996 but was alot of fun to drive. The 911SC engine was bullet proof and the car had covered 200k miles when I sold the car. I saw the new owner last year the car was still going strong at 250k! I hope the 996 makes it to at least 150k

no problems here

You know.. after reading Bob's tale of the 996 dark side it's nice to read a few good stories..... I bought my Jan '99 build '99 C4 in Oct. '03 /w 29k on the odo... it now has 48k. In that time I've had a transmission replaced (that was the only "out of the ordinary" repair, an abs wheel sensor, and a seat belt buckle. Everything else has been regular maintenance. The trans was covered under my extended warranty - even if it handn't been, I've spent more in mods than repairs !!!! t

What are the good months for a 99?

What are the good months for a 99? So far MARCH 1998 was a great month.

Any month post June (July Forward) which is when the C4 with updates arrived and Porsche made most of the updates to the Carrera. July forward cars were easier to recognize because they had the updated (red+clear) tail lamps.

I would guess that the majority of 996 owners (in particular MY99) would be reluctant to make an unqualified recommendation to buy one without some sort of warranty unless you know the owner and the the car's entire history...even then a warranty will let you sleep better. On this board you will find people who've had zero issues and other that have had MY99 nightmares...and of course you have no way of knowing if the experiences here are a significant statistical sampling...so while you should definitely listen to others experiences, I don't think you can draw any definitive conclusion as to reliability, etc. I would consider buying a 996 someday for a daily driver but it would be a later model and also when prices have dropped further (I currently a 993 owner)....I'm a firm believer not buying an intro model year (one of my 993s was an intro year 94 model and it suffered from the known issues). I think the important thing for you to consider is why are you looking at this particular year - is it because the prices are tempting even though you can afford a more expensive car? Or is it because the prices have dropped enough so that they are at the upper end of your affordability range? If the latter I would strongly suggest that you wait until more recent MYs drop into your price range. Even if you get a car "cheap", proper maintenance and repairs on Porsches are pricey...and IMHO anytime you buy a used one you should set aside an additional $2-3K for unforseen repairs and expenses that may come up in the first year of ownership. Good luck on your search...getting off my soapbox now!

Thank you all. I currently have an 82 SC which I love but would like a daily driver-why limit myself to the fun only on nice weekends? As a daily driver, here in NY with traffic in the summer I worry about oil temps plus would like effective A/C. Mid to upper thirties is what I'm looking to spend, and I can see some '00 and '01s in that price range by next spring. I've driven every Porsche air-cooled car and love that raw feel of the SCs and Carreras but garage space is limited;in addition, the 996 does have a bit more room in the back and I have two young children. In a perfect world I would keep the SC, mod it and use it as my DE car...... The 996 lacks the raw feeling but it drives nice and it is plenty fast as is; I got blown away today by a new Acura TL, not to mention all the ricers who seem to have an urge to race my 22 year old car....

I don't think the month it was built means much. RMS problems have occured since the beginning and exist in all 996's. My bother-in-law had an 98 one of the first made and used it for daily driver for 5 years. No RMS !! I have had my 99 built in June for 5 years with few problems. I did have RMS leak but realy no big deal. Drive it every day in the summer spring and fall. Winters are just too sloppy IMO for the P car. It would do fine I just can't bear to drive it in those messy conditions. If you want super reliabilty get a Toyota if you want geat fun get a 99 996.

Although I would agree with just about everything you said, in this part of the statement I cannot, as my RMS issue led to an engine replacement. While that may not be the norm for all it has occured in some RMS cases. One bit of information that has been neglected to be shared here as it relates to the RMS- it is that the 996 goes through 'clutch meat' pretty easily and because it does (in all years and months- Porsche says the frequency of servicing is driver dependant), and the process for servicing the clutch is an 'engine out' process, if the clutch has been replaced it is likely the RMS was replaced too or minimally it has been observed and evaluated. Thus, a buyer that purchases a 996 should check the service records to determine the last time the clutch has been replaced and that would be a good indicator if the RMS has been checked or replaced. Of course this applies to dealer serviced cars only. The RMS problem is really not that big a deal unless the little bastard is leaking like a sieve and leaving a considerable amount of oil in your driveway each day you park it or the residue is appearing on your bumper each time you drive the car on the freeway (then you've got a serious problem). Otherwise the RMS can likewise be replaced when the clutch goes in for servicing. I should point out again that: JD Powers ranked the 996 from 1999 forward as the #1 premium sports car and the most reliable and overall its ranks as a manufacturer came second only to Lexus. That says plenty enough about the quality of car that you are purchasing used. It may or may not have a problem here or there but overall by comparision to other marques in it class, the 996 in just about all years of manufacture outpaces the competition considerably. By the way, during 1999 the month the car was built DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Porsche had quite a few TSB's on the 1998 european cars that were manufactured and some arrived here on US shores in early 1999 without the fixes. The factory updated 996's were not released on the 1999 996 until July of 1999. The key indication that the car had the updates from the factory was the red+clear tail lamps in the stead of the Red+Yellow.

One bit of information that has been neglected to be shared here as it relates to the RMS- it is that the 996 goes through 'clutch meat' pretty easily and because it does (in all years and months- Porsche says the frequency of servicing is driver dependant), and the process for servicing the clutch is an 'engine out' process, if the clutch has been replaced it is likely the RMS was replaced too or minimally it has been observed and evaluated Well, in that case, if you are driving your car correctly, the RMS would not be checked before 100,000 miles. If you have to replace your clutch before then, you either have a problem in the clutch mechanism or you are not properly using the clutch. This applies to track or street. I disagree with you that the "996 goes through clutch meat pretty easily". If someone is replacing their clutch often, it is more likely due to their improper driving and not to design. Other than a misalighned shaft, there is no reason for the RMS to leak if all components are connected properly. Too much oil and letting the car sit for months at a time may attribute to the premature deterioration of the seal. This is another reason I run 1/4 of a quart less oil that Porsche specifies and my car never sits for more than a few weeks without giving t a full warm up.

First of all you are positvely NEVER going to get a 996 clutch to last 100K miles. I don't care how well you drive it and Porsche can confirm that (don't take from me talk to a dealer 100K on a 996 clutch is simply madness, I mean absolute and sheer LUNACY). It is a well know fact, that if you have owned a 996 longer than 2 years chances are really good that your gonna be doing clutch work... it is simply a known and recognized fact. I don't know how long you have been participating on this forum but do your homework and check the archives of this list- frequent clutch servicing on the 996 has been common as far back as I can remember and I did do a replacement of my "DAILY DRIVEN" 996 when the RMS failed horribly and the engine was replaced. I hate to go at ya on this statement but... HUH??? there is no reason for the RMS to leak if all components are connected properly. Too much oil and letting the car sit for months at a time may attribute to the premature deterioration of the seal. This is another reason I run 1/4 of a quart less oil that Porsche specifies and my car never sits for more than a few weeks without giving t a full warm up. Dude you have absolutley NO CLUE what the hell you are talking about. By the way check your owners manual on the "full warm up" I am certain Porsche disagrees with you there too. OMIGOD I cannot believe you posted that!!!

My 99 has a June build date and also has the Red/Clear tail lights. It was originally delivered to Canada, so I don't know if that makes a difference. I have had great luck with mine (knock on wood). I will say that the mods are adding up in both dollars and time. I do have one question, since my car was originally delivered to Canada, does it have the European suspension, which I believe is a little bit lower than the US stock. I am guessing that all of the NA cars were the same other than the kilometer and Celsius differences. I don�t have an extended warranty, but don�t worry too much about it. I wouldn�t recommend getting one if $2 or $3k in repairs is going to keep you up at night, because something will happen at some point and they are not inexpensive to work on. As far as a daily driver it is great. If you have decent options the interior is awesome. Mine has the full leather, sport seats, heated seats and hifi upgrade. (I have also added the Aux In for my iRiver MP3 player with has been great). The next mod for commuting convenience is a bluetooth integrated hands free kit. Every square inch of the interior of the car is leather and it still looks like it just came off the show room floor. With the hardtop on it is very quiet inside (even with the PSE) and even with the soft top up it is very quiet. In fact before the PSE, with the soft top up you could not hear engine or road noise (on a good road) at all. No matter what year you get, make sure you find one with all of the options you want; otherwise, you will regret it and there or lots of these cars out there. I really wanted the options described above for the interior plus litronics and 18� wheels. I lucked out and got the sport design (OEM) wheels. They look awesome on these cars (IMO, although your opinion is the only one that matters). The only option I didn�t get that I thought I wanted was the full electric seats, but I rarely adjust the seat, so this has not been an issue. Hope you enjoy you new car! This has been a great forum for me to learn about these cars, I have learned a lot here. The only annoying part is that you can�t stop reading some of these posts. It can be addicting, so allocate at least 30 to 60 minutes a day for that. It would be nice if people spent a little less time looking to flame someone. (Although I must admit they are often entertaining to read! It would be interesting to see if many of the flamers would immediately make the same comments if they were in a face to face conversation and someone had the same question.) The amount of time spent reading these boards has been way more than I thought it would be, but in the end better than a sitcom on TV. (Especially the �BOB� post.) Kris

Hayaku-san (hajimemashte) JimB-sama just posted this to another list...its good thing you are planning to us it as a track car. JimB Addict Rennlist Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 485 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have a 3.6L X51 in my 99 996 race car which I now run as updated to an 04 996. It made sense for me because of club racing rules but this is not a swap you want to make for the street. Trust me on this. Jim __________________ 98 993 cab 99 996 race car HWFM "Director of Safety Equipment Testing"

Kris it would not suprise me that you have a June build date and have all the TSB mods for you North America delivered 996. Keep in mind however that the Red and Clear tail lights are also a popular after market mod. It is best (if you are the cars second plus owner) to take the car to the dealer and see if all the TSB corrections have been made by the PO (s). Of course that can simply be checked by calling in you VIN number to the service department (if you have a great relationship with your service department they may even let you know over the phone if the there are any outstanding TSB's on you 996). Some of the TSB's were as simple as the fuel cap replacement others are a bit more complicated.

First of all you are positvely NEVER going to get a 996 clutch to last 100K miles. I don't care how well you drive it and Porsche can confirm that (don't take from me talk to a dealer 100K on a 996 clutch is simply madness, I mean absolute and sheer LUNACY). It is a well know fact, that if you have owned a 996 longer than 2 years chances are really good that your gonna be doing clutch work... it is simply a known and recognized fact. Hey DoubleNutz? I guess it was my imagination that my first Porsche's clutch lasted 135,000 miles and my second was not replaced up till the time I sold it at 113,000 miles. How many engines and cars have you rebuilt in your lifetime? How many tranny's have you disassembled and rebuild? Maybe if you knew the inner workings of the drivetrain, you would understand how the clutch system works and use it accordningly. It has little to do with how hard you go through the gears, but most to do with the proper timing of engagment with engine speed. Ever see the damage to an engine caused by just a little too much oil volume? Ever see what happens when seals dry out because of lack of lubrication? Like I said before, if you are replacing your clutch more frequently than 100,000 or so, then there is something wrong with the mechanism or with your driving skills. I have had more than 42 cars in my life with the majority being manual transmissions and have never, ever wore out a clutch in less miles. That includes the time I regulary tracked my cars at Limerock. I currently have a 69 camero in my garage with a rebuilt 350 engine and the orginal clutch plate. Total miles on the car is in excess of 185,000. I guess you would say that I should not have the 45,000 miles on my orginal brakes either? I'll let you know when I change them which will probably be around 55,000 for the fronts. Your statement "It is a well know fact, that if you have owned a 996 longer than 2 years chances are really good that your gonna be doing clutch work..." just DOESN't jive with the FACTS. Of the 7 guys with 993's and 996's I hang with, only 1 of the 9 cars have had a clutch replaced. And I suspect that the car will have another new clutch before I do simple because the driver sucks at driving. I have owned my car for 5 years, so I guess, based on your well know fact , I have actually had 2 clutches installed. I guess I must have been out of town when that was done. Before you start spouting off as to so called FACTS, learn them first. I would be curious as to how many miles the other 996 owners here at Rennlist have gotten out of their original clutch and brakes.

too many 0-60 and 1/4 mile runs will ruin your clutch... that's for sure... but I agree with 1999Porsche911 ... a clutch can last you a long time with the right driving style...

FLA MES ON!!!! Hmmmm, just like I thought, this is your first Porsche996, its probably a garage queen(mystery solved on the brakes), with the exception of a high speed dyno it rarely sees 100plus for any duration of time that its been on the edge of brake fade in those standard four piston calipers, and it likely has some non-standard parts on it that Porsche would never put on at the factory or performance car. So you it took it apart a little bit now you think you know these cars better than us who have been driving, repairing, and racing them cars for 15 plus years in various models and configs. Hey dude, WHATEVER!!! Just remember you are new to this list and have no clue who the veterens are here that have BTDT4AW (been there done this for a while). So we know that you are talking misleading trash. You are simply offering bad advice and examples of lunacy. FLA MES OFF!!!! Anyway for any others out there who are following this string... just remember YMMV regardless of what is posted here either 'in fact' or in 'bull-lies'. just my .996cents

This board is one the best on the internet. I'm intrigued by the June/July 99 build date info-does anyone have the VIN when the improvements were implemented? Here's a car I came across in my search: Porsche 996-only 1,301 miles! Black / black leather interior, full leather option including doors and dash pad, 6 speed, full power seat package, HiFi sound package, power driver's side lumbar seat, aluminum instrument dials, 18" turbo twist rims, chromed tip exhausts, books, records, window sticker, asking $46.7K The miles are a little too low but the car allegedly drives fantastic-I'm hoping to test drive it soon. Opinions please......

Things can go wrong, horribly wrong you need to be prepared for it. And like I said the early 996 (pre July 1999) had issue, some huge. YMMV, so don't depend on what some guy like 1999Porsche911 tells ya his great experience is on his garage queen. After he blows up his engine or trashes his drive train he is gonna want to sell you his car...I've seen guys like this before on this list- know it all becuase they built a couple chevy's or mopar's in thier past life now they know more about Porsches than the dealer. The most common experience of all 996 owners is that the clutch will need servicing at more frequently than you may like. To confirm my statement about this I read the same thing this morning in the November 2004 issue of 911 and Porsche World Magazine in the 996 Buyers Guide article. Check it out for yourself in- Issue No. 127- October 2004 Watching Brief - new 911 Carrera 996s then and now Cotton - 30 years of the 911 Turbo Road-legal 968 race car 996 Carrera Buyers' Guide Keith Seume's 911R-style 'outlaw' car 356 Le Mans Classic rebuild 924 racing series Alwin Springer interview Bottom line is I cannot empasize enough is YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY but be prepared to experience the good but occasionally and unfortunately some of us will experience the bad. Take the expeience of the masses as the most likely probability (again both good and bad) and be leary of the very few that as the least probable.

sounds like the miles have been ROLLED BACK... only 1000 miles... common... something is up here.... the high end market is a breeding ground for resellers to wet sand their cars and roll back the mileage... making them appear "pristine".. and they can get away with it cause the cars are of high quality... take it to the porsche shop and ask them the folowing: 1. do the brakes appear to have the relevant mileage? 2. how many tims has the oil been changed? 3. has the car ever been painted?... how is the alignment of the front bumper with the hood? 4. open the hood and check for overspray.... 5. @ 1000 miles RIMS should be PERFECT... no fading or scrathes.. 6. SEATS - any sign of wear on the drivers side... if so this is a dead giveaway... especially @ 1,000 miles... for $46... add another $5 and buy yourself an 02 - look on autotrader.com... they are out there and buy only from a reputable PORSCHE dealer... not a mazda or ford dealer that is re-selling the car.... good luck Pete

Listen to 1999Porsche911 he is closer to the truth than NumNuts.

OH Jeesus H Christ!!!! Another guy with a bunch of Corvettes in his past and has never been here futher than 47 posts and the pumper to put fuel in his Porsche and he's an expert!!! Where do this list find these creeps! The gall! The same person that said: Birds of a feather flock together on this list that is for certain. One day they say one thing and on another they say something different. Now I thought the issue that started this flame session was that "if the clutch work has been done then the RMS was likely to be observed and evaluated" yet now StevefromMN says here today that 1999Guy is closer to the truth that I am. Hmmm seeks like these two cats are sleeping with each other to me. But do as he says and avoid everything that the experts in Porsche Publications and experience has shared in this forum among drivers and rennlist members that have been here for years discussing and working these issues. We are ALL WRONG and they are the only ones that know what they are talking they are the only ones right. WHATEVER DUDE,,,,pull my finger would ya!

SteveFromMN: Don't let ******** bother you. He is obviously living with denial in his life. He may very well be one of those Kerry voters that is currently in theropy. Probably off his meds. I can't stand people who try to make others out to be failures just because they have been failures. I guess it makes them feel less like of a loser. Oh well....it's what makes the world go around. Enjoy your ride.

Hehehehe comments from the blue stater... nope not one bit am I a failure but you know that about me already so once again you know the answers to questions that you have no experience around. WHATEVER!!! But before I depart this thread allow me to leave this little clip from other members and the founder of this list regarding CLUTCH FAILURES. http://www.rennlist.org/main996faq/f...utch%20failure Porsche 996 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) The 996 FAQ This is a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) relating to the Porsche 996 C2 and C4. Many thanks to all who contributed, and in particular to: Mike Blaszczak, Bill Economos, John Felker, Howard Groveman, Van Larson, Mike Pumphrey, Todd Serota, Robert Sirico, and Eric Sklut - without your contributions and involvement in the 996 community, we would all be the poorer. A special thanks too to John D, founder of RennList, for hosting this FAQ Clutch failure There have been several reports of clutch failure/extremely rapid ware at very low miles (3-6,000 miles). Most dealers will not replace this under warranty and will claim poor driving on your part. Since some victims are long-time Porsche owners and owners of other clutch-sensitive cars, it seems at least possible that poor driving is not to blame. At the time of writing there is no official response to this issue. Seems to me other members and the FOUNDER OF THIS LIST that you are posting your WRONG INFORMATION ON have already made this available for PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. I guess they are ******** and WRONG TOO and you are still right!

1999Guy doesn't that just stab ya right in the heart that you are wrong again! Ugh its kil'n me!

DoubleNuts in your defense I will admit that I think the 996 has a weak clutch in this respect. I think the pressure plate is designed to slip under extreme load such as dumping it off the line. IMHO this car is not designed to be dumped off the line like a muscle car. Extreme wheel hop is also likely. It is very tricky to launch. I have found it is best just to not even try. However it is for this reason that a lot of people might have premature failure. When my RMS failed at 6000 mi. I had them change the clutch plate because the rest was under warranty and it cost very little to pay for the plate myself. I figured I would get an addition 6000 miles on the clutch for free. My guess has always been about 50 to 60k miles before the clutch would need replacing. I have put in about 30 clutches in the past 40 years but I'm getting old so I don't know if I'll do this one myself. By the way you do not drop the engine out of the car to change the clutch. The trans axel is removed and the engine is supported with a special bracket tool. I saw mine when it was apart. Not a big deal. I have the complete shop manual. I would not touch the RMS again unless it was leaking which mine is not. When mine did leak nothing got on the clutch and it probably never would because the RMS is behind the flywheel.

Fair enough, I can join you in agreement there with the exception that there are examples of premature failure by very experienced Porsche drivers and members of this list (I am not one of those that has had to repalce my clutch so quickly although I requested the dealer do so when my RMS failed. By the way, my RMS failure was the cause of my engine change by the dealer. Although this is rare there are some of us out there that have complete engine replacements under warrenty due to RMS failure.) My apologies for my abrasive response, however, I don't think the "numb nuts" comment was quite called for especially when we cold find middle ground on this topic ( it was funny though, so on the other hand I got a good chuckle out of it ))

Sorry but I just couldn't resist the Numb Nuts comment it just seemed so funny I had to do it. Especially when I look at your pull my finger picture.

You guys crack me up..

Funny but it would have been even funnier as 'double numb nuts'

Any recommended 996 Buyer's guides/sources? Thanks!

November 2004 issue of 911 and Porsche World Magazine 996 Buyers Guide - Issue No. 127- October 2004 Watching Brief - new 911 Carrera 996s then and now Cotton - 30 years of the 911 Turbo Road-legal 968 race car 996 Carrera Buyers' Guide Keith Seume's 911R-style 'outlaw' car 356 Le Mans Classic rebuild 924 racing series Alwin Springer interview

99 996ers I would like to get some feedback from you 99 owners: * Was PSM available in the 99 * Is a late build date better * What options have you found to be ideal * For those that have purchased a cab, please email me you comments

i have a 99 cab.. but i'll do you a favor and spare you my comments.. enjoy the new ride... but i will contribute something... an extended warranty is definately something to consider when purchasing your 99.. and don't buy a fairly performance modified and/or high mileage one because it's a good deal... you may end up paying for it later... 99s aren't the time prime year for porsches unfortunately... since you indicate "just 99" i'm assuming you are doing it for the price.. don't simply look for the best deal around.. splurge.. it'll be worth it in the long run.. look for the best deal all around.. if that makes sense..... buy a low mileage vehicle and have it thoroughly checked out.. (one more time.. subliminal message, <hintwarrantyhint>) :> i'll leave it at that...

Probably best off getting it from a P dealer, P cert pre-owned with some sort of a warranty.

My 1999 996 is the most reliable car I think I have ever owned. Late manufacture date. Virtually zero problems. Zero oil consumption or leaks. Quiet (i.e., no rattles). Have good independent mechanic and never take your car to a Por$che dealership. Great car and I'll never sell it... Jim

Hello buds, well, mine is a july '99 with almost 100000 miles on the clock, no big problems. kind regards,

Mine is a 4/99 build date. RMS popped up at 6,000 miles, then the engine and entire coolant system were replaced at 32,000 miles due to coolant/oil contamination (thankfully under warranty). The only other problem was the alternator which went out 3 months ago at $1,100 out-of-pocket (ouch!). All in all, my 996 has been very reliable for 38,000 fun-filled miles.

Russ--to my knowledge PSM was introduced in MY2000. I could be wrong, but I know that the one 99 company car around here doesn't have PSM, while the 2001s do...I think I remember reading in "Porsche 911 Story" that PSM was developed for the second model year that the 996 was in production. I will tell you that PSM is an INCREDIBLE piece of engineering and if it was my choice, I would not buy a 996 without it. Seeing it work at the Porsche driving experience really changed my first opinion [which was that stability control has no place on a sports car on a track especially]... Of the 2 days at Barber Motorsports Park thrashing the cars within an inch of their lives, the only time that I EVER activated PSM was on one of the final turns where you go up a hill into a blind slight right downhill--if you carry enough speed the inside rear wheel lifts off the ground and triggers the PSM. PSM is not a babysitter, it very well could be a life saver as I don't think it would come on unless you were totally out of control of the car. my little contribution to this thread

The first 996 model to have PSM was the '99 C4. I don't think the C2's got it until 2000 ..... t

How has your car been reliable if you've had an RMS leak and replaced the whole engine!!!!

i've read over 20 or so posts all similar this.. most people indicate, not having many problems with the car.. you know.. "brought the car in, no probs, just an rms leak, engine replacement, but warranty covered it, etc.. other than that it's great!" an engine, is not a minor situation, ($15,000+ with labor and tax), (nor is a transmission ($9,000 with labor and tax), gearbox (another $15,000)...) it's one thing when porsche pays the $15,000+ price tag for the engine.. or you are out of warranty and have an $800 rms leak, out of your pocket.. hell, who wouldn't want a nice new engine, tranny, etc.. free of charge... but when the money comes out of your pocket of $15,000, not once, but twice, for something you didn't do wrong, because of faulty manufacturing, that's when it gets upsetting to be kind... just something for you out of warranty guys to think about... i'm covered now.. and sleep like a baby at night.. i wouldn't even start the car if i didn't have a warranty... i simply look at 996s as playing russian roulette... and i've read plenty of stories myself over the past few months about engines being replaced under warranty, and nobody gives it a second thought, and there's no anger involved, because porsche covered it.. fortunately for the owners, most all have been under warranty, so they haven't had to pay $15k here, $10k there, etc... and for all those that don't like my posts... i really don't care, i've been through enough with porsche, and their engines of mass destruction to give them any credit.. they've taken no steps or initiative to correct any of the problems or assist out of warranty buyers with 7 years of time to do so... still rms probs on the 04s..... the only thing they've done in r&d is spend millions to release a new model, with the same engine specs, which will have the exact same problems.. before correcting the problems of the original 996 engine first... absurdity.. ...if you're out of warranty, and have your engine implode, explode, deplode, or need to be replaced... you will truly understand the anger and frusteration of it all... that's all i can say... if you are in warranty and have your engine explode, i envy you... nothing beats a nice new engine free of charge from porsche.... but paying for an internal fault at the rate of $15,000 a pop is not acceptable in my book.. they are making us pay what most people in this country make in a year... for their mistakes in a faulty engineered part... it's ridiculous.. me.. i have a warranty... so the future for me isn't a concern.. i've already put my $33,000 of repairs in recently... and now i have another fault, the MAS, on the new engine, which the extended warranty is gladly covering.. only $650... which for me, after what i've spent, is peanuts... but regardless.. no more $$$ for porsche out of my pocket... none. but I am indeed upset for the other owners, and to be owners of the 996, that ill encounter this... I can just imagine all the guys in their 20s, 30s.. barely being able to finance a cheap 99-01 996, out of warranty.. naively having this happen to them... ..less than 1% are on this board.. so you will never hear their horror stories, ..except at night, when they cry because they can't afford to replace the engine... truly upsetting... especially when there is nothing they can do, but pay the piper... and for those that think they are out of the water, because they have had their engine already replaced.. think again... your new engine replaced under warranty from porsche, has "no 2 year warranty" only people who paid the $15k out of their pocket have the warranty... so if your replacement engine goes after only having it for a few weeks... "You" will be responsible for paying the $15k to pay for another one... as soon as your factory warranty expires, regardless of when your engine or any of the other parts were replaced... my third engine went out at 9,000 miles... so mileage is not an issue, even if you just had your engine replaced, and are out of warranty, or soon to be out of warranty.. you aren't covered by their 2 year warranty for all replaced warrantied parts the day it expires.... and in terms of finding an extended warranty, better do it soon.. 90% of warranty company will not cover the 996 porsche under any circumstances for extended warranties already... and i have a feeling, as time continues, that number will dwindle even more... ..there are internal problems in this engine, not just the rms.. and porsche isn't letting anyone know about any of them... if everyone simply remains complacement about the situation, nothing will be done... example: why do you think the 997 was released with the same engine? because porsche got away with it, why not do it again? saves them millions on having to restart over again... we'll see what the future holds as these older 996s gain more and more mileage... I myself won't be there, but will gladly be a party member in any class action lawsuit against porsche for their unacceptable tactics... and if you don't think there is an engine failuire problem in the 996 carerra, how many engine failuires or rms issues have you heard from GT3 or TT owners? I haven't seen one... why? because it's a completely different engine... we all know the merits of porsche, and i agree with all of you on them, but the carerra c2 and c4 engines are faulty produced products that porsche is making us pay $15,000 for to replace, because of their fault... i don't see how anyone can dispute that.... this post i think deserves two of these guys:

Pete, as a point of clarification, the engine replacement was due to the coolant/oil contamination and not RMS. In fact, it was caused by improperly installed coolant system which subsequently contaminated the engine. It was the dealer's fault, not the car's. I guess my definition of reliability is different from yours. My criteria are 1) not leaving me stranded, and 2) having component failures which require frequent dealer visits. My 996 has never left me stranded and has been to the shop only 4 times over 38,000 miles in 5 years. Comparatively, my current outgoing '03 Honda Pilot with 27,000 miles has been to the shop 3 times already for SRS sensor malfunctions and driver-side window switch. The '94 Infiniti Q45, while never leaving me stranded over 120,000 miles, hasn't had an operable tachometer, full instrument panel night-time illumination, proper sunroof closure, or working radio antenna for the past 50,000 miles. Since it's long out of warranty, I decided to just put up with the annoyances. Sure, these problems don't have the same severity as an engine replacement, but they're still a reflection of reliability. Any car having infrequent repairs without the same recurring problems or multitude of other problems qualifies as reliable in my book. So yes, my 996 has been very reliable.

I bought my '99 in April '98. It was the first 996 the dealer delivered. Had it for over 6 years and 31k miles. It was a great car and very reliable. The dealer replaced the RMS when it was out of warranty at Porsche's expense (which I thought was strange since it never leaked any oil on the garage floor & I never had to add any oil, it was a fancy new dealership and their service bays were very empty at the time...draw your own conclusions). At the time, they told me the clutch still looked new (contrary to what some "experts" here will tell you is fact about clutch life ). The car was driven the way the factory intended, including quite a few DE's and long stretches in triple digit mph. So, I had to replace the pads & rotors all the way around shortly before selling it. Other than that, just routine maintenance and a few minor issues (clutch spring, MAF, window seal). Really a great car to own & operate. To touch on some earlier points in this thread...there is no magical build date that makes some '99's better than others from my experience (yes there were some minor changes, but that doesn't make them better cars than earlier ones). PSM (which doesn't change the laws of physics and therefore I think is mostly worthless) wasn't available on the C2 until '00--my car had the optional Traction Control, which helped in the rain but sucked on the track (thankfully, you can switch it off). Don't be afraid to buy a well maintained '99 that passes a PPI. They're starting to look like very good values. But as with all used cars, be prepared that you may have to spend some money on repairs (it's just the nature of anything mechanical).

One major plus of the '99 is the direct throttle linkage, no e-gas.

Rob E-Gas started in the MY 99 C-4

*Was PSM available in the 99.........I'm not sure, perhaps on the late 99's. Traction control was available. IIRC, maybe LSD avail also. * Is a late build date better............Late build date provides E-gas, 4hp increase, clear light lenses, and some other stuff prob. * What options have you found to be ideal...........full power seats: seem to sit lower, providing better head and leg room. * For those that have purchased a cab, please email me you comments

One major plus of the '99 is the direct throttle linkage, no e-gas I agree that this is a great benefit with the 99 C2. When my car was setup with the SC, Todd told me that they were able to get more HP out of my car than a 2000 and it was due to the fact that it could be programmed to a greater extreme than E-gas.