Want To Purchase A Used 99 Carrera

[raidentech]

Hi. I'm about to purchase a used 99 carrera. I want to know what kind of problems should I look for? What's the major problem with 99 carrera? Any advice should be helpful.

Thanks.

[Loren]

The very early builds of the MY 99 cars were built in 1998. As in any first production run there were a number changes. Early build cars most obvious identifying characteristic is orange and red tail lights instead of clear and red (nothing wrong with these they just changed them).

If you are considering an early build car then ask the dealer to verify that it has had all of the Service Bulletin updates that it should have. The can easily do this by checking the VIN on the PCNA computer. And as with any I would suggest a CarFax on any vehicle you are ready to purchase.

Good Luck!

[gustav356]

I think one big item to look at closely is the Rear Main Seal....Make sure you have a mechanical inspection and have them examine the seal closely for any signs of leaking. I would feel better buying a 99 which had already had the seal replaced under warranty in the recent past to the new seal type which should hold up better. Also, take a real good listen in the car and let somebody else drive the vehicle. Listen for creaks and squeaks throughout the vehicle. My 99 seems to make more noise than my 84 Targa did!

[rattles]

My 99 had the gearbox removed to fix a squeaky clutch return spring [common problem]and the torsion struts located near the battery replaced. I have driven quite a few early 996 and all had a lot of squeaks and rattles. Mine is no exception. The worst one in my car was behind the roof lining, the dealer had to remove the lining 5 times before they finally fixed it. There was a recall in Australia for a paint problem around the engine hood. Mine did not have it. If you plan to drive your car with the windows up and the aircon on I would take a long ride in it and get them to fix them all before you took delivery. If not you will need a good stack of CD's Sun visors also have a problem and its expesive to replace them, see my post last week. Apart from that the cars are great.

[raidentech]

Hi. The RMS thing makes me worry about getting a used MY 99 carrera.

Do you think MY 00 or later carreras have the RMS problem too? Like what percentage of the cars get the RMS thing in 99, 00, and so on?

Also, so which year they fix the rattling problem?

O, one more thing, if the car is still under warranty, does that include free mainteance like the BMW and Benz have?

Thanks.

[umn]

Hi,

the RMS problem hasn't been fixed yet. They've come up with a few new seals, tools and installation procedures, but the problem seems to be intrinsic to the engine design. Also, the G96 gearbox is a bit iffy. Rattles also seem to be a persistent problem. We had mine all fixed in the factory, but after a couple of years they start re-appearing. It is, unfortunately, a consequence of the plastic clip-in rather than screw-in design.

I don't know about current US prices, but if I was in the market for a used Porsche, I would definitely consider buying a used 993. Obviously an older design, but much better build quality and, at least in Europe, much lower depreciation. Depending on your personal needs, however, this might not be an option.

Cheers,

Uwe