I bought an '05 997S in Feb. I paid to extend the CPO by 3 yrs/ 36,000 miles. Very happy so far. I'm glad I got the 'S' because it came with a lot more as standard than the base.

 

I believe there is communication on the forum regarding IMS failure that states it depends on when the '05 was made. After March (?), the bearing was changed. I have an '07, the bearing is fortified and I have never heard of a failure on the later 997.1 models. But, nothing is 100% failsafe and my bearing can't be replaced without completely tearing down the engine. Because of the ability to replace IMS bearings in the early '05 models that may be the best way to go! Who knows?

In the back of my mind, I seem to remember someone who had a retrofit IMS failure. Best to search the forum for IMS in the title and read as much as you can!

 

I bought a used 2005 997S with 25k miles 3.5 years ago right after the manufacturer's warranty had expired on the car. I now have 48k miles and never bought an extended warranty. Personally, they're not for me - while one out of ten people may 'win' with an extended warranty, I think the majority end up coming out in the hole.

These cars are very reliable. The only mechanical failure I've had was an alternator cable. At $1200 installed, it wasn't cheap but I would have paid $3-4k for an aftermarket warranty to get that covered and that's the only thing I would have used it for. Keep in mind these warranties don't cover routine scheduled maintenance (spark plugs, coils, air filters, pollen filters, etc.). It just seems like a steep price to pay for peace of mind but then again I guess different people price peace of mind differently.

 

The IMS issue is way overstated. My Porsche mechanic (at the local dealership) talked me out of the LN bearing swap and stated that the failure rate is so uncommon that it would statistically be a waste of money. My 05 S has been problem free (nearing 20k miles).

 

Tarek I believe I saw your car in person in the AJs plaza - frank lloyd wright and thompson peak next to Flos about a week ago. Great looking car thought it was a turbo from the front! Good luck on the sale and the search for a newer one.

From looking at countless threads...and browsing ebay it seems that most mentions of IMS issues came from 05s (saw a couple eBay listing throughout the year that mentioned engine replacements in the 05s, never seen it in 06 and up on there). I picked up an 06 C2 loving every minute of it!

 

I've always wanted a porsche for my collection, you guys have talked about so many engine failure problems, i don't think its worth all the worry

 

Hopefully you're collecting cars which aren't depreciating in value.

 

Put it into perspective, it is the internet. What 21 posts here, maybe 250 active Porsche 996/997 members posting. How many failures, very very few. There are thousands and thousands of 996/97 cars out there. The IMS is an issue, get an LN replacement, monitor the filter, etc and motor basically worry free. Newer 997 ie 2006+++-2008 seem to be less effected.
I would buy another one in a heartbeat, prices are insanely low and they are better performing cars in every way over a 964 or 993 and personally I like them better. Most people still think mine is new, at least that is what they comment on all the time.

 

There is no free lunch. CPO from the dealer means you are paying up front. Save $10K and buy second hand, private party, non warranty. Odds are that you will come out ahead in case the motor grenades. I bought the first production run '05 C2S. It was out of warranty and had roughly 40K miles. It now as 60K miles and other than normal maintenance, it is running great. It's a daily driver and I'm not going to replace or upgrade the IMS. I see no need to upgrade or replace the IMS.

 

Agree w/ Sharkys. The IMS is not the ticking time bomb the internet would lead anyone to believe it is. Just check your oil filter on each oil change for any metallic flakes. There are warning signs months and months ahead of a catastrophic failure. Assuming you change the oil at least once a year and keep an eye on the filter, you'll know if and when it's time to replace the IMS bearing.

I've also heard that cars that had the IMS bearing failure typically had owners report a chirping noise upon start-up and shops incorrectly diagnose it as the starter going bad. Again, do your research, there are warning signs you can pay attention to without extended warranties or LN Engineering upgrades, and still enjoy your car!

 

I've had my 997s 05 for over 3 years no warranty at 29000 miles. Changed the oil 3 times and brake fluid twice since I've had it. Spent more on tires. However I plan to keep the car over the long haul and been considering doing the IMS next year. I'd rather use the $$ on PSE which I think I will do first then consider the IMS if I start to read more posts with IMS stories.

If this was a problem, wouldn't we see more 996s with blown engines?

 

I've had my 2005 997S for well over 5 years. Been out of warranty since 8/2008 and have experienced only maintenance expenses (ie. oil changes, filters, brake fluid replacement, plugs/coils, etc). Did replace the alternator cable due to slow cranking.

If you find a well maintained 2005 that is priced right I'd go for it.

 

Yup, that was me, i usually have coffee at that starbucks every morning! So were both in Scottsdale & looking for 997's...damn it loool...