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981 GTS Condenser. What is the point of having a Warranty.
- Thread starter Twinfan
- Start date
Whiskey Ron
New member
Fully understand that part and normally I'd agree.
My point this time though is slightly different. We only got the car last Sept, and really only had it since this March and only put 2,700 miles on it. Are we being unreasonable asking for some help with costs from the OPC considering this...?
Harsh i think, but it is what it is i suppose.
The only other thing you could do is explain the situation to Porsche GB Customer Support and see what they say?
Good luck...
Whiskey Ron
New member
Thanks for your help Twinfan.
I have contacted Porsche GB and they are looking into it and will get back. Not holding my breath.
Whiskey Ron
New member
We decided last year to join the Porsche ownership experience. Long story short, after more than a year looking for 981 GTS finally got one last September. We got our Porsche from OPC with 2 year Warranty and only 11,000 miles.
Car lived in professional storage for 5 months on trickle charger with exercise every couple weeks. Came out twice. Once for an MOT and one other time to see family.
Since March this year we have been driving the car and thoroughly enjoying the experience. We have put 2,700 miles on the car since we owned it. Then one day I go to put the air con on................................ now some of you from what I have read already are smiling right about now, and know exactly what's coming.
Air con not working and just hissing sound. Took it to my local OPC (different from the one we bought the car from) and booked it in. It would be £150 for a re-gas or free under warranty if found to be leaking. Not bad either way I thought. Free would be great obviously, but I didn't care about paying £150 either.
Long story short. Everything is off the car at the front for full investigation, and condensers found to be the culprit. Some rot etc creating blockages and leaking. Basically needing these replacing. BUT as the problem was found to be as a result of leaves and crud building up, then in this particular instance then NO it is not covered. Guesstimate was apprx £1600. I say guesstimate because they were waiting on parts prices and also phoned the OPC we bought the car from asking if they would help in any way. I also phoned the OPC we got the car from.
The original OPC where we bought the car from didn't want to know. Because when they put the warranty on the car it passed their 111 point check and they wouldn't have smelled gas either (apparently). They don't want to know and don't want to even contribute to any of the costs to repair and put right. For a car that has only been driven for 2,700 miles I find this disgusting. I used to work with metal on a daily basis and the only thing that rots that fast is a Lancia from the 1980's.
Firstly I'd like to ask if anyone thinks I am being unreasonable asking for help from the OPC, and also expecting the warranty to cover this type of repair considering the bad design and lack of grills.
I'd also like to ask if anyone else has had similar experience and how they dealt with it.
Thank you.
You may get some ‘good will’ payment from the dealer, but as Dave has pointed out, as an insurance policy there are specific conditions laid out in the Extended Warranty. Having said that, I think you have a good case for pleading mitigating circumstances.
Incidentally, apparently the factory warranty will cover condenser damage due to corrosion but not impact damage. Figure that out!
Jeff
Whiskey Ron
New member
Like I said though, it is what it is. Sad, but that's it I think. I'll end up doing it myself, but that isn't the point.
What I was curious about was, warranty or no warranty, considering that through rot on the condensers which is physically impossible to build up and eat through the metal in 2,700 miles, should they have offered some kind of good will payment like you suggested they might. I think they should. A used car bought from a main dealer that they stood by and said this is a good car to buy, that has condensers that rot through within 2,700 miles, should in my opinion step up a little bit at least.
The response given to me was, that this happens and could very well happen within those 2,700 miles, so it's not our problem any more, as they don't know what has happened within those miles. Fair enough. So are Porsche saying that every 2,700 miles driven you may need almost a complete air con overhaul at £1600. If you drive average miles then that might be £6400 per year on air con alone, which is ridiculous. No because they don't rot through in that short time frame. Hence my post.
Thanks for the replies all the same. I'll be done when the warranty ends at the end of next year, and give Ferrari a go. I hear they swap everything for free no arguments. Is that true. [
That’s clearly the case Dave but Porsche can be accused of neglecting to protect vulnerable components, especially when a simple remedy is available and which they use regularly on the GT cars. Compounding that, as in Andrew’s case the dealers are deriving a significant amount of revenue from replacing the damaged components and recharging the a/c system.Twinfan said:Impact damage is obviously not a manufacturing defect...
All this from a company supposedly renowned for ‘engineering excellence’.
Jeff
Whiskey Ron
New member
Thank you. Those are the words I should have used somewhere earlier. That just about sums it up.Geoff_Fields said:The reality here is that the selling OPC didn't inspect the condition of the condensers, which were probably already seriously corroded.
When they said they didn't know how those miles were put on, that was my point to them. But they said it had passed their 111 point check so NO. It was fine 9 months ago, and therefore something has happened in these last 2,700 miles that caused the rot? I don't live in the sea. I'm not Sponge Bob. Even a complete moron with an IQ in single digits and no mechanical knowledge can work out condensers don't rot through in that short time span.
How can you prove it one way or the other, and you can't really. Common sense tells you it's impossible, but warranty legal speak from Porsche just says we don't want to hear it, and please bend over sir.
Whiskey Ron
New member
simon.leney@hotmail.co.uk
New member
What it comes down to is that after 9 months of ownership and less than 3k miles both condenser rads have failed. Is that correct?
And the reason is the build up of debris, which I should expect must have been there for some time before purchase to have caused such damage. Is that also correct?
And I understand that this issue is a known problem with these cars? Is that correct?
(If this sounds like a court cross examination that's the intention)
If the answers to these questions are "yes either the supplying dealership failed to supply a car of reasonable merchantable quality, or failed to inspect it proper before sale, or ( if the previous servicing dealer) failed to carry out proper preventative maintenance.
Forget the warranty argument - I'd issue a small claims court summons, for the cost of repair plus damages for loss of enjoyment and use of the car, against the original dealership. If you have an experts report to support you so much the better.
Refusing a a warranty claim is easy - ignoring a court summons gets expensive and as they will almost certainly want to engage lawyers rather than deal with it themselves and since costs aren't recoverable at the levels we are talking about, I think you could expect an offer to settle....
AlistairF
PCGB Member
I had a short debate with my OPC about cleaning the 2 hood drains on my Boxster. I was paying £1000 for a service and they wanted £150 to clean them...or they would put a note on my service record (I realise the car's electronics can be flooded...). If it's so critical why is this not an item they do automatically when servicing ? They did it after I had a grumble. Porsche OPC's are infuriating...
One other thing is they may say it is just one condenser...I paid for my second one to be done at the same time to save the hassle. (and it might have been out of warranty at that point).
I think the threat of a small claims court action could force the hand of the supplying dealer.
Build up you case from the engineers report and get as many people on here (and elsewhere) who have had the same problem.
You could also start a poll on here asking who has had:
[ol][*]Goodwill from there OPC towards the cost of replacement.[*]Full and free replacement.[*]Nothing at all.[/ol]It will all help to build up your case.
Whiskey Ron
New member
simon.leney@hotmail.co.uk said:I think OP is quite right to be outraged by this treatment.
What it comes down to is that after 9 months of ownership and less than 3k miles both condenser rads have failed. Is that correct?
And the reason is the build up of debris, which I should expect must have been there for some time before purchase to have caused such damage. Is that also correct?
And I understand that this issue is a known problem with these cars? Is that correct?
(If this sounds like a court cross examination that's the intention)
Yes, both condensers. Strange for both to go in 2,700 miles if they inspected it thoroughly. Maybe it's a rare coincidence, but whatever the reason, both?
Yes build up of debris is what they said the reason was. Yes I agree it must have been there some time to affect it this fast and also in both.
Thanks for your answer. I'll definitely be seeing what can be done about this and keep an update on this thread. Never posted before, but always come here, but if they can sort this out for me, I'll be joining the club, enjoying Porsche ownership and posting more.
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