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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHPoll: Reliability of 996
Reported or suspected cause
unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
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Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
garage queen = "prisoner" of quarter mile 28-degree slope gravel driveway, plus half mile gravel road turned out to be unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused to let government maintain it.
Leading evidence: 'unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Repair "; i've had this policy' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
On my C4S the water pump crapped out on me, but it was overdue to be replaced anyway (95k miles).
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No major issues, did a water pump, replaced a clock spring in the steering column.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
The sunroof motor needed to be replaced, ignition replaced, and all 4 tires.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
garage queen = "prisoner" of quarter mile 28-degree slope gravel driveway, plus half mile gravel road turned out to be unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused to let government maintain it.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
48 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T020439Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
On a scale of 1-to-10 (1 = unreliable crap, 10 = battlefield ready) how reliable is the Porsche 996 as a daily driver?
After reading these threads many years, I've concluded you damm near need to be a mechanic to deal with the high frequency of alerts/problems, hard-to-diagnose symptoms, etc.
Either that, or be wealthy enough to have stacks of hundreds laying around to hand over to your dealer every couple of months when you get that new alert, non-start, lock-out, screech, puddle of water, etc.
Occurs to me perhaps Porsche was great at air cooled race cars. But when it entered the realm of water cooled, power brakes, electronics, etc. it lost competency in the reliability aspect.
9-nothing that stopped me from driving the car ( cpu=warranty, expansion tank leak=aftermarket warranty, spark plugs, coil packs=aftermarket warranty-no codes except for cpu ).
lol sorry . . if it's been beat to death then I'm fine.
But I will be burning down the building (kidding! for you legal types) (Office Space movie reference).
Average Porsche Owner: Hmmm ... was that a noise?
Rennlist Member: A noise! OMG ... A NOISE! DROP THE ENGINE!
OK, I exaggerate, but you see my point -- perhaps RL threads offer a skewed view of 996 reliability.
If you'll excuse me, I need to go finish up the weekly oil change :-)
I'm not sure it's realistic to think that any 15-year-old car is "battlefield ready." If the car is properly maintained, it'll be just fine as a daily driver. If the car is a collection of deferred maintenance items, it probably isn't a good candidate for a DD.
I drive mine daily without a second thought. I have AAA...just in case.
Believing what you read on the internet is silly. More so in car forums. It's a place where people get together to complain and get help for issues so most of what you see is problems.
For the record though, our 01 C4 has only cost us about 15k over 13 years and the vast majority of that was tires.
The reliability of the 996 is why I paid way too much on a new Cayenne rather than a cheaper option.
For the most part, I've done nothing but standard maintenance to both of my 996s.
On my C4S the water pump crapped out on me, but it was overdue to be replaced anyway (95k miles).
Also on the C4S, my throwout bearing died and took out the pressure plate with it (could have happened on any car).
On my C2, I had to fix a leaky sunroof drain.
I forgot to mention my 996 has only 20k original miles. I used to feel bad that I was a garage queen, but since turning a daily driver two weeks ago (a) washing the car produced puddles of water inside the car, (b) every time it rains the cowl drains can't keep up, and I'm pretty sure the brake booster is toast, and it could destroy the engine if it happens to be raining x-degree of intensity while I'm driving y-degree of whatever.
And now that I'm driving in z-degrees of ambient heat, forced to sit in traffic jams, watching that temp gauge shoot up, all 3 fans kicking on, smelling the heat smells (always ran hot since new, at that line between 180 and 250, whatever that is). Confidence is sinking, esp. seeing the dealer licking his chops to diagnose this brake problem, and knowing high probability of many issues to follow. The mechanical issues I could deal with, if there were a cooperative independent mechanic in <my location, dm me>. But there's not. So I think I'm gonna have to bail rather than produce the financial reserves which would be required.
Regardless, I do appreciate each of your experience and perspective.
And you nailed it, these forums are certainly an emotional roller coaster for me, typically starts out "oh yes incredibly helpful info" quickly followed by "omg THAT could happen(?), never thought of that."
So...you got a 1, you got a 9, you got several non-numeric answers indicating that the incidence of problems is overblown on the Internet, and you pulled the plug an hour and ten minutes after your initial post?
Sounds like your mind was made up before you posted the thread, amigo. Good luck with whatever you decide to replace your 996 with.
BTW, most unfortunate typo ever:
Washing machines and dishwashers don't last 20 years...there's no reasonable expectation that a machine with hundreds of moving parts instead of tens of parts like a household appliance is going to work perfectly forever.
In North Korea, it is illegal to smoke while driving because it may potentially interfere with your ability to smell issues with the car. This has absolutely nothing to do with your post - I just thought it was amusing.
That's not a typo. That's what happens when you move to a 50-acre mountaintop estate with steep long gravel driveway. I was trying to keep her pristine, and who could blame me with no guidance on such matters.
Just like the "don't just wash your car and put it away, or you'll warp your rotors", Porsche should put that in the manual.
I'd be happy to work on it myself all summer, if you wanna come over and show me what to do. I'm not kidding. I love this car. It's gonna hurt for a long time to give her up.
You have a 15 year old garage queen. That is your problem. Average mileage driven per year is 1,300 miles. You car was never driven, it sat all its life and "newsflash" gaskets, seals, rubber bushings and everything else continues to wear while your car sits. Extended period of infrequent use are also bad for AC system as it needs to be ran to for lubrication etc.
How many times did you change the brake fluid during the last 15 years? How many times did you do oil changes? How many times you flushed coolant? How many times did you do transmission fluid changes? How many times you ran fuel treatments? If answer is <15 for each category, you are a horrible Porsche owner and that is why your car is failing.
And honestly, what is the point of owning a regular Porsche and never driving it? If you had GT3 or some rare 996 I could see the reasoning here. You have the plain Jane 996, are you going to take it with you to the grave? Oh, and digging the mountain estate comment. Watch the Citizen Kane to see how such stories end.
My journey? I am 26, and so far it has been a great ride.
You on the other hand, come on the 996 forum and covertly whine about how unreliable and ****ty is your 996 and how high are the running costs for 15 year old super car. Then you make
"That's not a typo. That's what happens when you move to a 50-acre mountaintop estate with steep long gravel driveway. I was trying to keep her pristine, and who could blame me with no guidance on such matters"
comment and expect what? Humble brag much? Well ****, let me feel sorry for your peril of 996 ownership.
In case the point is lost for you or you don't read this board much, starting reliability rating and "my car sucks and I want to bail" threads does not get you much brownie points on any car forum. If your car is broken and you don't like it, sell the car and move on. Posting here how your car is a POS and future costs of repairs are keeping you awake at night is not constructive.
Mine has cost me $2-$3k per year over last three years - mostly regular stuff like brakes, tires. I had rms leak and decided to put in new ims - that was most expensive bill. Other than regular maintenance just a few minor issues like water pump, window switch/regulator, oil pressure sender, ignition switch - all of which are very common items on these cars at this age. Can't compare to a Toyota , but better than regular bmws, and way better than other exoitcs
Dude, not sure if you're saving face or extending olive branch, but I'll give you benefit of doubt. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to get into was gravel mountain tops, but you guys BLASTING me re: garage queen required spoon feeding the back story, sorry if I hit a neurosis.
Back on point, is 996 an "exotic" (fragile), or is it "built like a tank"? I recently had a mechanic opine "like a tank", and I'm trying to figure out if that's true or not.
I know high acceleration and intense cornering demand strong parts, but I don't know if that translates into reliability.
Bottom line- should I keep it as my only car, no backup.
It's pretty much the same as most German cars or better as far as I'm concerned.
Had mine around 8 years, normal maintenance. IMSB upgrade, brakes, oil, plugs... etc.
No major issues, did a water pump, replaced a clock spring in the steering column. 67K miles and I drive the car allot in decent weather months. I would trust this car as a daily driver for sure. I take care of the car but I drive it like a Porsche.
Way cheaper to run than my Cayenne was and the 996 has never left me stranded.
^ Marc has to come here and bring it back down before it gets good...
OP, what is the expected maintenance costs in keeping up with a 15 year old car? If you don't know and cannot DIY then be prepared for a ride.
With 50 acres and gravel roads along with your worries, I would sell it and get something like a Ford Raptor or Subaru STI with some huge mud flaps. There was a reason in the first place you didn't want to drive your Porsche. I'm not so sure things would be any different or conducive to your environment even if the car was running good.
If I had 50 acres to play, I'd even think of selling my Porsche.
Phil - I have been using my car as a DD for over a year now including a harsh winter with no major issues.
Perhaps my recent post will help -
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...h-a-996-a.html
PS... I thought my 2004 C2 was reliable as hell, super easy to work on myself, and it was easy to find reasonably priced parts for it. But if you can't or wont turn a wrench, what might be a simple DIY service with reasonably priced internet sourced parts could be 10X the cost at a dealer or 5X the cost at an indie... For example, over a year or two I did brakes, plugs, serpentine, motor mounts, coolant tank cap, several oil changes, etc. and probably spent less than $1,000 in parts and supplies. How much would the dealer have charged?
Ha the mountain was good for this city boy, for a while. I played it hard, ATV, chainsaw, guns, pond, the whole bit. But happy to be back in a city now. 'Keep rockin' to you in Chicago.
No idea yet if OP is a troll or is serious. On the presumption he is serious:
To answer your question:
The 996 is much more reliable and much less expensive to maintain than a Ferrari, and is less reliable and more expensive to maintain than a Hyundai.
I use my 996 as a daily driver. Have had some items that I've needed a good indy mechanic to address, but nothing that I personally consider outrageous in cost.
Probably best that you don't join a board and start out by jousting with members, IMHO (like your exchange with Kalish).
Schnelly. I got a good chuckle out of the "I was a garage queen" comment. Had visions of OP dressed in drag pirouetting about his 996, ABBA blaring in the background.
Kromdom, weren't you paying attention in the "Good Week in the 996 Forum" thread? Clearly, the correct answer was your choice of either Crisco or Pflanzenfett.
I suggest you re-read the thread. OP will learn much about care and maintenance of his 996 from this thread too,
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...6-forum-2.html
Not a troll, whoever was wondering.
I'm gonna mentally close this thread coz I found a couple other excellent threads on the topic.
Looks like I'm gonna be keeping her, as a buddy of mine just agreed to help me replace the master cylinder as 1st step to fix sticky brake pedal.
After brakes are fixed, then onto whatever other issues are behind the CEL light.
Ain't got much to lose really.
Didn't there use to be a discount for renn members on parts somewhere? I have a feeling I'm gonna be buying alot of them.
Maybe it was some other website(s). I'll need to start shopping around, as I need to buy it tomorrow morning, being a daily driver and all.
window regulators and convertible top issues. Also problems with rain and Alarm module getting wet under driver seat and having to be replaced. Engine and trasmission, original IMS solid.
2000 996 Cabriolet
I just joined today and I am a newbie - I just bought a 996.
I think Cuda put it best that it's more reliable than a Ferrari but probably less than a Jap family sedan. But I knew this before I bought it and I don't regret it for a minute because I just love the car. And yes, buying an older sports car does require you to be a little bit mechanically inclined. I have had beamers before and they are not any better, but the driving enjoyment of a Porsche is something else. The important thing is "preventive maintenance" vs. "repair"; I've had this policy for years and I've never been stranded. Plus PM tends to be cheaper at the end!
28k miles in 8.5 months. Super reliable, wicked fast traffic predator as a daily driver. Normal maintenance. New tires 1 alternator. Zero other issues worth mentioning. For me my Carrera 4S is a reliable 9.5 out of 10.
Join PCA. Your local dealer and many others on line give like 10% + PCA member discounts. For the $46? Year if you are planning purchases that's a fast ROI. Plus Panorama magazine and the online version too rocks.
Porsche tops reliability ratings from Consumer Reports, JD Power, etc. over and over again, year after year. Example:
https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motora...192544256.html
Hey thanks for that.
Yeah my opinion is rapidly improving now that I'm learning how to work on it. I can see the knowledge base every time I work on it.
Man you're right about the "traffic predator", which for me means avoiding the blockers and blocking situations, so increased safety and traffic flow (for me).
I've had my Carrera 4 for almost 5 years and it had 107K on the odo when I purchased it, and it now has 141K on the odo. The sunroof motor needed to be replaced, ignition replaced, and all 4 tires. Otherwise, everything else has been elective surgery
. No major issues
Unless you
meant
to say that
you
used to be a garage queen, it was a typo. But I think it's a riot either way. Heh.
I hope you have great luck with the car...but man, don't describe your home as an "estate" when you're asking for advice on your $25,000, 15-year-old car. It makes me envision future posts from you...
Yeah in hindsight the better words would be:
estate = "property" (it wasn't a farm, not that there's anything wrong w/that lol)
garage queen = "prisoner" of quarter mile 28-degree slope gravel driveway, plus half mile gravel road turned out to be unmaintained mud hole pot hole hell coz hillbillies refused to let government maintain it.
No seriously if I hit the powerball I'll throw a big RL 996 forum party every year to recognize the talent here, whatever music you guys want big stage jam, starting with Kalish and Alpine. But at some point I'm gonna have to slip in one ABBA song heh.
So I hereby officially sanction continued joking at my expense. I can take it. Everybody needs a good laugh. He11 I'll probably join in coz I know I got the best material coz I lived that sh*t. "Yeah hey butler see if you can't get past those coon hunters down by the gate even tho it's midnite cuz I need more oil." Let 'er rip.
If you don't have immediate issues requiring diagnosis, I'd go with the Bentley manual first. I bought the Bentley last year, will probably get a Durametric this summer.
Since you're just getting started, the Bentley would be my advice. It beats having to try to search forum posts with greasy hands. Plus, you can use the filthiness of the book as a gauge of how accomplished you've become mechanically.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
