http://www.986faq.com/10-0/problems.asp

Not without there problems after all.

 

I think in fairness these are common problems right back from the launch way back in 1996.
Although the 'bomb-proof' Porsche build quality is an urban myth Porsche are happy to keep alive.

Now Audi is the manufacturer with bomb-proof build quality.........

Simon

PS Had the loose change one on mine, but that's it (is there a touch-wood smiley?)

 

The "Whistle While Driving" problem listed on the above link, and helpfully explained as being caused by "Wind blowing over gap", was a common fault on early Boxsters. Appaling tolerance errors left a yawning chasm between the top of the hood and the roof rail, causing the whistling sound.

Of course this was a warranty fix, and how did dealers fix this?

You'd think the dealers used some Porsche supplied hi-tech German uber-precise jiggler to realign the hood front to the windscreen rail.

Well, actually, no. If they adjusted the hood front chances are they would have screwed up the delicate folding mechanism.

What Porsche dealers actually did (in the UK at least) was to get a nice thick piece of 4 by 2, align it against the windscreen siderails, and proceed to hit six bells out of it bending the siderail until it was back in alignment with the hood front.

Obviously the dealers won't admit to any of this and you've only got my word to go by, but the bloke who told me knows a thing or two about servicing Porsches.

Can't see Honda dealers doing this. (For a start they've probably not got the balls to try something like this...)

 

I'm not sure any manufacturer is bullet proof - take a look at the US Audi site for S4 woes. Sure, German and Japanese cars are more reliable, but the key is how the dealers handle any problems, and I think that's the big difference between them and the likes of Fiat/Alfa/Peugeot/Vauxhall.

 

and that's why I'll never consider getting a GTA even though it is achingly desirable... We're a pretty forgiving bunch when it comes to tolerating faults that appear: it's the way they're handled that worries us.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by steve_the_greek
[B]
I'm not sure any manufacturer is bullet proof -

 

Oh yeah I just remembered (not just being a post whore) Boxsters are made by a Finnish tractor maker (Valmat) which also makes Vectra's on occaision.

 

My Audi was fairly reliable (compared to the 'grale it was a dream) but when it did go wrong, the Audi dealers were absolutely terrible - I know some people have had problems with Honda dealers, but there are a few good ones, I never found a good Audi dealership. Many of us suffered from brakes which just didn't work in certain wet condidtions, not just the usual water on the disk problem, but a serious 'no brakes at all, poo my pants' type problem.
Audi UK were less bothered than the dealers when it came to my troubles, telling us it was normal for all cars to do this when the roads had been gritted, it was the salt they said - that is until several of us started driving round with large stickers in the back window of our cars "Water is Wet, Salt is Salty, don't get too close 'cos my brakes are faulty - and Audi UK don't care about it" - once they saw the pictures we sent them it was sorted double quick.

On the strength of this, I will never buy Audi again.

 

The dealers are apparently the reason that they sell Jaguars and Range Rovers in N America, but not Rovers.

In the late eighties, all of those cars were crap. Jag & RR dealers went out of their way to make amends, which turned out better in the long run than making problem-free cars!

Needless to say, the Septic Tanks take crap from no-one and the Rover 800 (aka Sterling) was ejected from the market after 18 months, never to return.

 

You are soooooo right. I spent a 4 month stint with ARCONA (Austin Rover Cars Of North America) as a 'flying mechanic' trying to fix cars that were about to be subject to 'Lemon Law' punative damages.

At one garage, the Sterling 'technician' was trying to diagnose an engine management problem with a battery, a light bulb and some wire The car was on its third ECU.

I fixed it by .... unpugging the main ECU connectors, LOOKING inside, straighten the bent pin, hook the thing up again. Voila $100,000 saved.

At the same dealers there was a guy who specialised in gearbox fixes for 911's. He could do a full rebuild in about 2 days, but the dealer charged for 5 days 'so people would know it was done properly'.

It made me blood boil