Is it just me....?

[Masher964]

Last Friday I went to start the CR and all I got was loud clicking and the Windows going haywire... Battery I thought. Put it on trickle charge but the charger went into fault mode explaining the battery was incapable of holding charge. With 18 months of warranty left I phoned Porsche.

 

i was met with 'all warranty cars must be brought to Porsche' to which I replied I was not making a warranty claim but simply wanted to buy a battery.

This was met with insistence I bring the car in to which I responded that it was dead and would cost more to take in than the cost of a battery.

After some umming and ahhing it was determined they had one in stock so I arranged to pick it up.

No surprise that it was double the cost of a Bosche battery but the 15 minute wait followed by a surely assistant followed by the battery being left on a desk (no 'would you like a hand with that 22kg battery sir' at Porsche it seems) just left me feeling ripped off (but with warranty intact). 

 

Somehow you don't mind spending the money for a hobby you love if it results in a warm glow. Paying top dollar and getting poor service does, in my opinion, taint the brand. Shame on Porsche.

 

battery cured the problem and a good blast cured my mood but thought I would share the thoughts just to see if this is common or not. I come from the old school of 964 ownership which has meant using independent specialists and only the Cayman R has really brought me into contact with Porsche dealerships directly. Not the best start is my thinking...

[PhilCS]

Its certainly a common issue in the more modern cars, battery that is - the Porsche service is very dependant on OPC i've found.  

 

How much if you don't mind me asking did they fleece you for a battery? c.£200? 

[Masher964]

That is 90% there.... Ouch! 

[Beanoir™]

Ouch! 

 

I blame the previous owner not driving it enough  

[DJMC]

It's stories like this that make me keen not to renew my warranty come December.

 

Cheap parts, full choice of tyres, no highwayman tactics from OPCs. 

 

And I've heard good things of my local indy: http://gcrcentral.co.uk

 

I shall let Leicester OPC do the first service for two reasons: 1/ They're doing it half price after a recent mix up. 2/ If anything IS wrong, they can fix it under warranty (unless it's "Ah... no sir, that's wear and tear I'm afraid..."). Bet the brake pads "need replacing sir..."

 

I recall when my DB7's battery went kaput, Chiltern Aston sent a low loader to collect the car, took it away, replaced the battery under warranty, and brought it back again. Now, THAT's service... but wouldn't it have been easier to bring a battery and replace on site??? 

Edited March 14, 2016 by DJMC

[Andy Fagan]

I replaced the wheel locking nut key on my CR about 2 years ago as the key had cracked. About 10 months later same thing happened to the 2nd lock key. I rang the dealer and told them invoice number and they said it would be covered by guarantee but I'd have to bring the car in to them. I explained I bought the item on its own so the car shouldn't matter and I can collect a new one when passing in my van rather than having to make a special trip in the car. They insisted they needed to have the car there so I said, just order me another and I'll pay for it myself as it would almost cost that in fuel and certainly a lot more in my time.

 

I know that they wanted the car to do a safety check so they could produce a list of jobs I "should" get done. It does put you off using the dealer. My big service is nearly due and I'm not sure whether to use the dealer or a good indie  

[Beanoir™]

That's utterly ridiculous, there is no reason they need to see the car.  It's just as you say, they want to extract some cash from your wallet in whatever way they can.