I am considering a 2006 911 Carrera S. Are there issues, concerns, gotchas that I need to watch out for and consider before I stick with this year and type? I keep hearing about the IMS bolt and it seems like 50/50 from folks to be concerned/not concerning. IS this the biggest issue to be concerned with? I also have seen a lot of folks that track this model what is the impact of tracking on the longevity as I won't be tracking.

Thanks. Just want to make the right decision.

 

Everyone says get a PPI, Pre Purchase Inspection, with a dealership that is not selling the car with a paint meter to see if there have been any accidents. A DME for the engine to see if there are any over revs above 4. I also read that 2006 is much better than 2005, but early 2006 could still have the DME and IMS issues. If you search, someone provided the VIN or month to look out for. And stick with Manual cuz Tip sucks. Yes, I contributed to the forums! OH, and get CPO, Certified Pre-Owned, if you can. If it's not CPO, you can work it into the sale. But only get Porsche CPO, people have said others are not that great in covering things.

 

I have a 06 S with 28,000 miles nail every gear at 4k + rpms all day and the cars been solid knock on wood. I got the car with 1000 miles bak in 06. I think the 06's are solid heard 05's had problems.

 

Do a PPI on every serious candidate and try and get one with all service records and ensure all TSBs have been addressed by the dealer. '05 IMS issue can be repaired/retrofitted easily, '06 though redesigned is still susceptible to IMS failure, but IMS cannot be repaired/retro fitted without cracking the case. CPO is your call. If you can't stomach a major repair bill and want to hedge, then get a warranty. One pays a premium upfront for the CPO anyway. Going private party with CPO/Warranty could potentially be a better deal so to speak as you should expect to save $8K - $10K from the start. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a used 2005 from a private party with no warranty and I'm not at all concerned about an IMS failure. When you buy a used car, expect the worse. If the engine goes, then a new engine gets put in - simple as that.

 

I have an '06 since new, now with 48K+ and not an issue (fingers crossed)

A PPI from a well qualified indie would be the way I would go if I was buying preowned...

Matt

 

What littlerocket says is right. After my PPI, the dealer found a small leak and repaired the Rear Main Seal under warranty - so the PPI paid for itself. They had some other recommendations, but slowly getting those addressed (rear tires and brake flush). Mine was a private party and the dealer said that they could do the CPO, but they tried to add additional work totally over $2K before they would CPO it (on top of the cost of the CPO @ $3200) - so they tried to pull a fast one on me. I ended up getting an a warranty through a Porsche Dealer - call a few of them and shop around - I negotiated a warranty for 6 additional years and up to 100K miles for $2200. Of course the warranty is optional, but it was for my piece of mind and I can get a good nights sleep. Last thing is sure a private party purchase is a bigger headache, but I ended up saving close to $10K compared to the dealer pricing with the warranty. Good luck with your purchase!

 

Please tell us where u goy your warranty for $2200 for 6 yts. Thats a great deal !!

 

2006 Carrera S with X51. No problems whatsoever with 39k miles on it. Not a leak in sight. Mine was a March, 2006 delivery.

 

I have an 06s with 39k on it. Bought it used with 25k. I got a CPO warranty and suggest you try and do the same. I haven't had anything major but its used and a complex machine. Things wear out. My clutch went shortly after buying it, front radiator fan went out, rear spoiler drive started to go.

All in all, great car. I never worry about it not starting and driving like a bat outa he!!

I drive conservatively until the oil reaches 200 and then shifts over 6k are routinely achieved.

Good luck with the hunt!

 

Some known issues with 2006's:

RMS leak
Starter cable (go to start car, click... nothing.. works 2nd try)
Whisling passenger mirror >50mph (only noticed it with the top down)

My car had all 3 fixed under warranty. No issues since.

 

B+ Battery cable on 2006 C4S could caused elec.fire. It is now draining the battery due to break or short under the car. It seems a likely fire hazard. Has anyone been able to get a recall or dealer coverage of this $1060.32 part? Thx.

 

I bought my 06 C2S used with 25K miles 3 months ago. I now have 27,900 miles and not a single issue in sight (knock on wood). When I purchased the car from a private seller in Portland, I had a PPI and a DME done to it. I was debating to go Fidelity for extended warranty but I opt not to. I believe these cars are well built and if you maintain it, only good things can come out of it. Do your due diligence and you should be fine.

 

I 2nd that!

 

I bought my 06 C2S with 3,400 miles back on 2009. Before buying it, I took it to independent mechanic for a PPI, and I asked Porsche dealership where I bought it to provide DME print out. I take it every year to dealership to get oil changed, brake fluid flushed (when it is due), etc. I have never had any issue with my car.

For peace of mind, I bought 6 year extended Warranty. Although I have never used it, I would definitively buy extended Warranty if I were to buy another pre-owned Porsche.

 

Speeding tickets mostly. As for the $ 1062.32 alternator to battery cable, cars catching fire thing.... Part cost about $ 90, you'll need a couple of tools you might not have and a few hours of your spare time. Cars catching fire as a result of faulty cables has yet to be documented anywhere on the planet. But, cable is a weak point which I replaced on my '07. Have heard of '08 owners complaining about hot start problems caused by the poorly engineered original cables as well so not just an early car issue.
As with many issues noted on forums such as these, they are mostly over reported and over damatized. have had very few issues with my car at 37 K miles since new.