1983 Porsche 928 S review from North America

The fuel pump relay went out at 120,000 miles.

The axle nuts on rear wheels became a little loose at 140,000 miles.

The water pump failed at 181,000 miles.

The leather dash is warping at the vents.

This car is the best car I've ever owned.

When I first thought to buy one I was told it would be a maintenance nightmare. It has turned out to be the most reliable, and overall, least expensive to maintain car that I've ever had.

Granted that parts prices are very high, the parts are also very, very good parts. If something breaks it will be expensive to fix, but that's a very big If.

I bought the car with 119,000 miles on it and during my first two years of ownership I only spent $49.00 in unscheduled maintenance.

I, however, believe that you must study this car. I've noticed that what would sound like a serious problem on another car is the sound of a very minor problem with this car. For instance I started hearing rear wheel bearing noise at around 140,000 miles. My mechanic told me that the axle nut was a little loose and that it was a common problem with the car because it takes an extraordinary amount of torque to tighten the nut. A less scrupulous or knowledgeable mechanic might have changed the wheel bearings.

Something else I've noticed is that if you want to keep your repair bills low you need to drive the car a lot.

I've observed from my own car and from email lists and reviews, that if you buy a 928 that hasn't been driven much you're asking for trouble.

The cars performance is great. The handling is the best I've experienced and the power is great. I've taken this car on various 2000+ mile trips in the U.S. and it performs beautifully. It's especially good going through mountain passes.

Oh, yeah, my wife lets me own this car because I can put the kids in the back.