I saw a previous post mentioning many times a PPI and the concern around engine life. I am contemplating my first Porsche purchase- a 2004 996 4S with a little over 19,000 miles from a dealer and the car is CPO..... So my question is

1) should i be concerned about engine life in with the 996?
2) should i get a pre purchase inspection

many thanks as i would love to hear your thoughts

R

 

Tricky since you are looking at a CPO. So you should be covered to 2014 or 100k I believe right?

Personally if a true Porsche CPO then I wouldn't worry too much. Engine is definitely covered.

Go for it!

 

Having the car CPO pretty much covers everything. Go for it.

 

I think you can accpet the CPO as coverage/evidence that the main components are ok. But don't assume that someone has gone through the car and made sure that all the buttons/switches/lights are working. So, take your time, go through it slowly and make sure everything works. Heater controls...lights...radio....wipers/delay....cruise control....electric mirrors...heater/defroster....etc.

The sales person is supposed to go through the car and show you how all the buttons work anyway, so it's fine to have that person guide you through....checking that each one really does work. (do this prior to closing the deal....just let him/her know that you're ready to close the deal and want to go through the interior)

For example, I bought a 993 with a CPO and a few weeks later determined that the air conditioner controls weren't working properly. It wasn't covered by the CPO. Since I hadn't caught it before the deal closed, if I wanted it fixed, I had to pay for it. (It was made more challenging because the sales person had said the CPO just extended the regular factory warranty. It doesn't. It's a "named coverage" rather than a "named exclusion" warranty.)

Anyway, the time to have any last things fixed is (as usual) before the sale. At least you don't need to worry about major things like the engine or transmission. (You can even secretly hope they Blow before the CPO is up so you'll get the latest improvements!)

Good luck....it should be a nice car.

 

By the way, one of the first things you should do is join a local chapter of the PCA and attend a "drivers skills" day where you can take the car on a skid pad, try accident avoidance, etc. -- and better learn how it handles.

If you tend to be a "spirited driver"--then attend the "driver's education" (track) days. You'll be able to ride with experienced instructors at speed. It's worth it for your own well being as well as the satisfaction of being able to finesse more of the car's capability.

 

^^ +1

 

If well maintained there should not be a concern with engine life. Yes do a PPI. The PPI should be done by Porsche dealer/an independent Porsche specialist and it should be perfect with such low miles.

As you may/should know, under certain conditions, because the motor is in the rear, you may experience 'reverse (or trailing) throttle oversteer (i've never had it happen in 996). As mentioned above, seat time would help a lot.

Good luck.

Regards,

Bernard

 

To give a car a CPO warranty, the dealer has done an inspection and replaced any necessary items needed.

If you trust the dealer, you should be fine.

Otherwise, ask to have an independent inspection done by an indy.

 

I'd say that it is a toss up. If the dealer has a good reputation and you can get a history of the car, I'd say you do not need a PPi.