As a 996 owner (my wife's actually) I've seen the result of this goodwill following the IMS saga. What was true in every documented case where Porsche stepped up and replaced the failed engine outside of warranty was that the dealer went to bat against PCNA for the owner who was a long time "good" customer (multiple P-Cars purchased and all maintenance done by the dealer).

Regardless of if they should treat any customer any differently or not, having a good relationship with your dealer can have a benefit even with warranty work (e.g. they actually attack the issue rather than giving you the "can't reproduce" response).

So there is indeed a benefit. Which makes the real question "is the benefit worthwhile".

The Cayenne is our second new P-Car from the same dealer (though things have since gone south so my future money goes elsewhere) and part of the purchasing decision was based on how well they've taken care of us with the 996 over the 12 years we'd had it to that point (though it was only warranty and major services that they did).

All that said, however, for me there is no amount of good will that covers an almost $400 OCI. The math simply doesn't work as the savings I get from DIYing through the life of the warranty just about covers the cost of a replacement motor should I have to pay for it out of pocket. Since I think the odds are good that I won't need a new motor for it unless I do something stupid, I don't see the value in pouring money down a useless hole (now if I was a 991 GT3 owner.... ).

 

Yep, agree with all you are saying and it is indeed a discussion is it worth while. I think the only thing I'd argue is that that "benefit" if a relationship with a dealer is just so hit and miss..

I think any good dealer will go to bat for you.. not just because you bring your car in once a year.. but they want future business.. And I think a crappy dealer will do nothing for you even if you spend a fortune with them for years.. And even the good will that accumulates becomes as useless as airline freq flyer miles in an instant when the dealer changes hands..

 

Indeed and the "goodwill" might just be dying out altogether as it seems that dealerships of every brand are getting bought up by nationwide groups rather than still being locally owned.

I forget who it is off the top of my head, but I found out after the fact that my purchasing dealer is just such a subsidiary and my post purchase experiences go right along with what I've since read about that group. So much for ~14 years (it took us 2 years to get the 996 build slot) of that relationship.

Although on the flip side the dealer that is closer to me which while being the largest dealer in the area had a horrid reputation (which is how we ended up buying in MD rather than VA). They were bought by Penske and it seems like they have gotten their act together and corrected a lot of the problems with that dealership. I'm still leery, but I'm warming to them.

It goes beyond dealers though. I mentioned Intersport in another post. My issue with them is that I had a friend who picked up a slightly used 993 targa in 98. Since then she had Intersport do all of the work. During her divorce last year she decided to sell it since she didn't want to street park it. I didn't make an offer to her as the best I could do was 25 and I knew that was way low for the current value. I found out later she sold it to them for 20 and then found that they posted it for 40 (probably got in the 35 neighborhood). I understand needing to make a profit, but to me almost doubling what you paid for it on the back of a loyal and good customer sucks in my opinion (though also her fault for not having a better idea of what her car was worth).

 

Hello from FRANCE
price and description for maintenance
new service porsche DEALER exclusiv for the french customer

http://www.porsche-sav.fr/

the maintenace in USA are much cheaper than France

exemple for 997 c4






but no disponible for 991 ....
bye

 

I just went through this too and started a thread last week or the week before. The bottom line for me was I took it to a local oil change place that did the labor for $40. I got the oil and filter for him. He said it was easy.

 

it is a good perspective, but you can only compare apples to apples.. There is so much built into costs based on the geography and country and what is customary.

And it goes back to the comments I consistently hear on these boards.. that goes something like: (This is my interpretation):

"You should be happy with paying way more than something is worth, because you already paid too much for the car in the first place. And even what you are paying (i.e. $400 for something that is worth $150) is less than I paid for my Ferrari (Bentley.. whatever more expensive car that I couldn't afford in the first place).. "

On the surface there is a reasonable premise: It is part of the cost of that kind of car, and to a certain extent I agree.. People buy homes and don't factor in the costs of taxes and upkeep etc.. the "real" cost of things..

But the reality is there is little difference between an oil change for $50 or one for $500.. And there is very little difference between a Scion and a Porsche in that regard.. You open a plug.. wait until it stops running out.. screw on a new filter, put the plug back in and fill up with oil. Just about any mechanically inclined nimrod can do it..

So paying more than something is worth, doesn't make you reasonable it makes you willing to throw money away. Hell I'd rather give the difference to charity than give it to a dealer.

 

What local dealers or independents do you recommend, based on your experience? (I am a very new Porsche owner - I have only dealt with Porsche of Arlington and Porsche of Tysons so far...)

 

Honestly I can't. I've been doing the DIY route on the Cayenne so far (other than 1 OCI where I really didn't want to drive to my MIL's house in WVA where I'd still have to do it outside while it was snowing) and the 996 is waaay behind on it's up keep.

We used to use Curry's, but as they turned into a chain their quality went downhill and after they got bought out they really went to pot.

As mentioned I won't use Intersport on principle, but they have a good reputation.

I live right around the corner from IMA in Chantilly and have heard good things about them. The owner was a bit arrogant when I wanted to get my Cayenne dynoed to test a tune that he didn't develop. When ever we get our act together on the 996, this is who I intend to try out.

For dealers I think it was Arlington that wanted the $675 for the CD's OCI (and I've generally had bad experiences with Rosenthal dealerships), Rockville is who I bought it from and won't go back to, and Tyson's had a horrible rep under their old HBL name but has improved under Penske.

 

Dont' feel too bad, a friend of mine just went in for his first oil change at the only Aston Martin dealership in the area.....$1750 and he just has a Vantage $150K MSRP

Personally at a dealership near me for Porsche I was quoted $450 for Tier 1 oil change, $600 for Tier 2 and what they "recommended" Tier 3 which was $770 The funny part was each tier just added "checking" and running "tests"...horrible way to burn money IMO.

Like others have suggested, it's best to find a reputable company that works on these cars, the dealer pricing is outrageous, specially if you are in one of those markets like the Va/dc area....and it's nothing compared to other brands.

 

Thanks for the info! IMA is right around the corner from us, too.

 

I'm trying these guys next week http://www.sportscarshopinc.com to install my springs and do an alignment, I can let you know how it works out.

I tried Intersport who I know well and they were 2x the price.

 

Thanks!

 

I just did the research about a month ago and while it's a lot for an oil change I choose and will continue to choose a dealer service.


So I'll pay the dealer price because:
1) I want the dealer I choose to be "in business" the next time I need them. they can and do go out of business.
2) if I take it to an indy and the engine blows up the following week what kind of legal battle would I have to gear up for? would that be worth the difference?
3) Fletcher Jones in Fremont CA is definitely worth the price for excellent service. Gunter is great. I bought the car there and while I live 75miles away with 2 Porsche dealers closer I take my 911 back to them. if something were to go south I have no doubt that they would own the situation until it was rectified.


On a side note I have an around town beater 2009 Scion XB. I had the Toyota dealer spring a 600.00 new oil pan needed repair on me because their tech stripped the oil bolt. They attempted to blame the damage on the previous oil service shop.


When I told them that "they" were the last "oil shop" to touch that bolt the service writer was shocked and went to the service manager and they covered the oil pan.


It was humorous watching the gears in the writers head grind up. He couldn't think of anything to say.


The bottom line here is that chain of custody or service in this case can be key in a case like this. in my case it was.

 

Pfaff Toronto quoted me $899 for the 2 year service.

Oil change
Full Vehicle check
Clean sunroof gutters

Are they insane?????

 

This applies to any services at higher-end dealerships IMO.

Like "gnat" pointed out, you shouldn't have any issue with doing these things in your garage (I still remember getting a warning letter for not putting away my trash can after service).

Out of curiosity, which dealership is this? I personally recommend Rockville.