Comments: 1-15, 16-18
Was hit by 17-year old driver on driver side rear quarter panel. While friends with similar problems in Germany got their car repaired in three weeks, the original estimate at IRA Porsche was two months.
The Boxster has now been at IRA (Danvers, MA USA) body shop for FOUR months.
Damage was not severe, however delivery times for some replacement parts over 1.5 months. Some due to bad design, others due to unknown reasons.
Example #1: The inner door panel and the side impact airbag are integrated. Thus, if the airbag deploys, the door panel has to be replaced too (hence, your interior will no longer match). Since the airbag contains explosives, it has to be shipped via sea-mail. With the time required to make and ship it, your door panel/side impact airbag will take at least 8 weeks.
Example #2: Air box and snorkel for engine. This part was not available in the USA for over 1.5 months by Porsches own admission. For some reason they were able to continue building cars...
These examples are simply not acceptable for a car that is currently in production, particularly when the factory is making twice-weekly deliveries to the USA.
Furthermore, the part delays do not account for the four month wait period alone. The body shop at the dealership evidently took a cavalier attitude towards the repair of the car.
All in all, I am terribly disapointed. Porsche let me down by not delivering current parts to the USA, the dealership has done the same by drawing out the repairs as long as possible. That the dealerships is now trying to cover its tracks is a further aggravation.
Thus, I would stay away from Porsche in North America. Evidently, the parts distribution network is a utter joke and if it is this bad for current parts, I don't even want to know what it will be like in five years. The IRA dealership also has a bad reputation in Boston (which I found about too late). I would steer a wide course around them.
However, when the car ran, it fulfilled almost all my wishes.
The PCM (traction control) helped a lot during cold slushy drives to work (I live in New England).
The engine is a lot of fun to drive hard and listen to. More power would be fun but in the US, what is the point unless you want to race on a course? (in which case you wouldn't use a Boxster as a basis anyway).
Shifting is smooth and short, don't really understand the point of shift kits.
The hard-top is a great idea in New England and other places where glass rear windows with defrost are a must in the winter. It's also very quiet with the hard top.
The Litronic (HID) headlights are a dream, really light up everything on the road for a long way out.
The Becker audio package is outdated. The DSP controls are a joke, the CD player does not accept CD's with MP3s, and the CD-changer is in the front luggage compartment. The indoor radio/controller unit has a cassette mechanism (how quaint!).
The folding roof has a PVC rear window in it, which requires a lot of tender loving care. Otherwise, it will split in no time, requiring expensive rework. A glass panel with defrost would have been appropriate in this price class.
Dealer Service varies with all makes. I'm fortunate to live within 20 minutes of four different Porsche dealers.
The rear window does require care but, I've only heard of one splitting and it was repaired quickly under warranty.
A heavy glass window is not appropriate in a sports car which, last time I checked, the Boxster is.
Unfortunately the consumers have stopped comparing vehicles on their merits instead, looking at price only. If you're looking for a luxury car, buy one. Porsche is a very refined sports car but it is not a luxury car.
If you're looking for luxury, you'd be better off with a Lexus or SLK.
So if Porsche do not include luxury, why are they so expensive?
Please don't tell me you pay for the engineering, because it is just not justified. I have been in several Porsches and the interiors are put to shame by GM/Ford let alone the likes of Mercedes.
Also how heavy is a rear glass window relative to other parts of the car - this hardly makes a difference.
The absence of glass in the convertible top has little to do with the car being a sports car and more to do with the fact that Porsche (until now) has been unable to integrate this feature into the Boxster. After all, every spy photo of the upcoming '03 model suggests a glass rear window. If you look over at Boxster Petes Message Board, a glass window is one of the most requested features that people are looking for. The loss due to weight gain is minimal compared to the benefits due to added durability, ease of service, defroster in the soft-top, etc. The lack of a glass window in the soft-top is what made me purchase the hard top (another $$$, heavy option) since driving in the NE of the USA during wintertime (this is a commuter car) necessitates a defroster. Besides, if I cared tremendously about weight, I'd go on a diet before I'd delete features in a car that I use every day.
Furthermore, I would argue that the Boxster is marketed as a sporty luxury car. Even the "S" version simply doesn't have the straight-line performance of a M3, S4, or somesuch - the engine is too anemic. The "pure" sports car you seem to envision wouldn't have AC, ten gazillion options to choose from at the factory that do little more than add weight and reduce performance. The fact that Porsche markets these options heavily and that they can *double* the base price of the car should escape no-one. Who but Porsche would charge $700 for a $12 footwell light or charge extra for cruise control, traction control (PSM), and other features that cost very little at the OEM level and are elsewhere included as standard?
Be that as it may, my biggest beef is with the North American replacement parts policy of the company. If a part is currently used in production, then it should be available almost immediately to the repair centers. This was simply not the case with the "housing" that was on national backorder in the USA for almost two months. Keep in mind here, the "housing" is a COMMON Porsche part, being used in the entire 911 and Boxster family. While it was nice that Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) phoned me up to regret the part delay, it did little to change the fact that a minor car crash caused by a minor had put my new Boxster out of commission for FOUR months.
While there are five Porsche dealerships to choose from in the Boston area, the consensus of the Porsche owners I have talked to is that none of them give the brand the attention it needs. People have gone as far as purchasing their cars in Florida where knowledgeable and kind staff are apparently in greater abundance. For example, I do not think it's excessive to expect the body shop to return phone calls. Yet I left over eight messages to four different people that were never returned. Is this standard? For some reason, I never had these problems with Mazda, in the body shop or the regular repair facility.
The "Customer Commitment Group" at PCNA did little better, breaking similar promises of getting back to me. PAG in Germany by comparison was very efficient, very professional. Thus, from my perspective, the place to own a Porsche is the EU, preferably Germany. The supply chain is shorter, the management seems committed to supporting the brand. The current state of affairs in the US is somewhat curious since Porsche sells over half of its production here. As I will drive the car primarily in the States, the lack of good Porsche support is making me reconsider my purchase. So, I will enjoy the Boxster in the EU for the next year, then things get a bit more interesting.
...oh and to add insult to injury, I noticed today that someone at the IRA body shop had removed three items from the car:
1) The registration (lost but had to be with the car when it was towed since the appraiser checks the registration).
2) The registration sticker (we only get one in MA and cut traces were hanging off the license).
3) The inspection sticker (mounted on the inside of the windshield - no traces remained). Since the inspection sticker cannot be removed without access to the car we now only lack a motive. Could it be revenge after I criticised the body shop for taking FOUR months to repair 37 parts on a current car?
Since this was a brand-new car, and since it had been put through an accident, we know the paperwork was complete when the accident happened... until the car was delivered to the IRA dealership.
Luckily, the police hadn't noticed that I was driving around with a '98 registration sticker before I did. As you can imagine, I wasn't terribly pleased when I found out. For what it's worth, the Porsche repair folks at IRA were pretty upset with the body shop and offered to pay for the registration and inspection fees.
I'm sorry Porsche allows entites like the body shop to claim an allegiance to the Porsche family values. Experiences like these will make people abandon the dealership and perhaps the brand altogether.
I've had my 99 Boxster for over two years and I've had nothing but trouble with it. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head:
Faulty battery replaced (caused major grief).
Faulty electronic switch in the handbrake causing the top to stop working (very embarrassing with the top partially down).
Engine replaced at 14100 miles (enough said).
All headlights and taillights bulbs replaced AT LEAST twice each at different times (very frustrating).
Air bag light has come on 3 times.
Sport design interior scratched/dirty and is impossible to clean (scratches on the back side of the seats are ridiculous).
Radio shuts off by itself and the display goes out at random, etc.
I can go on and on here.
Yes this is all warranty work, but I'm VERY worried about the costs after the warranty period is over.
My latest problem is with the rear window having creases and cuts.
I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with my car even though I know for a fact that not everybody has had the same type of experience. I don't know if I should be blaming Porsche or my dealership! I seriously doubt that I will consider another Boxster.
The car weighs 1329kg, so I doubt the omission of a glass screen has anything to do with saving weight. They clearly weren't too bothered in other areas.
I've owned my 98' Boxster for three years now (purchased used out of warranty in 2001) and have been very happy with it aside from convertible top issues that I was able to repair myself/tie rod ends, dealership replaced/battery, I replaced/bulbs behind digital speedo readout, I replaced.
When I go to the dealership to purchase tune-up parts I always see a few Boxsters being repaired in the shop. I ask the techs and the parts manager what they are in for and they tell me they are almost always in for oil leaks. Every Boxster in for oil leaks is a 1999 or newer model.
I drive mine everyday to work and frequently on weekends and that may be why I do not have the oil leaks (none) - according to the dealership and various independent porsche mechanics I have spoken to.
Think about it - if you layed in bed all week or all month and decided after that week of lying in bed, not moving, to just all of a sudden JUMP out of bed, run out the door and run as FAST as you could - how long before YOU would spring a leak? I may take the leap to a 911 but have not researched enough to decide on which year. I considered a 69'-73' but was told to stay away from anything before 86'.
There are many opinions as to the which is the best. I will probably go for the purest model with the most reliability - which may be around 87' What have you guys heard? Peace, Thanks, Cheers, David.
I'm a former enlisted Air Force ground equipment mechanic, turned intelligence officer and I would have to say I am extremely happy with engineering of my Boxster S. I have owned it for 5 months and it is a 2001 model with 55k miles on it, but for $25,000 (private seller) due to the old owner not really valuing the car and his anger at the costs of scheduled maintenance cause he drove it all the time, I could ask for nothing better.
The shear performance of this car is why people buy them. I have test driven everything short of the $70k plus super cars and no one makes a car as responsive, predictable or reactive to the driver coupled with the style, and status of owning a Porsche. Yes things break on cars, and I agree there are some service problems in places, but the dealership has been excellent for the few cosmetic parts that I needed to replace from when I bought vehicle although the price was a bit jaw-dropping for seemingly plastic parts. This to me is all negligible seeing I own a porsche at the age of 24 and am not close to being rich.
Also look at your soft tops, the way they fold and review in your mind the fact of why they originally were sold with plastic rear windows. It took Porsche a few years to rethink a way of re-engineering how the top would fold (as glass does not) without making the window itself smaller thereby increasing the drivers blind spot and low visibility with the top up. The hard top is a piece of equipment I am very soon going to invest in for both resale value, and the convenience of its removability.
I could ask for no better of a performing car.. My co-workers and I often swap for a day their new RX-8's, SLK 320's, GTO's, Corvette's, WRX STI's, and other new fast cars that intrigue the 20-30 something generation; they agree their cars bow in comparison. The cars all listed above have both high, and low points that you have to decide of which are important to you. It sounds to me though that the originator is not a compatible fit for this car based on circumstances and situation; but that is why we live in a country where we are free to buy, sell, choose, and drive what we find important.
In the end all that really matters, is that you have a vehicle that can get you from point A to point B for I have been to 12 countries in the world courtesy of my good friend and employer "Uncle Sam" where people still walk for daily food and water (one of those countries includes our own). Remember how fortunate we are to not only be raised in a society that has cars, but to be fortunate enough to have the skills that make possible to own a Porsche, cause in the end it's how we dealt with life's journey that matters most, not what we arrived at the destination in or if everyone was treated fairly. Enjoy your cars and enjoy your lives, cause rumor has it we only get to do this once, and its more fun to live happy and thankful than to complain and seem to be a victim of circumstance!
Amen, I own a 2001 Boxster and I love it. If you don't want the head ache of exspensive repairs and service buy a honda!
The Boxster is a true sports cars and likes to be driven. If you own a Porsche you know what I mean. Have fun and live life to it's fullest. AP~
The second post above mine, has spoken truths that many individuals within society look past. As we live in this First-world country blinded by all riches we really do focus on our "Wants". However, Half way across the globe many are still struggling to satisfy their daily "Needs". Please next time when you are driving that porsche, remember that across the globe a person has to settle for his feet as his transportation.
Sincerly
Cpl.Kam.
The Boxster's price is cheap, but you get caught easily with the repairs. Example, the brake replacement cost 600$ (normally, it's a lot cheaper with normal cars). I think Porsche manage to create a cheap price car so people who dream to drive a Porsche could (and eventually, get caught with the high sticker maintenance cost). Overall, the Boxster is a very good car if we compare the performance/quality, and people who would like to buy it shouldn't look at the price, but what they have in their pocket in case the car breaks down (no car is bullet proof).
" I have been in several Porsches and the interiors are put to shame by GM/Ford let alone the likes of Mercedes."
You mean you've been in several porsches in the dreams you have at night? No ford or gm will ever, and I mean EVER, come close to bringing us an interior comparable to that of a Porsche. Have you ever tapped on the dashboard of your beloved gm or ford and heard that cheap *clack* noise? Sure, if you're trying to tell me that ford or gm are simply better in the styling department then that's a matter of your crazy opinion and I'll leave you alone on that one. I just don't understand how in all the times you've "been" in a porsche, you've missed that rock solid, quality built feel. I've been in several porsches myself, and driven an '04 carrera 4S. Let me tell you, neither the cavaliers, nor the escapes, nor the Fseries trucks, nor the 2001 silverado we own even comes within 100 miles of that sort of a feel and build quality. When it comes to Porsche, there really is no substitute, they weren't lying. But if ford and gm are what do it for you, then that's what you should stick with.
I bought my 2001 Boxster at a non-porsche dealership. I've had it for 3 months and 11 days. My warranty was 90 days or 3,000 miles, I put 3,440 miles on the car.
While driving on the freeway it suddenly shut down, I had to coast off the freeway and park it, put it on a trailer and stick it in the garage until we could figure out what to do.
Today, over 2 months later, we put a new oil filter in and filled it with oil, only to have it completely leak out through the rear main seal. We have heard this is a common problem/defect with these cars. The engine is done!
My question is, how do I know if it can be rebuilt or if I need a new motor, and do I have any recourse, since it is a known problem/defect.
Please advise if you have any information that can help!
I can't believe it. The SAME THING happened to me when I bought this Chevy Suburban. The seller swore to me that it was a strong runner and it had several really cool bumper stickers so I took the plunge. Now, I'm still waiting for GM to answer my letter.
I'm glad I read this blog. I've been considering either a Boxster, Z3M, Z4 or M3. I now know that the Bimmer is the way to go. Too much drama with the Porsches.