996Pilot

Found a 2005 C2S Cab Arctic Silver w black all leather with 20150 miles. Not heavily optioned but has PASM , Nav, 19" wheels, wind stop and clear bra. Clean in and out, clean CarFax (but of course it'll have to pass a PPI). Here's a couple of issues that are nagging at me --- 1) Only one key (all manuals complete), 2) "Service Now" light is on - why?? dealer says it's cause it's 5 years old and/or 20,000 miles and claims the dealer will charge $1500 to $1700 to do this service. 3) Dealer (not P-Car dealer) only offers a crap aftermarket warranty (company called PRco) at $1700 to $3500 depending on coverage (but researching this company everyone says "run away") so I'm thinking of purchasing an EasyCare warranty to cover possible instance of RMS/IMS issues.

The opening asking price (dealer just got this in this week) is $52,800 so I'm thinking if PPI checks out, there's some discounting that needs to be had for a second key (how much?), service that (in my opinion should have been done before the car was put on the lot for sale), and whatever else I can get them down. I'm thinking if it checks out and I can get them to an even $50K this might be a pretty good deal. The car is tight (as it should be for the mileage) and drives great with new Michelins all around.

ALL of your opinions are VERY welcome. Thanks in advance.

Dan

Edgy01

If you jump on this make sure the second key is in the contract. (Just make sure the words are in there). Let them sort it out later. Worth about $400 or less to have that resolved. Prices of 997s have been coming back up since a low about 18 months ago. I'm not a big fan of the MY05 cars because they have several issues with them (as the first production year of the 997) Keep in mind that there are many cars out there that are CPO'ed by real dealerships so there should be more to pick from.

MLindgren

The required maintenance should be nowhere near $1500. Call a dealership first to confirm-then use their price as a bargaining chip against them.

996Pilot

I've heard this but only anecdotal - I'm still trying to get some specifics of the MY05 "problems". FWIW, I had heard that regarding the '99 996 which I purchased and was trouble free for the entire time. I've heard folks having trouble free MY05's as well. So - please - specifics on the unique issues of the MY05 if there are any? What on the MY05 got solved on the MY06 (since MY06 is probably the limit of my budget for a C2S Cab equipped the way I want it)? Also, what problems specifically about MY05 should I be looking at to be covered in an extended warranty?

I know the theory of buying the latest MY you can afford but the caveat here is buying the latest MY that is equipped just the way you want it.

Thanks

Dan

fer2367

run....plenty of cars and this one doesn´t smell right: key missing, not serviced, dealer is asking too much for service and warranty...I would not do it. Regarding the model year question, based on my experience with a 2005 Carrera S Coupe, I had no issues whatsoever, so i can recommend an 05 as long as it has been serviced and taken care of.

rpalomo

i wouldnt buy it for the price...for a few grand more u can prbly pick up an 06 with warranty from a porsche dealer

yemenmocha

It is still a buyer's market. I would pass unless this is exactly the car you want.

STATMAN

The only specific problems I've ever heard of that are unique to the 2005 are: (1) the "wiggle" issue (certain early S PASM cars seem to wiggle a bit under acceleration in the sweepers). This was caused by incorrectly mounted bushings in rear lower control arms, but was easily resolved under a TSB; and (2) some early 2005s could not play MP3s.

I've not had any issues with my 2005 S cab, and my car was not affected by either of these 2 known issues. I think the notion of "first-year-of-production problems" with this car is a myth.

socalsteve

Does not seem like a great deal (overall).

I paid just a couple thousand more for my 2007 Coupe with 16,500 miles, CPO'd.

It had an MSRP of $78,000.00.

Just an FYI.

Good luck!

Steve

PS: Keep looking!

Zdascope

Don't go for that car. You can get an 06 C2S for that money. With 2 keys! And I wouldn't touch a car with a CEL on. I don't care what excuse the dealer gives - it's going to cost money!

Edgy01

First of all, what others are telling you is precisely correct. You can get an 06 for that kind of money. There were issues with the rear suspension being assembled wrong on the MY05 cars, along with a more limited capability PCM (could not play MP3s--a big deal for many of us--that didn't arrive on the scene until 06). A myriad of electrical gremlins, like premature from trunk opening from too much static in the air near the front trunk switch. If the car wasn't well serviced I suspect many things that SHOULD have been fixed under warranty were not.

I wouldn't want to buy one of those from a non-Porsche dealer. The price they are quoting for a 20,000 mile service is totally insane. I didn't my own and it cost me the price of oil, an oil filter, a cabin filter, and an engine air filter. All total about $125 for parts. Anything above $250 for that service is stealing.

dD/dt

I'd pass.

Cars this age at indy dealers are typically auction buys. They probably have $40k in it. The 20k service is fairly simple, and they didn't bother to do that before asking $50k+ for a car.....? That shows their level of commitment to anything besides profit. There are better deals out there.

sharmat

To the OP, seems like you have your answer on this one. True the dealer should have done the 20k service before selling it. And as far as the Check Engine Light is concerned, the dealer should know better than that.

As far as looking in to 2005 cars, the things posted above are true. Also there was a new IMS (shaft) introduced in 06 as the earlier ones were prone to failure. And the RMS (rear main seal) was also revised in the later cars.
That being said, I have a 2005 and never had an issues with IMS/RMS werid electrical gremlins excessive oil consumption and such. It was the car I wanted for the price. Guess I got lucky with it.

996Pilot

OK - got it. I was probably just looking for confirmation of my suspicions and you all have given me that. With that said, I'm sure not seeing any MY06 out there in the low 50's - especially the S model. Best I'm seeing for C2S CPO Cab with low miles (I'm looking for below 37000) is in the high 50's to mid 60's while non-S versions of the same seem to be in the mid 50's to high 50's. This doesn't seem to just be a SoCal situation as I'm looking nationwide.

Thanks --- Dan

dD/dt

Dan

Best of luck with the search. I finally bought new last fall when I realized that the deals were incredible, and most sellers of used 997's weren't being realistic about what the used cars were actually worth in that climate.

The situation's leveled out a bit since then, but keep a few things in mind. First, the others are right about the market firming up. A year ago, a glut of new inventory really depressed prices across the board. Second, this is the most expensive time of year to buy, especially a convertible. Third, if you're ready to pull the trigger, especially with cash, don't be shy about insulting people with an offer that's what you want to pay, and not what they want to get. Finally, as hard as it seems to find just the right car, I promise you the sellers feel even more burdened trying to find a real buyer.

Alex