[ezaziz]

So as the title states, I am in the market to buy a 987.1 base. Reading the problems and complaints forum, I see the usual water pump, shift cables, AOS and dead battery issues. Are there any other common problems? Also how often do you get check engine lights? How would you rate the reliability of your own cayman/boxster?

 

[GT3Twenty10]

Base as in 2.7L ?

 

[danschy]

Less common than the items you list, but very important due to the expense, is bore-scoring. The issue appears to be more common with the S model's larger engine, but you need someone to do a thorough PPI to make sure you don't have that very serious engine issue. IMS bearing is talked about a lot, but failure is rare on a 987.1, so I would not lose sleep over it. I've had my completely stock 07 Base Cayman for about 6 years and 20k miles (it's now around 60k) and nothing has failed - just maintenance which I do myself (oil change, spark plugs, etc).

 

[ezaziz]

Base as in 2.7L ?

Yes, base as in 2.7L only to avoid the bore scoring issue. I live in Canada and I read somewhere it happens more often in the colder areas.

 

[ezaziz]

Less common than the items you list, but very important due to the expense, is bore-scoring. The issue appears to be more common with the S model's larger engine, but you need someone to do a thorough PPI to make sure you don't have that very serious engine issue. IMS bearing is talked about a lot, but failure is rare on a 987.1, so I would not lose sleep over it. I've had my completely stock 07 Base Cayman for about 6 years and 20k miles (it's now around 60k) and nothing has failed - just maintenance which I do myself (oil change, spark plugs, etc).

Are you worried about resale value when you sell your car (since you do your own maintenance). I'm debating with myself if I should do my own maintenance or not. 2-3k on maintenance a year doesn't really make sense for a 20k car.

 

[danschy]

Are you worried about resale value when you sell your car (since you do your own maintenance). I'm debating with myself if I should do my own maintenance or not. 2-3k on maintenance a year doesn't really make sense for a 20k car.

When I bought the car I took it in to an indy to have it looked over, and he did a few things; big ticket item was new brakes front and rear. In the intervening 6 years I've done simple things like oil changes, transmission oil change, spark plug replacement, air/cabin filter replacement, etc. I have all receipts, so don't see any value reduction based on my doing those things. If I had done major things, then a prospective buyer may think twice about my skill level. Of course if I just trade it in or have CarMax purchase it, I think it matters not at all.

 

[ezaziz]

When I bought the car I took it in to an indy to have it looked over, and he did a few things; big ticket item was new brakes front and rear. In the intervening 6 years I've done simple things like oil changes, transmission oil change, spark plug replacement, air/cabin filter replacement, etc. I have all receipts, so don't see any value reduction based on my doing those things. If I had done major things, then a prospective buyer may think twice about my skill level. Of course if I just trade it in or have CarMax purchase it, I think it matters not at all.

So you’re telling me that this is just a normal, pretty much bulletproof car and I don’t have to worry about multiple repairs and it being a money pit?

 

[Philandviki]

I think what everyone is saying is that if the normal maintenance has been done and the car has not been abused it should be fine however when things go wrong with it like any car the expense of the repairs is greater than if you had say a Honda or Toyota . Because these are performance vehicles the importance of regular oil changes and maintenance of that nature ( alignments and balance , transmission fluid , spark plugs and coils ) are very important to maintain the longevity of the vehicle .

 

[euro911]

Repairs to Hondas and Toyotas (as well as most other modern vehicles) aren't that cheap either, if a dealership does the work. If you're anywhere near mechanically inclined and have the right tools to do your own minor maintenance, you'll save a lot of money.

There's tons of Youtube videos that will show you how to perform a lot of the maintenance too.

 

[Philandviki]

Agreed nothing is cheap however Porsche wants $1250.00 for a transmission fluid change and $300 for an oil change . My Honda doesn’t come close to that . But I do agree if you can do the work yourself you will save a lot . I’m just trying to make the point that it is similar to other cars in that up keep is important and the overall ownership cost is going to be more than your average car .

 

[ezaziz]

Agreed nothing is cheap however Porsche wants $1250.00 for a transmission fluid change and $300 for an oil change . My Honda doesn’t come close to that . But I do agree if you can do the work yourself you will save a lot . I’m just trying to make the point that it is similar to other cars in that up keep is important and the overall ownership cost is going to be more than your average car .

Thats good to see that they aren't unreliable as hell. I am going to most likely be doing my own oil changes and simple routine maintenance but I would leave any complicated procedures to my independent repair shop. I am certainly expecting service costs to be higher but at the same time insurance is way cheaper with the cayman than say a brz, which I feel will cancel out the extra maintenance cost. They also look like they bottomed out on the depreciation curve, so I would lose more if I owned a BRZ(theoretically).

 

[euro911]

Agreed nothing is cheap however Porsche wants $1250.00 for a transmission fluid change and $300 for an oil change . My Honda doesn’t come close to that . But I do agree if you can do the work yourself you will save a lot . I’m just trying to make the point that it is similar to other cars in that up keep is important and the overall ownership cost is going to be more than your average car .

$1,250. to change tranny fluid is highway robbery ... so is $300. for a simple oil change. I have a couple of lifts here, so that's half the battle when servicing anything undercarriage related.

One of our members has posted some great DIY videos on YT ... here's the transaxle drain & refil ... done in about a half hour.

 

[Philandviki]

yes it is robbery . I had my local import shop do the transmission fluid for $550.
I wish I had a lift like that ! It would make everything so much easier for sure !!!

 

[pdxfj]

Sorry everyone, this is going to be a little winded.

I bought an '07 base a few years ago with 95k on the clock. No maintenance records, no PPI. Looked over the car, found one door ding, no fluid leaks or funky noises. Drove great.

As preventive maintenance I did the water pump, lower temp thermostat, changed all the fluids, plugs and coil packs. Plus gave it a deep cleaning since the interior needed some attention. Removed the front bumper and cleaned the condenser coils and radiators. Plus it needed tires. Price was a steal, so I was willing to put some money and work into it.

Car has about 115k on it now and has been reliable. A few things have gone wrong as to be expected on an older car with some miles on it.

Typical starter failure (bendex gear sticking)
AOS Replacement
Evap test pump failure (that was a funky one)
Bad window regulator
Motor Mount
Alternator (not surprising since it gets poor air flow)

None of the issues are earth shattering and just wear items in my mind. I recently did a 3,200+ mile, 6 state road trip in the car and it performed flawlessly. Super comfortable and it just loves to be driven.

I do all of my own work and it's not a difficult car to work on. Access to things can be a bit tight at times, but patience and thinking through the process will serve you well. I went quite a while without having to do anything other than oil changes, then noticed some funky electrical issues popping up. Wrestled the alternator out (original to the car). When I saw the cooked windings on the back, gave it a sniff test, I knew it was toast. Tested bad, ordered a replacement from my local FLAPS.

Not at all worried about the IMS. Car still has the original shift cables and clutch. From what I've read the shift cables do not appear to be a problem on the 5 speed cars. The cable routing is different and doesn't put anywhere near the amount of strain on the ends as the 6 speed cars.

Installed a Soul cat-back exhaust and love the sound. Will get their long tube headers at some point. If the engine were to grenade, I'd find a low mile used engine and swap it in.

Anyway, that's my experience with a Cayman for what it's worth. Just a bit of insight from someone who bought one without a PPI and what I've come across so far. Good luck in your search!

 

[bionictulip]

I've owned 3 Porsches - a 987 Boxster base, a 997 C4S, and a 2008 Cayenne Turbo. The 987 was the most reliable. (The 3.8 in my 997 was reliable until last Friday, when it just blew itself to pieces without warning; and the Cayenne has been okay.) The common issues you list are things that you can do preventively, if the prior owner hasn't already done them. The 2.7 is a sweet engine, and in my opinion it sounds better behind you than the 3.2, but more importantly it's not as vulnerable to the can't-be-fixed problems that sometimes crop up on the 3.2. The 3.2 987 is still a reliable car, but if reliability is high on your list, a 987 base is a good choice.

Of course, if you can afford to bridge the gap, the 987.2's 2.9L base engine gets rid of the IMS altogether, and is probably even more reliable.

 

[1fastsedan]

I have 140k on my 07 cayman S. I daily drive mine and still love every minute of it. I do my own oil changes at 5k with joe gibbs oil. I do most of my own maintenance. I’ve done brakes, plugs and coils, AOS, headers, power steering pulley and belt, cold air filter, 3rd radiator and other misc stuff. If I don’t feel like it I have a good honest independent Porsche specialist.
Mods include: LN engineering oil filter, EPL headers, “RS 370 kit”, tune and cold air, R suspension, 3rd radiator, numeric short shifter and cable.
I have a lower thermostat and water pump waiting but I’m still on the same pump! I have gone through 2 AOS, passenger window switch and engine mounts. I upgraded all mounts to semi solid and haven’t looked back. Car runs amazing. More reliable then my 2012 Escalade. I bought the cayman with 50k miles on it. Buy the car and drive the piss out of it. The maintenance is no more than a bmw.

 

[Aurelius]

I've owned 3 Porsches - a 987 Boxster base, a 997 C4S, and a 2008 Cayenne Turbo. The 987 was the most reliable. (The 3.8 in my 997 was reliable until last Friday, when it just blew itself to pieces without warning; and the Cayenne has been okay.) The common issues you list are things that you can do preventively, if the prior owner hasn't already done them. The 2.7 is a sweet engine, and in my opinion it sounds better behind you than the 3.2, but more importantly it's not as vulnerable to the can't-be-fixed problems that sometimes crop up on the 3.2. The 3.2 987 is still a reliable car, but if reliability is high on your list, a 987 base is a good choice.

Of course, if you can afford to bridge the gap, the 987.2's 2.9L base engine gets rid of the IMS altogether, and is probably even more reliable.

not to pick nits, but the M97 in the 987.1 S displaces 3.4 liters, not 3.2.

 

[Crispy]

I bought my ‘07 2.7 5 speed with 32k and now have 195k. I have done all maintenance. It’s the most reliable car I’ve owned. No surprises. When things are going, I seem to get warnings and I just fix it. About to do my 3rd set of lower control arms, that’s been the weakest link in my experience. Original struts, rear suspension, clutch, cables. Great car! C.

 

[scklemsz]

I bought my ‘07 base model a year ago with 92,000 miles. Prior owner took great care of the engine, but it has a bit of road rash on the front. It is my daily driver, but I live one mile from my office. Only put 2000 miles on it this year. Great car, a few gremlins here and there. New rear tires and front brakes, but they were known issues when I bought it. I am not mechanical at all, so even if I pay to have something done I remind myself how much I love the car and it is so much cheaper then making payments on something new.

i grew up in a family of 911 drivers, but wouldn’t trade my Cayman.

 

[rrosen]

Another data point. 2007 Cayman S. Do my own maintenance. No issues (knock wood). Only failures have been one tail light and battery. Tires and spark plugs were done.