OPC warranty on private purchase car

Hi, I'm sure this has come up hundreds of times, but please tell me briefly, if my '02 996 Targa I'm just buying is 50,000 miles, FPSH, how do I go about getting a warranty from Porsche. Presumably they check it all over, tell you it needs £xxxx spending on it, then I pay £xxx on top, then they give it 12-months warranty. Worthwhile or not? - I'd like the peace of mind, but not if it's telephone numbers. Thanks in advance. Tim

Hi Tim, Exactly, the car gets checked out by an OPC for £200 (or thereabouts) if it passes then you pay £895 and you get a warranty. If any work needs doing it's up to you (or the vendor) to pay for what needs to be done. BTW, welcome!

Depending on labour rates at your local OPC, they will do a 111 point check costing around £150-200. Anything that they find fault with will then have to be fixed at your expense before they will sell you a warranty. Then they will take £925 off of you for the 12 month warranty - which is a pretty good warranty it has to be said. I'll put money on it that they will find an 'RMS' leak that you need to fix before they will warranty it - that will set you back another Grand or so. I think as soon as you say 996, they automatically assume the RMS will be weeping, so will look for the merest trace of oil on the engine undertray: In my case I had spilt some when topping up, but they wouldn't warranty it until they had taken the engine out and replaced the RMS - so guess what, I don't have a warranty now, and I have done 40,000 miles since with hardly a drop of oil used!!! (and it hasn't been anywhere near that OPC since!) Anyway, welcome and enjoy (the car and here!)

Tim I have a very similar story. I bought an 01 996 C4 cab privately about a month ago. As part of the purschase I had Reading OPC do the 111 check. The vendor told me that they would say it needed the RMS replaced as they had when he bought it a year before. He did not have it done and there was not a drop of oil on his garage floor. Of course they said it needed the RMS replaced so I had no option but to have it done in order to get the warranty. I think it is just a 'free shot' to get money out of you but you have no choice if you want the warranty. On the upside, i have already had the indicator replaced on warranty and at OPC prices I dont think it will be long to get to the £895! Cheers Tim

Hi there. Only thing to add is that if you get the 111 point check done at the same time as a service, it costs a lot less (mine was £65 a few years ago).

If it's a major service, it's foc.

not if you are getting fleeced by OPC Hatfield at the time...

> not if you are getting fleeced by OPC Hatfield at the time I don't use Hatfield, but they are owned by PCGB and I know what you mean. Just to let everyone know that my OPC has just completed the major service, hasn't found anything wrong with the car and said they are happy to warranty it. No RMS issue, nothing. I'm not saying that there hasn't been some robust to RMS problems with some OPCs, it's just not been in my experience, that's all.

the other option is to take out a private warranty. I bought my car from GC Motors nr Wetherby and provided you service the car with them, you can buy a warranty from them (and "underwritten") by them for £600. They also sell an AXA warranty which is not as thorough as their own warranty for £500. The only downer with their own warranty is that all work must be carried out by them and not other specialists.

Thanks for all your advice. Can anybody suggest an OPC where I'm least likely to get fleeced. During my search for a car I visited Nottigham and I was received very poorly there. I live in the Midlands, but am prepared to travel... Thanks

Triff - also bought my 03 Targa from GC Motors too! ~ Maxie