Greetings everyone,

My 2010 Panamera 4S suffered a rear-end accident during my commute a couple of months ago. There was no question about who was at fault (the rear-ender) and the basic claim was settled that day. The insurance company of the offender is USAA which I believe to be pretty reputable. I had repairs done by one of the few Porsche-certified shops in Denver - Stuttgart. This car has 37K miles right now and was $130K MSRP. It's is pristine other than this new, $15K-blemish. I can't imagine that this incident will escape CarFax (forget AutoCheck which is a given) when I think about resale. I am going through the diminished value claim process right now but I have no idea how much relief that's going to provide to me.

My question to this group is about maintaining the provenance of the service records after this accident. It was due for it's biannual "major" service interval which is basically spark plugs, oil and brake flush, and filter changes. The front brake pads are at ~5mm at this point and need to be changed soon, but the local Porsche dealership wants $1,500 for that work when I know I can get it done with OEM parts by a German specialist in the area for less than $1,000.

I like having Porsche-certified service done overall, but a brake pad replacement job seems inconsequential to me in that respect, when I can save $500+ by choosing a cheaper (but clearly-qualified) alternative. With my long-term prospects for resale and given the inevitable accident report, I don't feel like it's essential do all service at a Porsche dealership. With a now-saddened heart and knowing my own selection process as a private buyer, I feel like my only eventual and real prospects for resale are wholesellers who won't care much about a brake replacement (or similar commodity service) being performed by unofficial shops.

In my personal buying process, I would never even consider any example that has a reported accident in its history, which is what's driving my decision here. Am I making the right decision by opting for cheaper alternatives for these types of basic services going forward, or should I stick with the ordained, Porsche-only service path for all needs, to ensure ROI upon resale?

Thanks,
Toof

 

my personal option is having service records is what counts, not so much if it was done by the dealer or a good shop.

 

Agreed ,, just do the services. Don t worry so much about the value and just enjoy the car. Who know s if the accident will ever even come into play with your departure from that vehicle.

 

I'm in agreement w/ the comments posted above - keep good service records and use high quality parts but don't be afraid to use a good indy. I'm in the Denver area and have found a good one that only does work that's required. I got a quote to do brakes all the way around and it was $2k, but it included pads and rotors. $1,500 for pads is insane IMHO.

As long as Stuttgart did quality work and you can't tell the difference anymore, the sooner you can get over the incident the better. You might be the only one that knows it's been hit and years down the road it will hopefully have a minimal impact on your resale value. Enjoy the car and watch for those crazies out there!

 

Thanks for confirming, everyone. @skiracer13, if you can provide the name of your local resource I would really appreciate it. German Imports Auto Repair on Jordan just south of Arapahoe Rd in Centennial is the shop I'm looking at right now. They have a good reputation and they're nearby.

 

I go to Berg Performance in Arvada - Doc is Porsche factory trained on the Panamera and is great to work with - no surprises.

 

Great. Thanks for the reference! Arvada isn't too bad from downtown where I work!

 

That's even closer than I am - a short Uber ride away. PM me if you'd like Doc's email as it's the best way to contact him.