VIN Trace - 2005 (996) Carrera 4s

Hi,I would appreciate it if anyone could give me any advise on tracing a car. I'm currently living in Dubai, UAE and I'm thinking of buying a 2005 Model (996) Carrera 4s. It's a stunning car and in showroom condition, however, I'm having trouble tracing the history of the car. The car was imported from Germany, so the Porsche dealership in Dubai does not have any record of the car. I have the VIN (vehicle identification number) - WPOZZZ99Z5S600567. I understand what the code means, so I can tell it's definately a 996, 2005 model, produced in Stuttgart but that's about it. Does anyone know of a service or Porsche centre that can trace the history of the car with this VIN code? It's a lovely car but without finding out its history I can't bring myself to buy it, for all I know, it could have been damaged recovered or even stolen. Many thanks, Craig Migration info. Legacy thread was 112514

I think you probably need to get in touch with Porsche Germany. If you give them the vin number they may be able to give you the details of the inital dealer. Hope this helps. Migration info. Legacy thread was 112519

W - West Germany PO - Porsche ID ZZZ - packing characters, ignore 99 - first of the three model identified (e.g: 993 / 996 etc) Z - packing character, ignore 5 - model year (e.g.: 2005) S - Stuttgart manufactured 6 - last digit of model '99' from above plus '6' makes it a '996' 0 - coupe body type 0567 - vehicle identifier. So yes, it's a 2005 996. If you want more detail, you'll have to write to Porsche AG. As for stolen / repaired only a few countrys (like the UK's HPI) operate this kind of service - TUV in Germany provide a VIN verification service and do record theft but not damage / recovery. Any OPC (Porsche dealer) in the country where the car was ORIGINALLY supplied should be able to tell you the service history of the car - whether they will, due to data protection requirements is another matter. HTH Philip Migration info. Legacy thread was 112647

Thanks, for your advise. I'll certainly try and find out more information from Porsche dealers in Germany. Craig Migration info. Legacy thread was 112778

Craig, If you can get hold of the service book, it should be stamped with the details of the dealer who originally supplied the car - let us know how you get on Philip Migration info. Legacy thread was 112782

Philip, I've requested the full service history and pervious owner of the car, also the exporter and importer of the vehicle. The more I think about this car, the more things don't add up. I viewed the car over the weekend and realised that the rear passenger side wheel is different from the other 3 wheels! The odd wheel is a turbo styled wheel, while the others have Techno wheels. I know the Techno wheels were an optional extra but it doesn't explain why one should be missing. The garage selling the car can't explain this and just said it was imported like this. I'm guessing it takes quite a lot to break an alloy, so it's possible it could have been in an accident. Craig Migration info. Legacy thread was 113029

It's the original 'service / warranty book' you want to look at - it should be with the car in the owners pack with the driver's manual etc - if it's missing - I, personally, would walk away. Yes and no - a wheel may have just been curbed or damaged on a pot hole (my wife went through THREE!! on her Mini Cooper S in six months!). If there's a "story" with a car - there's a reason to be careful. Good luck Philip Migration info. Legacy thread was 113040

I've ran away rather than walked away! They can't provide the service history, warranty book, pervious owner and the exporter. They can't even supply the receipt from Dubai customs to say it was imported from Germany. There is something seriously not right with this car. Oh well, better to find out now, than buying a lemon. Cheers Craig Migration info. Legacy thread was 113706

Bad luck But it's always better to be safe than sorry - too many cars are stolen in mainland Europe and the UK - only to find their way to the Middle East where buyers don't ask questions and trackers don't work :evil: Try getting involved with the Porsche Club UAE lot - http://porscheclubuae.com/ and hook up with the nutters on the 'Speed Trip' - they'll tell you what's for sale and where and who is safe to buy from :wink: Good luck and keep us informed when you find something Philip Migration info. Legacy thread was 114177

Migration info. Legacy thread was 114178