If owners were regularly seeing expensive repairs to high mileage Macans, you would not see them holding their value so well. The market magically adjusts, although of course no one can claim there's no risk.

And there are some repairs that could be so expensive it would not make sense to undertake them. But that could be said about the majority of cars with 80k+ miles.

For example we also own a 2011 X5 with the V8 engine. The problems with these engines are well documented and widespread enough to the point our car is worth less than a 6 cylinder example. And the V8 was a $10k upgrade when new.

 

Looks like there is one CPO Macan in the entire U.S. with 80k+ miles. Porsche Towson, 88k miles, asking $38k, Turbo with original MSRP of $87k.

Could be interesting for someone who drives a boatload of miles as you get a 2 year unlimited mile warranty with relatively few exclusions.

 

@cooljellow if you are seriously looking at a this car get a PPI from a Porsche mechanic. They can go over the vehicle and help give you a yes or no on buying the car. Not all. Macan’s have had transfer or oil leak problems. An inspection by a qualified mechanic out to help you with this decision.

 

Not all. Macan’s have had transfer or oil leak problems.

Actually only a small percentage do. The problem of course is if you end up with one of the cars that does.

 

Thanks for the replies. I would certainly have a PPI done on any potential used car for purchase. I was mostly wondering whether a Macan with > 80K miles is almost certain to need a high-cost repair for an item expected to fail within a certain number of miles.

 

Check out the thread (anyone with some high mileage) in the search . You’ll find some owners with mileage beyond the car your looking at.

 

There's a few other things which can be done to minimize the potential (to an extent) of getting burned. Get a Carfax AND Autocheck. Analyze them carefully. Look for WHERE the car was registered during its life by city and state. If from up north think salted roads. If from Florida or Houston, potential flooding from storms/hurricanes.

Next, stop by a Porsche dealership with the VIN. Have them print out all services/repairs ever done. Look for big ticket repairs and multiple returns for the same issue.

And as already stated, a PPI. Hope this helps.

 

There's a few other things which can be done to minimize the potential (to an extent) of getting burned. Get a Carfax AND Autocheck. Analyze them carefully. Look for WHERE the car was registered during its life by city and state. If from up north think salted roads. If from Florida or Houston, potential flooding from storms/hurricanes.

Next, stop by a Porsche dealership with the VIN. Have them print out all services/repairs ever done. Look for big ticket repairs and multiple returns for the same issue.

And as already stated, a PPI. Hope this helps.

Thanks! Yes, all very good considerations, which I plan to do . Certain cars have "weak" points which tend to fail over time - I'm reading the threads here to see if there are big ticket items I can expect from a used high-mileage Macan out of warranty.

 

We picked up a 2015 S from a Chicago independent dealer with 70k miles, has 129k now. Had the transfer case jerkiness, changed out the fluid and that fixed it. No other issues, everything still works exactly as it should despite all the buttons and features. No rattles, nothing. Amazingly reliable for a first gen model.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what is the cost of that fix? And what would be the cost out of warranty for a transfer case repair/replacement?

 

If it's been well looked after and has service documentation to back it up I would not hesitate to buy one with higher miles.

 

That s good. You know the game if you have an R8!

 

As with any European car they're very expensive to repair as well as maintain. BMW, Mercedes and Porsche are your big ones. The higher-priced spread with the Audi line are right there as well. A warranty only covers so much. The rest comes out of your pocket. Pick wisely. And make sure to do your homework on any purchase. GL

 

A story

One summer I bought a car for my daughter (16 yrs old ) from a 'Little Old Lady"....

a Saab... it had about 50k miles on it
A friend said - careful, they have trouble at 50.....

Ha! don't we all - thought I !!

Sure as ****... I spent more fixing that car in the first month than I paid for it
like $5000.... like 15-18 yrs ago

The Little Old Lady blew me off.....
Happened in the first week...........

Never again..........

 

A story

One summer I bought a car for my daughter (16 yrs old ) from a 'Little Old Lady"....

a Saab... it had about 50k miles on it
A friend said - careful, they have trouble at 50.....

Ha! don't we all - thought I !!

Sure as ****... I spent more fixing that car in the first month than I paid for it
like $5000.... like 15-18 yrs ago

The Little Old Lady blew me off.....
Happened in the first week...........

Never again..........

 

A story

One summer I bought a car for my daughter (16 yrs old ) from a 'Little Old Lady"....

a Saab... it had about 50k miles on it
A friend said - careful, they have trouble at 50.....

Ha! don't we all - thought I !!

Sure as ****... I spent more fixing that car in the first month than I paid for it
like $5000.... like 15-18 yrs ago

The Little Old Lady blew me off.....
Happened in the first week...........

Never again..........

Did you do a PPI prior to buying? It sounds like there was an existing issue given it happened the first week.

 

200,000 engine outs is a lot, to fix some bad cover screws. Do we know for sure what model years of the S cars are affected by that potential leak threat? The 2020 S's use a different new engine, so it should be resolved now. But 2015-2019 is the range for the prior S we'd be talking, if they changed something in that span of time to fix the source of the problem. That would at least isolate the problem to a specific run of cars and plan accordingly.

As a buyer of an S right now, I'd be a bit wary. Would want that issue checked out before buying. Is it leaking? Will you get a dealership to fix it later on if it isn't right now, as an endemic problem? Could be a tough sell. Tack on extended warranty coverage for sure for that, engine out costs at Porsche no joke if you're forced to pay for it yourself down the road.

 

200,000 engine outs is a lot, to fix some bad cover screws. Do we know for sure what model years of the S cars are affected by that potential leak threat? The 2020 S's use a different new engine, so it should be resolved now. But 2015-2019 is the range for the prior S we'd be talking, if they changed something in that span of time to fix the source of the problem. That would at least isolate the problem to a specific run of cars and plan accordingly.

As a buyer of an S right now, I'd be a bit wary. Would want that issue checked out before buying. Is it leaking? Will you get a dealership to fix it later on if it isn't right now, as an endemic problem? Could be a tough sell. Tack on extended warranty coverage for sure for that, engine out costs at Porsche no joke if you're forced to pay for it yourself down the road.

No, there are not 200,000 engines 'out'. That is the number of cars sold. When I read what you wrote you almost gave me a heart attack!

 

...that would make it a Saab story, right?

I grew up in northern VT and in the winter, with all of the snow, ice, salt, etc. that
would build up on the bottom of vehicles, Saabs would end up with frozen ignition switches.
Why? Because the ignition switch was located on the floor in the center behind the gearshift!

I can hear Homer Simpson now...

 

I hope this thread is not trending into what became the "fear" thread of the 986/996/997 IMS problem. For years, the 911 community seemed almost paralyzed with fear that their intermediate shaft bearing would spontaneously self-destruct and leave them with a $12-15K problem. Did this fear ever play out to reality? Yes, there were a significant number of engine failures caused by the bearing failure. Did this result in incessant chatter on the internet forums? Yes. Did it actually cause legal actions? Yes. Hysteria on the internet.

But, in the big scheme of things, there might have been a 2-4% failure rate. Not good. The result of a bad design. Porsche should have stayed with the Mezger-designed engine used in the GT3 and Turbo, but did not, presumably for economic reasons.

Reality. Years ago I bought a low-mileage 2003 Carrera 2 knowing of the potential problem. Bought it used from a private seller, but unseen except following a PPI performed at a well-known Porsche dealership a thousand miles away. It helped that the person who performed the inspection was at the time the national service specialist for PCA. He gave it a clean bill of health. All service records available.

After I had about 40K miles on it, I took it to my trusted indie shop that was an authorized LN Engineering bearing retrofit shop and had them replace the original bearing with a redesigned update while they put in a new clutch. Cost me about $2,300 total. No more fear.

I kept that car for nine years. It was probably the most enjoyable and problem-free car I have ever had. Fast and perfectly performing. The 996 cars are still regarded with fear. Under priced and great bargains for those who push aside the fears.

I hope the fear of all the things that might go wrong with Porsche Macans does not overwhelm potential owners. The number of things that could potentially go wrong with anything conceived of and made by humans is essentially infinite. My advice is to not let fear of what might go wrong control all of one's decisions. Just like investing in the stock market, one must deal with their level of comfort with a decision. No fear, reckless. Reasonable risk, sometimes lots of reward. Your mileage may vary.

 

I hope this thread is not trending into what became the "fear" thread of the 986/996/997 IMS problem. For years, the 911 community seemed almost paralyzed with fear that their intermediate shaft bearing would spontaneously self-destruct and leave them with a $12-15K problem. Did this fear ever play out to reality? Yes, there were a significant number of engine failures caused by the bearing failure. Did this result in incessant chatter on the internet forums? Yes. Did it actually cause legal actions? Yes. Hysteria on the internet.

The 997.1 is one of my favourite 911's before all the LED lights. IIRC, the IMS problem affected less than 1% from something I once read.

There are always risks buying any used car, be it with 1K miles or 100K miles; much depends on how it was used before. The only 'saving grace' is age in that whether it is still under warranty or not.

I bought my 997.1 used at 2 years old, and drive it for another 6 years before getting my Macan; didn't have any problems.

My Macan has spend a fair amount of time in the shop that my wife constantly questions me why I'm keeping it.

 

At the risk of stating the obvious, I will state the cliche that "We don't know what we don't know" in assessing chances of automotive failures. I will apply this to the case of the failed timing chain cover bolts. This is a different story than the one about the poorly designed IMS bearings on the Boxster/Cayman/911s,. What we do not know is how Porsche has sourced these parts. Were they all purchased in one batch, or as needed? Why is this important in estimating the chance of failure (in addition to the chance that some of the bolts might have been over tightened on the assembly line)? It is because they might unknowingly have used a run of poorly manufactured bolts/screws.

Porsche does not itself manufacture all of the parts it uses to construct its automobiles. It depends on outside suppliers to manufacture things (viz. air bags, etc.) as do all automotive manufacturers. If there is a run of sub-quality parts provided to them, the defects may not be detected until they are incorporated in automobiles that are already on the road. How difficult is it to visualize a simple bolt or screw and tell if it is defective? Even if a sampling of them is subjected to tensile, etc., testing, those tests may not be continuously monitored, especially if these simple components are supplied in batches as needed.

This, then, is the real source of failure uncertainty that is difficult to gauge. Let me give a personal example of this kind. I had a beautiful 1988 911 Carrera 3.2 (Guards Red with whale tail, of course!). I had it for years and it ran perfectly. One day I almost burned my garage and house down because of it. I started it up and smelled a strong smell of fuel. I opened the engine cover and gasoline was shooting out from the engine. I hand pushed the car out of the garage as fast as I could. The main pressurized portion of the flexible fuel line had ruptured. No prior warning. When I started to research the possible cause of this failure, I learned that of all the Carreras of this era, the only failures of this kind were occurring in MY 1988 cars. It didn't occur until the cars were of a certain age and was not recorded on any significant basis on cars manufactured either before MY 1988 or after. The problem? Porsche unknowingly had used a defective batch of flexible fuel lines in that model year only, subject to premature failure at a time in the future.

The moral of the story is that you pays your money and you takes your chances in this life. Nothing is guaranteed (except death and taxes).

 

Bravo ?

 

I picked up a 2016 S last week with 61k miles on it for 28.5(usd). So far it seems great, but a little inconsistent at parking lot speeds. That could be just me getting acclimated to pdk, hill hold, start stop and all the other tech compared to my old six speed dd. I'll keep you posted if it was a bad call or not, going to inspect for leaks now.

 

You bought it BEFORE inspecting for leak? Brave man ;-)

Did you test drive before buying?

 

I just went to the dealer to check it out and for a test drive...wasn't planning on bringing it home immediately, but it was a great price and appeared to be in excellent condition so I jumped for it. Engine bay and underbody are clean fortunately.

 

When you say underbody is clean, I assume that's just by looking underneath without being on a lift? To effectively detect oil leaks, you would need to take off the underbody cover.

Anyway - congrats on the car! Pics?

 

One month update to my higher mileage (62K mile) used Macan. I believe the transfer case is on its way out, and goes in to visit the OPC next thursday. I do not notice the symptoms all the time, and as an uneducated buyer I didn't notice anything off during the test drive. The trans likes to hold 2nd gear unless you come to a complete stop and I sometimes get a thump after getting back on it from a rolling start. I also notice a scritching/slipping noise during and after the transmission up-shifts under load or going uphill. Its very surprising that the car would have gotten through every OPC scheduled maintenance through 60K and CPO inspection at 48K without it being noticed, so it really can pop up at any point.

I would recommend looking specifically for used Macan's that have had the TC replaced, getting an OPC PPI, or else it is likely just a matter of time before failure crops up.

I am incredibly lucky, Porsche has told me my CPO warranty is still valid and runs through next March. I believe the dealer (a new Maserati/Alfa dealer) who had the car on lot for 3 months suspected something was up based on the price and simply never checked that it was a CPO and still under warranty.

 

I just bought a 2015 Macan Turbo with 97K miles. Everything checked out perfectly! They offered me to take it home for a week and check if I want to. And I did. I took it to P-dealer and my trust indy P-shop. Both check out with no problem. To have peace of mind they offered me a third-party extended warranty 5yrs/100,000K.

 

Sounds great. Price? How comprehensive is the warranty and who is the warrantor?

 

Interested in a 2016 S (clean carfax) with under 35K miles, from Porsche dealer, for about $33k with the following options: No factory warranty, there is no service records on CARFAX up until 18k miles, oil change was regular after this. Any thoughts, advise?! Anyone with recent successful/horror story of used-ownership?

1NP​	Wheel Center Caps with Colored Porsche Crest​
2Y​	Carrara White Metallic​
2ZH​	Steering Wheel Heating​
5MH​	Carbon Fiber Interior Package​
6H1​	Side Blades in Exterior Color​
7G9​	Porsche Car Connect​
7X8​	ParkAssist (Front and Rear) with Reversing Camera​
7Y1​	Lane Change Assist (LCA)​
9JB​	Smoking Package​
9VL​	Bose® Surround Sound System​
CY3​	20" RS Spyder Design Wheels​
N1B​	Preparation Two-Tone Leather Interior i.c.w. Seat Ventilation​
PE5​	Power Seats (14-way) with Memory Package​
PJ1​	Infotainment Package​
PJ3​	Premium Package Plus​
PP8​	Comfort Lighting Package​
VU​	Leather Package in Black/Garnet Red​

 

I had 2015 Macan S until I reached 60,000 miles - no major problems. You might have a problem with transfer case, but it is covered under manufacturer warranty.

 

There are lots of threads about this, worth doing a search, but the opinions will generally boil down to 1) Never own a Macan without warranty or 2) never pay for an extended warranty. Both sides have their reasons and valid points.

In your situation, assuming you otherwise like the car, my concerns would be as follows. 1) Is the dealer willing to offer it CPO? Not saying you necessarily want it CPO, you might, but if not, that's a red flag. 2) The lack of any records for the first 18,000 miles. Could have serious damage, could have been driven like it was stolen. This means you absolutely 100% need an indy mechanic to carefully look it over. 3) Timing Chain Cover. This is your likely worst case scenario problem. It's not an uncommon problem, and an expensive repair (5-10k). Make sure the indy knows about this issue and looks for it.

The other big issue with the Macan is the Transfer Case, but that's 70,000 mile warrantied, so while it could be an annoyance, it's not a big cost. I'd ask yourself if you buy it today, and have to pay for a 5-10k repair in a month, are you going to be okay with that?

 

If the warranty is not dealer provided via CPO, I would strongly consider a Fidelity Platinum warranty which can be purchased generally from any auto dealer. On our 4S coupe, I bought the Fidelity from a Chevrolet dealership after buying the car from a private seller. Saved over $2,500 from the Porsche dealership quote.

 

Just popped the question of putting the car under PCPO program, sale rep. quoted $3,250; reasonable? Can I get another dealer to do the CPO if they're cheaper? Or would that gets complicated bc they would have to do a trade, etc....

Thanks for all the sound advise, I stayed up late last night reading 'leak' issues! This will be my first entry into the brand, not a great start, but I like the car enough to try to resolve in my favor...

 

Don‘t let the leak thread scare you too bad. Remember, only a small portion of owners are on forums like this, and people with problems are much more likely to post, but it’s definitely the big one to look out for. Overall these are very reliable cars.

3k seems to be about the going rate for CPO. Other warranties will likely be in the same ballpark at least, and if your dealer is convenient (my nearest ones are 2 hours away) it’s going to provide the best peace of mind.

Obviously no one can determine what’s right for you except you. Personally I love lower mileage value cars like that. But it also depends on how many miles you will be putting on and how quickly you’ll hit various service intervals. Also will you do any maintenance yourself or have it performed at a dealer or local Indy? When you hear $400 from the dealer for an oil change will that shock you?

If I moved forward with the car after following Bruce‘s recommendations above, personally I’d want the CPO for peace of mind. Keep in mind there are plenty of stories of people who drive home a CPO car and discover issues (there’s a new thread today about it in fact). Don’t assume CPO means no issues. But it does mean issues are their problem. If you buy it as is and discover an issue the next week, they may fix it as goodwill, but it’s going to be their choice. But a finance expert would tell you to buy cash and self insure instead of paying for the warranty. Put that 3k somewhere earning interest And you have it if something does go wrong. Now, if the engine blows up, you lose, cause a new engine costs more than the car. But more often than not, you come out ahead.

 

If the dealership is a Porsche dealership, ask for service and repair records. If not, go to one with the VIN and recut the same. Obtain both a Carfax AND Autocheck. Compare them for any irregularities. How many owners. What state(s) did it live in (think flood and/or salt exposure. Any recurring issues requiring multiple visits for repair. Have the dealership drop the belly pan. Have a good flashlight with you. Inspect it for any oil leaks yourself. Assume NOTHING.