Had my tranny replaced under warranty last spring, 2015 S, 22k on the odo... Porsche had my dealer jump through some hoops for sure before they approved the repair.
It’s. a. big. job.

 

How is the repair working out? What were the symptoms going in?

 

Hi Guys

This is my first post here and I need some help as i am from UK and this is my first attempt in dealing with customer services in North America?

To start with my 2015 Porsche Macan S broke down in downtown Toronto on 24 Jan 19 with 2 warning lights:

1. Gearbox Fault possible no R gear possible to drive on
2. Fault of the engine control system

With the first gearbox fault i was able to drive and pull over in safe location. The only gears that worked were 1 and 3. (To be honest i did not try and get through the gears to see if the higher ones worked because i was in traffic and did not want to worsen the problem)

The second fault of the engine control system came as i continued driving to the safe location. So presumably is linked to fault 1 - Gearbox.

Cut a long story short the Macan is at Oakville Porsche.

They have today quoted me $4000+tax to replace the "MECHATRONIC CONTROL UNIT".
The Macan S warranty expired on Sep 18 and my current mileage is 80,000km. Porsche have said my warranty is finished and i will need to pay. Has anyone had a similar issue with a car that is fairly new, just out of warranty? Is it normal for this part to go? On top of this i have had no loaner vehicle and am currently renting from a 3rd party to keep me moving. Porsche dealership do not seem to interested in assisting me unless i pay for it (opposite service to UK Porsche who go out their way/above to assist).

Porsche are also telling me that i stand no chance of getting any assistance from Porsche Canada as there is no history for the PDK gearbox service @4yrs 60,000miles (1 service missed from 6 services). My gripe with this is Porsche Oakville serviced my car in Feb 18 @ around 56,000 km. They never offered me a PDK gearbox service at the time nor did they quote or advise me of it (i know people will say i should read the manual and know all intervals etc but i am not a mechanic - that is why i take my car to the main dealer to service so they can tell me). Also no warning light or service light came on the dash for the PDK service which is something that would prompt me? So in my eyes the next service is due at minimum of 1year from previous service (which would be Feb 2019) or when you get your service light come on but porsche are telling me that i should no the intervals.....

Any help and assistance would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
Pac

 

Hi Guys

This is my first post here and I need some help as i am from UK and this is my first attempt in dealing with customer services in North America?

To start with my 2015 Porsche Macan S broke down in downtown Toronto on 24 Jan 19 with 2 warning lights:

1. Gearbox Fault possible no R gear possible to drive on
2. Fault of the engine control system

With the first gearbox fault i was able to drive and pull over in safe location. The only gears that worked were 1 and 3. (To be honest i did not try and get through the gears to see if the higher ones worked because i was in traffic and did not want to worsen the problem)

The second fault of the engine control system came as i continued driving to the safe location. So presumably is linked to fault 1 - Gearbox.

Cut a long story short the Macan is at Oakville Porsche.

They have today quoted me $4000+tax to replace the "MECHATRONIC CONTROL UNIT".
The Macan S warranty expired on Sep 18 and my current mileage is 80,000km. Porsche have said my warranty is finished and i will need to pay. Has anyone had a similar issue with a car that is fairly new, just out of warranty? Is it normal for this part to go? On top of this i have had no loaner vehicle and am currently renting from a 3rd party to keep me moving. Porsche dealership do not seem to interested in assisting me unless i pay for it (opposite service to UK Porsche who go out their way/above to assist).

Porsche are also telling me that i stand no chance of getting any assistance from Porsche Canada as there is no history for the PDK gearbox service @4yrs 60,000miles (1 service missed from 6 services). My gripe with this is Porsche Oakville serviced my car in Feb 18 @ around 56,000 km. They never offered me a PDK gearbox service at the time nor did they quote or advise me of it (i know people will say i should read the manual and know all intervals etc but i am not a mechanic - that is why i take my car to the main dealer to service so they can tell me). Also no warning light or service light came on the dash for the PDK service which is something that would prompt me? So in my eyes the next service is due at minimum of 1year from previous service (which would be Feb 2019) or when you get your service light come on but porsche are telling me that i should no the intervals.....

Any help and assistance would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
Pac

the exact same thing happened to me - I bought a 1 owner 15’ S in Houston from a Hyundai/ Exotics dealer - not CPO & no ext warranty. Porsche dealer in San Antonio charged $7500 —- milage was 52k, had car for about a year. Not a fortified new ownership experience unfortunately.

 

Ouch. While it stinks that the car is out of service & you're on your own for repairs, I'd think that the dealer would be willing to go to bat for you with Corporate. There are several of us on the Forum here that have had issues with the car that weren't covered by warranty, but Corporate stepped up as a goodwill gesture. I'd throw that word out there & I'd even consider calling another dealer or reaching out to Corporate myself to see if they can help. Good luck.

 

If that happened to me I'd never buy another Porsche.

 

what difference does it make if it happens to you or someone else?

 

OP's car is completely out of warranty by year and mileage. Obviously, the PDK was not serviced at 4 years/60k miles (should be 40k miles?).

It is a bad situation. There is no reason for Porsche to provide any goodwill. Now I wonder whether a 3rd party extended warranty would cover the repair even if OP had one since the car was not serviced per Mfg's schedule.

OP's only course is to contact Porsche corporate and be extra nice to see if they offer any partial goodwill.

 

The PDK oil change service is recommended for 40,000 miles, which is roughly 64,000 km, so I can partly see why it wasn't suggested when the car was serviced at 35,000 miles (56,000 km). If you returned for service in another 10,000 miles, the car would have been at 45,000 miles, which is past the 40k mark, but not terribly so (IMO). With the car now at nearly 50,000 miles, that is a bit of a stretch.

Still, I think it's technically hard to imagine that the PDK oil would become that much worse with that amount of additional mileage. If it were that sensitive, then I think there's an argument that the dealership should have recommended and pushed for the PDK service back at the 35,000 mile mark.

At this point, perhaps the best you can do is talk to Porsche NA directly and see if they will be willing to comp you the control unit as good will, and then you're just on the hook for the replacement labor.
Best of luck getting it sorted. Keep us posted on how it turns out.

 

Thank for the feedback guys.

Does anyone have a contact link for Porsche Corporate / NA Complaint?

I went to the website and there is one of those automated messaging platforms. I would rather speak or email someone directly.

 

......Does anyone have a contact link for Porsche Corporate / NA Complaint?.....

I've never tried it, but here's what came up in a quick search. Worth a try....

Phone: 1-800-PORSCHE (1-800-767-7243)

Contact page:
https://my.porsche.com/usa/dialogue/contactandinformation/contactus/

 

I had the same thing when I owned the 2015 Macan Turbo. It had happened a few times before the dealer finally agreed to have the module replaced under warranty. My dash lit up like a x'mas tree when it happened and I lost power while accelerating which scared me somewhat as I feared I would be hit from behind.

btw, pdk service is scheduled at 60,000km (at the latest)

 

This happened to me too, but fixed under warranty without waiting.

 

Isn't the module an electronic component? If so that has nothing to do with when the lubricant was changed.
Even if it's similar to a valve body in the Aisin transmission (found in the Cayenne) and lives in the fluid it would be a stretch to say that is related.

 

It is probably not related but that's a good excuse to dealer/Porsche for not following the maintenance schedule.

 

Hey Guys, im taking my macan this Saturday from the dealer, he told me they didn't change the PDK, they replaced the PDK's mechatronic???? , first time there change the body valve, now I don't know what they mean with PDK's Mechatronic, is anyone have any idea what it is? ill give you some update when I drive the car. regards

 

.....I don't know what they mean with PDK's Mechatronic, is anyone have any idea what it is?.....

Essentially, it's an electronic and hydraulic valve body assembly that controls the PDK. It's attached to the transmission and it looks something like this....

 

so... the first time they changed the body valve and now, second time, they changed the body valve again????? I requested the report but they told me they can't give me that info, the only they said is that they change the mechatronic.... well I hope it Will solve the problem , it is very frustrated

 

Thankful that the PDK used in the Macans has proven to be durable, and the number of owners reporting problems has been very limited. Because one would expect the out of warranty repair costs to be astronomical.

Of course this does not help the short list of owners that have experienced problems.

 

I have a 2017 Macan GTS with 36,000 miles, regularly serviced at local Porsche dealer and have had no issues with anything until last week. While driving to work last Wednesday, two warning messages appeared. First said "Transm. Fault, Poss no R gear, Drive on possible". Second message said "Engine control fault, Consult dealer, Driving permitted". Macan started shifting erratically and would only shift in 2nd, 4th and 6th gears. I drove to work at 50 mph and called dealer and they told me to drop it off on way home.


I dropped the Macan off after work and the dealer put me in a brand new 2019 Macan base loaner. The next day the dealer informed me that one of the solenoids on the transmission valve body (also called mechatronic unit) was stuck in the 5th gear position and it caused the erratic transmission behavior and the warning messages. The dealer was waiting for the mechanics diagnostic report and warranty approval. Porsche authorized a new PDK transmission valve body which has electrical and hydraulic components built into it. (photo attached, weighs 35 lbs. per my mechanic) My advisor told me the part alone is $900 plus 3-4 hours of labor.


The dealer called me Friday at noon and said that my Macan was ready! The dealer had these parts in stock, which may indicate this is more of a common issue. Repair also included new PDK fluid which normally gets replaced at 40,000 mile service.
Luckily I was under warranty and did not cost me anything. So far the Macan is riding fine. My mechanic said it will feel like a new transmission and the car will need to learn my driving habits all over again. Shifting is super smooth. Hope this is the end of this issue, scared the heck out of me.


BTW, I was very impressed with the Macan base loaner with 18" wheels. The new PCM screen is nice but noticed the font and touchscreen icons were small and wasn't so user-friendly. Not sure if these can be adjusted...

 

The dealer had these parts in stock, which may indicate this is more of a common issue. Repair also included new PDK fluid which normally gets replaced at 40,000 mile service.
Luckily I was under warranty and did not cost me anything. So far the Macan is riding fine. My mechanic said it will feel like a new transmission and the car will need to learn my driving habits all over again. Shifting is super smooth. Hope this is the end of this issue, scared the heck out of me.

Good news there that they fixed it quickly and you were under warranty! My transfer case on my '16 S had to be replaced in May two months after my purchase with just over 30k miles. If I hadn't purchased certified preowned I would have been out some significant $$$.

 

Makes me think that I may want to buy an extended warranty before the 50K miles comes up.
This repair was close to $1500 and heard if the PDK transmission has to be replaced, it could cost 10-15K I love the brand and my Macan GTS and realize the price of admission is high, expensive to maintain but worth it IMO...There is no substitute!

 

Makes me think that I may want to buy an extended warranty before the 50K miles comes up....

Very common thought.

But if you actually ran the #s , it probable would not be worth it to pay thousands for Extended warranty, in case a rare, expensive repair was needed out of warranty.

You will always hear of those who are so happy that they bought the 3k or 7k extended warranty, bc they had to fix the timing cover oil leak or replaced transfer case.

How do I know this, when you cannot accurately "run the #s " since Porsche does not divulge the number of timing cover oil leaks or transfer case replacements? Is it 1%, 5% or 20%? Could it be even higher, once the cars get to be 5, 7, 10 years old?

I do not know for certain. But, these warranty companies & Porsche are not about to lose $ selling these warranties. They are also not doing it to break even.

Most car owners are NOT on these forums. Happy owners with little to no problems are not as motivated to seek out troubleshooting forums or to vent online as are owners with problem cars.

I also will not buy lottery tickets even though there are people who win even a few hundred or thousand & say: "See?! I was RIGHT to buy a lottery ticket per week these past 3 years! I am ahead by a lot! You, who said it was a stupid waste of $, were WRONG!"

 

Did you have any modifications on the car when you took it in - air filters, exhaust, tune, etc?

 

jerbartolo79: No modifications on the car, bone stock 2017 GTS, regularly serviced at Porsche dealer since new.

 

Sucks this happened, but glad it was easily resolved!

 

Sorry this happened to your Macan but glad it will repaired fully, enjoy it!

 

Knock on wood but I have refused to buy warranty.

Think about it... the business is out to make money, not to do good will and spread joy. If warranty actually saved customers money the business would be losing money.

 

...it's an insurance. There's no right or wrong answer to this.

 

No different than any other type of insurance. Most people who own a house will purchase a homeowners policy in case the house burns down, among other perils.

Chances are almost certain the premiums you pay are going to be more than what you collect from claims against the policy.

Given that, I rarely buy any type of insurance except when there is a risk of a substantial financial loss, because usually you are better off "self insuring" if you can absorb the worst case scenario without significant financial stress.

I work for a Fortune 500 company, and that's why our health insurance is self insured. We merely hire a third party (in our case, Aetna) to administer the plans and claims. But we fund the payment of the claims ourself. Of course we are better off using an insurance company like Aetna versus trying to adminstrate ourselves because of the tremendous purchasing power a company like Aetna has in the provider marketplace.

 

No different than any other type of insurance. Most people who own a house will purchase a homeowners policy in case the house burns down, among other perils.

Chances are almost certain the premiums you pay are going to be more than what you collect from claims against the policy.

Given that, I rarely buy any type of insurance except when there is a risk of a substantial financial loss, because usually you are better off "self insuring" if you can absorb the worst case scenario without significant financial stress.

I work for a Fortune 500 company, and that's why our health insurance is self insured. We merely hire a third party (in our case, Aetna) to administer the plans and claims. But we fund the payment of the claims ourself. Of course we are better off using an insurance company like Aetna versus trying to adminstrate ourselves because of the tremendous purchasing power a company like Aetna has in the provider marketplace.

I think you nailed it. Unless in the off chance that it happens and you need to spend your life saving towards it, you are most likely better off spending that money when you NEED to.

I bought dent, tire, and extended warranty (not on the car) before.

The only thing i ever used was the tire warranty, once, which doesn't even cover the original cost.

And the worst thing is, you usually have to fight for what's covered and what's not with any sort of claims. At which point, I rather just pay the cost as needed and not deal with it.

 

Good you got it fixed so quickly, that would really scare me (even if the car is under warranty, I hate this kind of mechanical problems).

By the way the part in the photo looks like it comes from some space shuttle, it's beastly!

 

I also had my PDK replaced in a 2015 Turbo. Had a leak at the right half shaft that couldn’t be fixed. No error messages either.
Hope everything turned out okay for the OP.

 

The new PDK came with a 2 year warranty.