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Cayman reliability ??????

64K views 53 replies 36 participants last post by  evannever 
#1 ·
I love to get a used Cayman but I'm kind of depress when I see this in the net.

............The Cayman and the Cayman S are relatively new models, and USA Today notes that reliability may be an issue. They report that in 2006, Porsche "was near the bottom in the most recent Initial Quality Study (IQS) by consultant J.D. Power and Associates. Only Volkswagen, Land Rover, Mazda and Suzuki scored worse."

Full article...
2008 Porsche Cayman Reliability - Best Cars & Trucks - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews

Reliability is very important to me since I don't have too much $$$ to burn. My next choice will be a used 911 C2. Is the 2006 911 more reliable or the same as the Cayman ?
 
#3 ·
I don't about everyone else, but I've had my car for 3 years and never been to the dealer for ANY mechanical defect! All I've see are some pretty minor noises which I fixed (thanks to this site:)). Better than any car I've ever owned. :cheers:
 
#4 ·
Huh? The first sentence says "The 2008 Porsche Cayman reliability score of 9.0 out of 10..." I don't see how that could be constrewed as a reliability issue. Yes, USA Today said "reliability may be an issue", but don't really give any data to back up their statement. There is another USA Today quote that says, "Porsche scored near the top in Power's Sales Satisfaction Index". So from both these statements can we deduct that Cayman owners are very satisfied although they have reliability issues?
I don't beleive everthing I read. USA Today isn't my scource for Porsche information.
Another head scratcher is the 2009 dropped to 8.0 out of 10.
 
#5 ·
I did a lot of research online prior to purchasing my used '07. If you read all the reviews and user reviews going back through the model years, 2006 - current, you will note that the vast majority of owners are very happy with their decisions. If there were significant Q/A and reliability problems, they would be reported and I am not finding this.

A definite concern is long term cost of ownership, which only you can determine what you can accept. I went in with eyes open and requested an idea of costs for oil and seasonal tire changes and minor and major services, from the dealers I contacted. I felt that they were straight forward in their replies. Obviously access to a quality, fair and honest dealer is one key. I would say from my brief time on this board, if you tell the "old hands" where you live, they will go out of their way to recommend good options.

Only time will tell how each individual vehicle will do. But that is in the hands of the owner by making sure that all scheduled maintenance is completed religiously.

Good luck with your decision.
 
#7 ·
I bought a 2006 CS with 12.5 K miles and a CPO. No serious problems now with 20 more months and 25K more miles of smiles. Wonderful car. Only problem was the CD player failed and was replaced by the dealer under warranty.

Oh, there is one problem. I take it out to fill with gas and for some reason feel a road trip coming on. I fall into temptation and return home hours later and it needs gas again. But those hours are wonderful. Ed
 
#13 ·
I bought a 99 Boxster new and drove it until I purchased an 08 CS new. The only warranty issue I had was with the radio in my Boxster. Had to be replaced. Only normal service for oil changes etc. I do change the oil every 5000 miles. Probably too often but who cares.

I drive these cars in all kinds of conditions. I have driven across country. Never had a problem. Great cars.
 
#14 ·
I really have no issues with my car. Burnt out brake light bulbs and fog lights bulbs are my most common reason to see the dealer (all replaced under warranty). Lose driver's seat fixed under warranty. Persistent rattle from outside the car near front passenger under tray can't seem to solve it but that's it. Front rotors and pads and oil changes are the only big expenses so far and I have 50,000 kilometers on mine in 3 years of driving.

:cheers:
 
#15 ·
Bought new 2 yrs ago, 10k miles no probs other than an irritating rattle from the trunk shade flapping on the engine cover. I have to bend the two metal bars periodically to prevent contact. Bad design and annoying; nothing else other than this one problem.

Scheduled maintenance cost are high but should not be a surprise if you have been browsing the board.
 
#19 ·
Those types of surveys are given too much weight compared to what they are actually measuring. TrueDelta.com (a site that does its own surveys) has some interesting articles on JD Power and Consumer Reports that might set your mind at ease. Here's a bit from that site...

"A few years ago Hummer and MINI protested because their vehicles received low IQS scores because of poor fuel economy and awful cupholders, respectively. These weren't things as the dealer could fix, as the were endemic to the vehicles' designs. But J.D. Power counted them as problems anyway.

Some consumers would like dissatisfiers to count. Others only want to know the rate of repairable issues. With IQS scores there's no way to separate the two. It's not clear what is being measured."
Who benefits from the research?<br>Problems with J.D. Power's approach -- a think piece on the auto industry, its products, and/or this website.

From low ground clearance to black brake dust to difficult ingress to firm ride, I can think of dozens to "problems" your typical Camry owner might flag as "quality issues" if rating a Cayman S.

Read these pages too:
Unexplained anomalies within<br><i>Consumer Reports</i> -- a think piece on the auto industry, its products, and/or this website.
Seven Serious Problems with<br><i>Consumer Reports</i> -- a think piece on the auto industry, its products, and/or this website.
 
#20 ·
Talk about reliability; here a the Cayman's race series sponsor (Napleton Porsch) describing lessons learned after the new block's first season: "We have learned that the new engine is perfect. No oiling issues, overheating, or bearing failures. Power steering failures are non exsistint since the fluid is cooled thru the engine cooler. No ABS issues whatsoever. We have over 30K track miles on the cars now with several 3 and 4 hour enduos, 98 degree race weekends, rain, you name it. They have performed without a hiccup" !!

Jack
Tampa
 
#21 ·
One of the reasons that I purchased my used '08 CS had to do with discussions with owners related to this very same question. As you can see from the responses on this board, (and my recent purchase too!), this model appears to be better than average.

Makes for an excellent daily drive to work, too!!!
 
#22 ·
I had a 2006 CS that I put over 33K miles on without any issues. Now I have a 2009 CS w/PDK. The dealer is going to replace the PCM 3.0 unit because the software recall didn't fix the problems. The nav resets at random intervals and the XM radio turns on by itself (after I turn it off) from time to time for no apparent reason. However this is being handled under warranty, so other than the inconvienience of having to take the car in, I really don't mind. The gen 1 Cayman S was a wonderful machine...but the changes made in the gen 2 wth PDK are absolutely amazing!
 
#23 ·
I've been seriously considering the Cayman as my next vehicle however it appears my idea of reliability and the majority of the masses don't agree. I see many of the typical responses similar to "10k miles no problems", "...most reliable car I've ever owned, 22k miles and not a single problem". Seriously? Do most people judge reliability by the number of problems under 25k miles, or even 50k, or 75k miles? I personally don't consider a car "reliable" until I reach the 100k mile mark with no major issues. Am I way off base here? Does anyone have any reliability input for the Cayman with over 100k miles? I have a tendency to drive my cars 35k miles/year so reliability is critical. I absolutely love everything about the car but I'm looking for some reassurance that it's more than a garage queen.
 
#24 ·
Uh, you are looking at responses in an old thread. The last response before yours was dated from 2010. I suspect that is why you saw responses relating to only 10k or 23k as you mentioned. Perhaps since you resurrected this thread you will get more viable information...
 
#25 ·
Reliability is very important to me since I don't have too much $$$ to burn. My next choice will be a used 911 C2. Is the 2006 911 more reliable or the same as the Cayman ?
I know this is an old thread so not really replying to the OP, but as someone in a similar position about to buy my first Porsche, a Cayman, here is my take.... Id be most concerned about regular scheduled maintenance costs, as well as the cost of wear of friction bearing surfaces including tyres, brake discs and pads, and other consumables (eg oil).

So long as you understand these costs and budget for them accordingly you should be happy.

Spend a little more to by a Porsche warrantied car if you are concerned about mechanical issues.
 
#27 ·
evanever, you make some great points and they are definitely appreciated.

I currently own an '07 328i with over 140k miles on it with no problems and my two previous cars were Acura's which were equally as reliable. I realize that the Cayman is on an entirely different level from a performance standpoint and that there is an "exotic" factor that must be considered. I'm just trying to get a feel for what that factor is. As for the argument that the warranty covers any mechanical issues, it's not just the mechanical issue but the inconvenience of having to take in for the work. Maybe I'll hold out for another year or so until there's some more input on cars reaching closer to 100k. I don't mind the expense of the routine maintenance but I certainly can't afford to have to be thinking about a new car at 70k.
 
#28 ·
Hi
for what its worth, a "data point" on my car, 2008 Cayman
* purhased with 14K miles CPO
* now has 65K miles and runs as strong as when purchased

Repairs:
* Horn ( warranty )
* Amplifier ( warranty )
* O2 sensor ( warranty )

Elective work:
* Bilstein sports; H&R lowering springs; Tarrett toe-bump/steer arms
* PS2s for summer ; Sotozero for winter

Cost of ownership ( moderate-high )
* Porsche labor $129hr
* Oil changes ( I do 3-5K @ $300 a whack)
* 40K service ( $900, included plugs )

My approach is, really take care of this car. It is a precision machine with tight tolerances which is different from most mass produced cars. If you keep the car well maintained and in-spec, it will serve you ( outside of the normal probabilities of abnormal defect ). If you take this approach and drive alot like me, the car will cost more than most to maintain, but like others have said, I went into that with eyes open.
 
#29 ·
I love to get a used Cayman but I'm kind of depress when I see this in the net.
............The Cayman and the Cayman S are relatively new models, and USA Today notes that reliability may be an issue.
USA Today, a trusted and expert source on automotive issues? I think not...
 
#31 ·
Forget the anecdotes, Consumer Reports, and individual stories and go straight to the people who study the statistics: warranty suppliers. Edmunds.com has a "true cost to own" tool that uses quoted warranty purchase prices to estimate the actual cost of repairs on these cars. Unfortunately, I don't think those numbers are available for a Cayman since these cars are somewhat rare. However, there are numbers available for 911s and Boxsters.

The numbers show that Porsches are very reliable when compared to all other brands. However, there is a BIG caveat in that the cost of mechanical repairs for a late model car is roughly proportional to the car's market value. For example, an alternator replacement for a $15k Mazda can be expected to cost roughly half of the price of an alternator replacement for a $30k (current street value) BMW. Therefore, although the Porsche may be more reliable in terms of not needing as many repairs, Edmund's numbers show that the actual cost of repairs will still be high because parts and labor are more expensive for Porsches.

JD Power agrees with Edmunds on both initial quality and "long-term" reliability, placing Porsche at or near the very top of the heap depending on the year. In fact, the 911 is supposed to be the most reliable car ever:

Lexus and Porsche 911 Dominate J.D. Power Quality Study

But there is no free lunch. Although the 911 may break less often than your dad's Camry, it will cost 2-3x as much to fix when it does break.

Also note that the "best" manufacturer, Lexus, still had 73% of their cars come back with issues during the first year. So the odds of making it to 12,000 miles with zero problems in ANY car are extremely slim.
 
#32 ·
I can only offer anecdotes but a fellow I was speaking with a couple of weeks ago had 150k on his '01 Boxster, no problems. The only way you can find out, reliably, if the car is reliable is to do enough homework until you are satisfied that you've done enough homework :gossip:
 
#33 ·
I agree with getting specific on what kind of "reliability" the OP is asking for.

If you are talking about Camry reliability as in nothing but oil changes for 150k miles, then a Cayman (or any Porsche, or any sports car for that matter) will not please you. Scheduled maintenance on high-performance cars is both much more comprehensive and much more expensive. An annual dealer service can be 2-4x as expensive as that of a Camry.

That said, if the OP is looking for "reliability" in comparison with other sports cars, Porsches actually are relatively reliable, especially for its "entry-exotic" class. They tend to have fewer electric and engine problems than BMWs and I don't see a rash of uneven tire wear complaints like those on Nissan Z forums. I won't even begin to talk about Italian exotics.

Personally, I have found my 50k mi Cayman to be average in reliability among all the cars I have owned, and better than what I expected from a niche market sports car. The most disappointing were a broken cupholder (refused to close...really?) and a few light bulb failures, all done under warranty in the 40k mi area. I have been very impressed with the tire wear, knock on wood.
 
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