Purchase advice

[LOVEHZ]

Hello, I'm looking at buying a 2004 Cayenne S. Any advice on what to look for as far as checking out the vehicle? Any specific trouble spots? I will get a PIP but taking it for a test drive tomorrow.

Thanks in advance,

[Mat 71]

I have no valuable input on this, but may be in the same boat in the next couple of months. I am interested in your opinion of the truck. Have you ever driven one?

I am undecided about whether to hold out for the calendar year change to look more at the 2005 or 2006 as the price may come down??

Please let me know your thoughts on the truck after your test drive tomorrow, as I haven't driven one yet.

Thanks,

Mat

[eric523]

Few issues with the Cayenne that would be good to know.

1. The driveshaft (or cardan shaft) fails, has been updated by Porsche with multiple revisions to the part itself. Check for records of this being replaced. If not, it's about $1000 when it does need replacement. Symptom is vibration/noise while under load.

2.Ignition coil packs, they tend to fail at around the 60-90k range (not ALL but common), see if they've ever been replaced. Usually done with spark plug change or Check engine light due to misfires. Symptom is misfire under load such as taking off from a stop, going up an incline, or towing. The price for the coils has been significantly lowered by Porsche because it such a common problem.

3. The cayenne absolutely EATS up tires and brakes. If you aren't looking for maximum braking performance, make sure you get a car with the base model brake package. The upgraded brake packages are VERY expensive to replace. Base model rotors are under $200 each, upper range steel can be $800, PCCB rotors are thousands.

4. Plastic coolant pipes, there is a technical service bulletin by Porsche (not a recall) about some plastic coolant pipes in the engine compartment that fail. Porsche has produced new pipes made of aluminum that handle the heat better. This is around $2500-$3000 repair at local dealership. Would be nice to know they were done. Symptom is low coolant level, not usually drips under the car because it dries up before it makes it's way to the ground. Can't see them from above the car.

5.Water pumps seem to be failing in the 75-100k range. Would be nice to know that has been replaced already so you don't have to worry about it for awhile.

Some items off the top of my head....I wouldn't NOT buy a car because these things haven't been done, but I would consider it into my price and service $ I set aside for it.

Get a PPI by somebody that sees these cars on a regular basis, not a general auto shop if you can.

[LOVEHZ]

Thanks for that information Eric. That will be very helpful. I drove it today and was really impressed with the handling and performance. I do need to do a bit of research though as the dealer doesn't know any of the service history (it was a trade-in). I'll try and find will find out if any those upgrades/repairs have been done.

Murray

I am looking into a turbo. Thanks for the info.
seems thar the price has come down alot in the past few months.

[gumba]

We are in the middle of that process now. At least in the S.F. Bay area the dealers seem to be $10-15K more than the private parties and brokers. We are looking at an '06S. Everyone I talked to said get the extended warranty. If you get the car through a dealer and it's certified you get a 2 yr. warranty I believe. I'll confirm that today. Some dealers will remove the warranty to lower the price. I was quoted $3-4,000 to buy the warranty. If the owner has an extended warranty then that goes with the car so your covered. I asked the dealer about some of the issues I heard about and he said the '04's had some problems. Most people thought the 6 cylinder version was pretty doggy, and going to the 8 was worth it. The turbo has a pretty good premium over the 8.

[island911]

Eric has a good list there. I'll add that some keys would fail on the 04's. --Just the RF portion that (un)locks the doors. The keys have the date stamped on them. The key I got was an updated '05.

Those (Eric's list) are the things that I was concerned (a bit) about when I bought my 2004. Consider that at this point, the 04's are 5-6 years old. So, expect that the PO/Dealer has likely taken care of any typical issues. Verify if need be. For me, I had PPI's done on an 05 and 06, but not the 04 that I bought. I found the PPI's (dealer) to be a waste of time and money. --They didn't note problem spots that I saw. The 04 was the obvious gem IMO, so I bought it, and was done with the work of searching --which can be way more work than fixing, say, the coil packs.

--It's been a really great car. Super comfortable; Great in the Seattle slop. My wife LOVES it ...loves to drive/take it. --a bit too much sometimes.

[gohmathew]

Make sure you ask the auto parts store BEFORE you get them to hook up the machine how much they will charge. The local store by me, Strauss Discount Auto, charges $76 just to hook up the device and give you the diagnostics readout. If you choose to repair the car there, they put the $76 towards your repair bill.