Leaking Porsche

[ed.wood]

Hi ... I joined in August - my girlfriend has a Porsche - so I bought her membership as a birthday present

Although its only just turned 3 (the Porsche) its started to leak

Its been back to the dealers 4 times now (back there at the moment) ... and although they dry it out and investigate - they can't find out what's wrong
Water gathers on drivers side - under the seat.
Dealership says they can't find the leak - so just send it back
Then - it leaks again ...

So - given this - what's the next steps ?

She's spent 65k on a car that - for me - isn't fit for purpose
Porchce have also charged her for fixing it - although they haven't ?

Can she claim on insurance ?
Is she within her rights to ask for a replacement car ?

Any thoughts .... gratefully received

Best Endeavors

 

[Hinds_911]

If the car is not fit for purpose, you can legally reject the car and request a full refund or a new one. If the car has gone back a number of times, that may also work in your favour, as they have recognised an issue exists. speak to the team at the below. https://stormcatcher.co.uk/automotive-law/reject-a-car/

I would first try and reject the car without legal representation and hopefully the dealership treats you fairly.

Good luck!!!

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Ed,

Can you be more specific which Porsche so the post can be moved to a more appropriate section of the forum.

If it’s less than 3-years old it’s under the factory warranty and I would have thought it should be repaired FOC and it’s the dealer’s responsibility to fix it to your girlfriend’s satisfaction.

Jeff

 

[ed.wood]

Hi ... cheers for the comments

Her car is a Cayman S - happy to havr the post reallocated to a more appropriate group

Jeff >>> The problem started just after it came out of warranty (3 years). Does that matter ? It feels like its a fault with the car still ... its not like she's crashed it or anything similar - it has got a full service history and hardly done any miles.

Hinds >>> Although she did buy it on finance ... that only lasted for a year - so fully paid off by the time the issues occured. Does that matter ?

Ed

 

[Peter_Bull]

If she has recently purchased the car then it will have come with a 2-year warranty. In which case the PC will need to fix it or you are within your rights to reject the car. I rejected a 992 last year..

If She bought it new and the warranty has run out (after three years) then you’re on your own and will certainly have to pay for the work to rectify - unless of course you pointed out the issue before the warranty ran out. In which case they are duty bound to fix it at their cost.

 

[Hinds_911]

I too unfortunately had to reject a 992. which went better than I thought. The new car has been perfect.

1st thing list the issues and dates that the car was seen by Porsche and the fixes they tried.

Base the rejection letter on that basis, that it’s a recognised issue and it’s been unrepairable since purchase.

I spoke to the legal firm I sent you before I drew up the letter of rejection. They kindly provided free but of course limited legal advice around the situation and reviewed the rejection letter before I sent it.

in my case it went really well and hats of to Porsche for honouring the whole process, and I did not need any legal representation, but check the solicitors to make sure that everything can happen as it should.

good luck

 

[Eldavo]

I too can vouch for Stormcatcher Law, I made enquiries with them prior to pursuing action against a piston manufacturer. Again, they listened to the situation, agreed with my proposals, provided limited but free input and told me to go back to them should the manufacturer and their insurers not play ball. I didn’t need to in the end but it was a very reassuring card to have up my sleeve if needed.

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Ed,

Unlike Boxsters the Cayman generally doesn’t in general exhibit water leak issues other than from the door cards due to a perforated diaphragm in the door, which I would have hoped the dealer has checked.

There are water drains at the front on each side where the inner wings join the bulkhead which if blocked could cause water ingress, but again that should have been checked by the dealer. There may well be drains from the roof and if so it’s possible that one has become dislodged and is causing leakage into the car … best to check with the dealer on that one.

Jeff

 

[malarcy]

So - its three years old, and just out of warranty.

But, how long has she had it ( I doubt you can reject a car if you have owned it for a number of months/years ), and who/where was it purchased from ( her "contract" is with the person/organisation she purchased from)

What have the dealers said ( suggest a face to face meeting with the dealer principal and the workshop manager to discuss work done, charges levied, and next steps - set an expectation ).

Also - what outcome does she want - car fixed, car replaced, refund etc.

Other than being charged for repeatedly fixing something that isn't fixed ( separate issue to my mind ) - what about taking the car to another Porsche dealer - or asking a specialist to take a look.

As per other responses to a resolution, door membrane and proper door card fitment ( the clips are part of the water tightness, missing clip=hole.....) also front drains around the battery, window adjustment and door drains.

 

[tscaptain]

Just seen this and moved to the Cayman forum. HNY[]

 

[Scrounger]

Hi Ed, Sorry to hear of your troubles.

As Jeff has said, check the front drain holes as they can get covered with muck and leaves. Also, has the windscreen ever been replaced at all? Can you see any drips from anywhere under the dashboard? Is the carpet wet to the top of the footwell or just the base? (apologies but trying to locate a leak takes a bit of evidence gathering).

If you've had the issue since before the car came out of warranty then Porsche should honour the fault finding and rectification under a warranty claim.

If you're unhappy with the work of your OPC, I would try taking it to another.

Dan

 

[AndrewT]

There is an old thread on this forum which relates to the driver’s side floor carpet getting wet, it appears that it was a due to a dislodged pipe for the air conditioning condensate drain https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1063202

 

[ed.wood]

So - firstly - thanks for the comments and interest in my girlfriends car

I'm pleased to share that - at the fourth time of asking - Porsche now say they have found and fixed the problem

Apparently there was a problem with the air vents on the drivers side ... and water had been getting in through there. There was a seal or bolt that had got loose.

The reason they hadn't found it before was they were dropping water on the car from above - rather than the side.

To complete the story - she only paid for the initial fix ... the next three were FOC

Apparently they spent 26hrs on it the fourth time - and this time gave her a courtesy car too.

 

[BrianJ]

Sounds like a result at last. Thanks for updating us and HNY. Hope you can now both enjoy her Cayman!

 

[Motorhead]

That sounds like a one-off occurrence Ed. Good to hear that it’s sorted and that the Porsche Centre were accommodating.

Jeff