How reliable are 996 porsches?
 

Hey guys, I want everyones input on this. How realible are the 996's and what has everyone replaced or had problems with??

RE: How reliable are 996 porsches?
 

i did a lot of reserach on them before buying mine.

The 996 (and most 911 deratives for that matter) seems to be very durable if maintained well, but your worst nightmare if neglected. By durability I mean it lasts a long time and doesn't wear out quickly. Reliability (not breaking down unexpectedly) is also very good but i got an indication that compared to US cars, the owner had to actively inspect the car once a week or so: we should all do this with all cars but few do: spend 20 minutes or so looking it over, poking and probing for incipient trouble.

Parts aren't that expensive (I was surprised, expecting them to be in proportion to the cars price, but they cost about what parts of the vette or a cadillac would) but labor is very pricey, partly because I think Porsche-certified folks charge a lot, and partly because I think some service work takes more hours than on other cars (e.g., a vette). I have a private hot rod shop that has no Porsche experience but really good mechanics (they do my other two cars) work on mine: they charge a reasonable rate and i trust them. Two things I cannot say about my dealer.

The cars are also very sensitive to wheel alignment: both handling and tire wear can be greatly affected by the alighnment, and of cours e with the Porsche suspension, all four wheels have to be aligned -- its costs about 100$ but is worth it. The difference it can make in feel and handling is substantial. Also, a car can wear out a set of tires in less than 5000 miles if poorly aligned. I know, my ncar was delivered new, but as a demonstrator (with 2500 miles), by the dealer, at 5000 it had wore out the two rear tires because it was riding on the inside edges. $320 a piece. Ouch.

Slightly related, I have noted that the car's "feel" can be greatly altered by tire pressure. I am currently running 40 all around (right in the middle of the recommended range), and the car feels more balanced than with 36 in front and 40 in the rear, which my dealer had set it at for some reason.