I'm considering a Porsche but was wondering if they made a reliable daily driver. I like to keep my cars for a long time which is why I ask if you can get up to 200k miles on one without any major engine rebuild or other big work. This of course assuming proper maintenance and this would not be used for racing. I’m interested in the naturally aspirated Carrera 4 models.

Does anybody know if the reliability of the 997 is better or worse than the 996?

 

I have close to 100K miles on mine.....I would say the build of the car is excellent, but do not get one without a warranty...my original engine was replaced under warranty at about 75K miles....I would say a 996 and 997 would be similar in reliability, they are based upon the same engines and chassis, not too much difference. If it were me, I would get a low mileage C4S from a porsche dealer, and get the certified pre owned warranty that covers the car up to 100K miles. This warranty covers most of the car and is not the same as an aftermarket warranty which usually covers less and has a deductable. I have not paid one penny for any issues with my car, all were covered by the CPO warranty including a complete engine swap.

 

I've had 2 996s with 4 trans. They may replace my trans again which will be 5 trans over two cars that had 30K miles total on them. I would not own one out of warranty...

Good luck.
Roy

 

the reliability of the 997 engine should be the same as the 996. the m97 engine is based off the m96 engine. it has shown that the m97 engine is also susceptible to RMS leaks.

good advice from newport. try to get one with a warranty, especially if you think a simple oil leak is a major defect.

a few of the early 996's were found to have bad metallurgy but were soon fixed.

they don't have valve guide problems like the old 993s have. now THAT is an expensive repair.

mine is a '99, 80K miles, no RMS, is my daily driver, regularly tracked and just installed a supercharger. i am that confident in the engine - or that crazy... .

 

pierre (who is on this forum) just had his engine changed at 130k miles ... but it's a 996TT and not an NA 996.

 

There is no reliability data on the 997, but as has been previously stated, the engine is based on the proven and reliable m9603 unit from the 996. Get the best and newest 996 that fits in your budget. Include an extended warranty for peace of mind and then enjoy the drive.

 

yipes! that's not good. the TT has the "better" race bred block and he only got 130K out of it?

 

Since turbos cook up the engine, it's unrealistic to expect turbo cars to last as long as NA. 130k mi isn't bad for a turbo. Typical turbo charged cars last 120-150k mi. Rarely do turbo cars last over 200k mi before a rebuild. Not to mention that 996TT makes over 400hp stock.

 

Not sure you can use Pierre's car as a go-by since he tracks the crap out of it.

I intend to put 20k miles/yr on mine (30k now) and intend to get to 200k.....lots of beltway driving.

 

I just had my 6 year anniversary with my year 2000 Porsche 996
with 43,000 miles. It's a daily driver and I run the _______ out it.
All I have done is change the oil once a year and put new tires on it. The secret is to warm it up properly before you put the hammer down...that includes smooth, deliberate shifts for the first
10-15 minutes...once all the fluids are nice and warm you can't hurt it....

 

Well, the engine wasn't shot, he just mentioned that the cost of repairs was such that replacing the whole engine made just as much sense, considering he wants to keep the car for a while ... and yeah, he drives it "properly"

 

what went bad with his engine? just curious.

 

I have a 2002 C2 which I have had since new. It has 103,000 miles on it. At one point, I believe I had the highest mileage 2002 911 in the world. But, I don't drive it too much anymore so, I'm not sure if that's still true. It's been a great car but, it's not a perfect car.

I haven't had any serious engine problems. The only thing that comes to mind is a broken water pump that left me stranded on the side of the road recently. Also, I had a few of the catalytic converters go bad (on warranty and off warranty).

The one odd thing is that it burns oil (by my definition - about a quart every 1400 miles). But, it's been the same since day one, regardless of how hard I drive it. Also, I don't think it's generating as much oil pressure as it used to so, I think it's getting "tired." But like I said, it burns the same amount of oil as day one which is odd.

I do all of the maintenance myself and do not think getting to 200,000 miles will be a problem. But, I won't be surprised at the occasional random thing going wrong. That's life.

I bought the car as a daily driver and have been very happy with it. The bottom line is I'd buy it again without hesitation.

b-man

 

90k on mine and runing great!!!

1999- 996 C2