Skwerl

I'm looking at getting a 997 this summer, ideally a C4S, and probably MY2006*. From my research, it appears that 997s are pretty reliable cars, assuming scheduled maintenance has been and is performed.

While I'd love a low-miles example, ones that fall in my budget seem to be harder to come by. Since it will be a daily driver (though <10k a year), I wonder, how do 997.1s last into the 50,000+ mileage range? Basically, what I'm afraid of is that everyone saying that their cars are bulletproof and totally reliable is talking about a 20k mile weekend car, while around 60k they start falling apart or something. Most cars in my price range have 40-50k, though I've seen a few odd cars in the 30s.

I'm just afraid of buying too much into the talk that a 997 is more or less quite reliable, getting a car with 48k miles, and then finding out a few months later that everything starts going kaput. What I'm hoping to hear is "I'm the original owner of my 997.1 and I've put 80k miles on it with no major issues" or "I bought mine with 55k miles and it's still running great, 40k miles later!"

I'm sure mid-mileage cars like those aren't just completely limping off the road into engine rebuilds or whatnot, but any probable big-ticket breakages that tend to happen? Major A/C repair, clutch repair, transmission stuff, etc.?

Related question: Are "modern" era Porsches in general more intrinsically reliable than "classic" era? Do modern manufacturing techniques tend to produce a higher bar for reliability than in the olden (993 and before) days?

(*I do know to avoid early 06s for IMS concerns.)

onefastman1

I'm driving a 70,000 mile car with no issues.

These cars are pretty bullet proof but with that said, always keep $2,500 saved up for a rainy day (clutch or something like that)

Hella-Buggin'

I have an 06 997S with 56k miles on it and its great. Sure, there's some battle scars and worn bits here and there but it runs great. I bought it with about 25k on it and have had some minor issues but no more than I've had with my audi that I bought new.

Deansdream

Had to get a new transmission and clutch @ 90k and shift cables @ 100k. Can't complain. I do a lot of track days - she's been good to me.

AceOfAces

Just over 50,000 miles here and the engine is purring perfectly on every drive out. I do have a few spots in the car where there is a slight rattling sound that occur randomly (sunroof, drive & passenger side doors). But its just a small thing that can be traced and fixed when I get around to it. Talking with my Porsche mechanic he says 997's are pretty bullet proof provided you follow the service intervals and as mentioned about you want to have $2500 readily available when that clutch starts going.

Otherwise "more miles more smiles" as they say! Good luck

kdurg

115,000 on mine. Daily Driver. No track time.

I replaced the clutch and went to a light weight flywheel at 60,000.

Water pump went at 90,000. Air and Oil Separator went at 110,000. Aside from these two items, it's been maintenance only. Brakes, Oil, Filters, Plugs, Coils.

Feed it fuel and drive it.

cibergypsy

53k on mine! Absolutely reliable. I have only had to replace the alternator cable, TPMS sensors and the driver door handle cable. Everything else has been maintenance and tires.

Skwerl

This is all good to hear. There's a bit of trepidation in the back of mind just because so far, my only other Porsche has been an 88 951. I bought it when it was 15 years old (2003) and had 120,000 miles on it, so naturally, it had some significant issues pop up during the 40k miles I've put on it over the past 10 years.

In my head I know you can't even compare the two (80s car vs 2000s, high mileage vs mid, older vs newer), but it still just made me wonder about the wisdom of getting a 40k+ 997. Sounds like I should be good to go!

Anyone else with anecdotes is encouraged to share, I've enjoyed reading people's experiences. I'll be sure to keep in mind that I need a couple grand in reserve just in case.

joelpirela

103,000 miles on mine. original clutch. (yes, I know how to drive stick LOL!)
I sold my 996 to a member here and it had 167,000 trouble free miles.

My 997 looks and feel better than new.

Mumbles

Don't you think for the price you pay for one of these cars they'd better %$#in perform, or look out !

IslandS52

75K here and doing fine. Original clutch. In my opinion, after 50K, the treatment the car has received by its owner or owners counts much more as to how the car will perform as it approaches 100K. Its a car, and a pretty well built one. If cared for, it will last, in not, then it won't.

Quadcammer

no it doesn't

Ben Z

I have about 47k on my '05 as of now, bought it with about 20k. I had some random rattles (mainly the sunroof, and fixes don't seem to last long) and a starter wire that caused the car to have trouble on hot restarts. Those were taken care of during CPO. I gave in to paranoia and had the IMS bearing changed out for the ceramic one from LNE, and got a new clutch while they were in there. The clutch was about 50% worn, so it was a toss-up but I decided to go with it. It did greatly reduce the pedal effort. I also gave in to paranoia and got a long-term bumper-to-bumper aftermarket warranty on it. I had one on my last car and it paid for itself and then some, so I decided to go with it on the Porsche. So far it paid out over a grand, but I still have another 3 grand to go, so time will tell. It's not so much I worry about major breakdowns as the fact that even the small repairs are quite expensive. A few of those can really mount up. $2500 as a self-insure reserve seems a bit low if what is meant is for the life of ownership.

The biggest issue I have thus far is deterioration from age. The paint used on the interior parts scratches off easily. I took the ashtray cover in to Home Depot and they scanned it and made me a little can of touchup that matches very well. And the carpets are fading. I probably should have had the rear and side windows tinted, I'm thinking of doing it now before it gets worse. I just don't like how it restricts vision at night. Recently I bought a custom-fit carpet mat for the rear deck from Suncoast, for $99 it's very nice, has the PORSCHE logo on it and everything.

And most recently, the seals in the A/C vents have begun breaking down from age and spewing out the vents. The dealer said the only real cure is to replace the evaporator box, and my warranty won't pay for it unless the evaporator is shot. The spewing seems to have stopped for the most part so maybe the worst is over. The dealer said it won't noticeably affect the A/C performance and so far it seems to be correct.

rvp325carrera

2007 C4S. 6 speed. 53,500mi. Daily. Car seat fitted for my 3 yo son...bought it CPO @ 44k.

So far, so good. BEST daily in the world. As long as I can afford to, I'll drive 911s.

Replaced: alt cable, battery, drive belt. Oil ch every 7500 mi is a MUST.

If u buy a 2006, do yourself the favor and really drive it. Sounds like you will. IMS bearing failure is a small, minuscule risk but more so on cars not driven. Don't increase load on tranny by up shifting too soon (ie, 6th gear by 50 mph).

Get the car. A Porsche is more solid than any BMW, Audi or Benz. No one questions them. Same applies to Porsches. Some people promulgate otherwise because of their personal experiences and ratio of Porsche-owners relative to others is quite small.

rsabeebe

'05 C2S - just shy of 68k miles. No issues or large repairs. Car has not been babied. Just make sure you have a slush fund for the unexpected.