Headlight Cracking........Porsche washing off responsibility.......POOR

[Motorhead]

Imi,

Just to point out that your car is under the Porsche Extended Warranty plan which is nowhere near as extensive as the full Factory Warranty. Your Porsche Centre is dealing with a third party insurer who presumably is refusing to pay to replace the units (you need to read carefully the Extended Warranty T&Cs to understand what is and is not covered).

Your Centre will therefore have to cover the full replacement cost (unless they can get you cough-up part of the cost) and if they can be bothered, maybe return the units to the manufacturer seeking reimbursement from them.

Jeff

 

[imi]

Imi,

Just to point out that your car is under the Porsche Extended Warranty plan which is nowhere near as extensive as the full Factory Warranty. Your Porsche Centre is dealing with a third party insurer who presumably is refusing to pay to replace the units (you need to read carefully the Extended Warranty T&Cs to understand what is and is not covered).

Your Centre will therefore have to cover the full replacement cost (unless they can get you cough-up part of the cost) and if they can be bothered, maybe return the units to the manufacturer seeking reimbursement from them.

Jeff

I am not sure about the exact mechanics here - however to me it seemed like the centre handed this over to Porsche GB early on and it was them that I was dealing with.

 

[imi]

I have added a direct link to the Tweet to make it easier for members to re-tweet.

https://twitter.com/ihshaikh/status/1179352654859948038?s=20

 

[pfs]

[attachment=20170921_122933LR.jpg]

Imi - Please let me know if you get a change in response from Porsche. I live with the problem but it will be an issue if I come to sell in the future.

Paul

 

[imi]

Hi Paul

I am no expert however the issue with your lights looks like de-lamination and that is potentially a different issue to what the headlights on my car are exhibiting.

 

[imi]

It sounds very much as though you've taken it as far as possible within Porsche Imi, so I can understand your frustration - I would be too..! Not the sort of treatment you expect from a so-called premier car manufacturer.

I really don't know where you could get further advice. Trading Standards perhaps? Porsche UK would smart if you managed to get your case taken up by the BBC's Watchdog program..!

Jeff

Edit: That pic looks like serious delamination has taken place. Surely a manufacturing fault, and Porsche should at the very least send the units back to the manufacturer for comment?

Funny you say that as I did question why Porsche didnt seem interested to know what had caused the issue...... why did they not send one of their engineers from Porsche Tech to the OPC when the OPC admitted that they had not seen this before and it was beyond their ability.

Anyway - how did you get on with your case? Feel free to point them to my case if that helps your cause - especially my tweet.

I do intend to fight this all the way - its a matter of principle, no manufacturer should be allowed to wash their hands off without a robust explanation as to the cause of the issue with their product (compounded by the fact that lights with similar issues have been replaced under warranty by Porsche - precedent has already been set).

 

[PHB1969]

just wondered on the twitter front, is it worth tweeting certain key motoring individuals that are Porsche lovers - Chris Harris, Richard Hammond, Evo magazine, some of the Porsche specific magazines etc etc you may find a friendly ear with very good Twitter or media reach (more so than my 5 followers!)

 

[legin]

Hopefully some observations and direct experiences myself can help.

This is an all to common response on all VAG claims where the warranty is extended and as said is actually a fronted third party to whom VAG cant be paying enough. Porsche are on the same slippery slope as its VAG behind it all.

VAG unfortunately is a sharp operator these days and some would say dishonest instances of which are plain to see. Porsche is historically resisting but...

The ombudsman appears to be in the pocket of the manufacturer in its ruling on the cases I have followed and this is yet another example.

Indeed go to ombudsman to say you have followed due process. - they will reject and take ages.

If you want to take it further then two things will help. Bad media as you are doing although they are quite thick skinned these days after IMS etc.

If you can be bothered park your car next to a dealership with a sign and some words - they really dont like it.

Realise that you will likely only get anywhere if you take them to court and in this case with the demonstrable USA ruling you must be well placed.

I have five VAG vehicles from three of the brands and no longer extend the warranty on any of them. Also I intend to start going elsewhere.

 

[ralphmusic]

You might consider requesting assistance from the Club's Register Director. This looks to be an inappropriate response to an apparently known problem and perhaps one that the Club should provide assistance on even if all they can do is to help collate evidence and arrange a meeting for you, the Register Director ( David Carnaffin - register@porscheclubgb.com ) and Porsche GB.

 

[Motorhead]

Ralph,

I think that's a very sensible suggestion. Although I don't recall many incidences of unit cracking on these forums there appear to be quite a few reports and complaints about water ingress, sometimes on new vehicles, which doesn't give confidence generally in the supplier's quality control procedures or Porsche's response to complaints from customers of both new and used vehicles with either factory or extended warranties.

I would have thought that Imi's justified complaint would at least have prompted Porsche GB to have sent someone to look at the damage and to pass on a report to the supplier for their comments. I'm pleased to see that he's prepared to make a stand on the issue and wish him luck.

Jeff

 

[imi]

You might consider requesting assistance from the Club's Register Director. This looks to be an inappropriate response to an apparently known problem and perhaps one that the Club should provide assistance on even if all they can do is to help collate evidence and arrange a meeting for you, the Register Director ( David Carnaffin - register@porscheclubgb.com ) and Porsche GB.

Thats a great suggestion, I will drop David an email.

On the plus side - this will force me to get off my backside and attend the Porsche meets so that other owners can see the issue first hand...

 

[imi]

just wondered on the twitter front, is it worth tweeting certain key motoring individuals that are Porsche lovers - Chris Harris, Richard Hammond, Evo magazine, some of the Porsche specific magazines etc etc you may find a friendly ear with very good Twitter or media reach (more so than my 5 followers!)

Also a good suggestion.

+ WatchDog has already been mentioned earlier in the thread - so I intend to reach out to them too.

 

[lessismore]

How amazing that since raising with the OPC where I bought my car on 29/8 about my cracked headlights and in particular the driver side which is milky colour with glue on the inside sticking it together and having raised it with Porsche Customer Services they have both now concluded on 8th Oct that they don't know how this could have happened so its not covered under the extended warranty thus washing their hands of it.

After 7 calls with the OPC, THATS WHAT THEY CALL THEMSLEVES and not coming back to me as promised and saying they are not responsible and basically calling me a liar they are a disgrace and if I am allowed I will name them on here and wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them

As for Porsche Customer services who have been dealing with this since 20/9 and have now decided between their warranty and technical teams its nothing to do with them - Porsche Passion and Premium brand DO ME A FAVOUR.

The car in question apparently as its had its 111 point check is super duper despite the spray job and bumper removal and refit before and the fact its not unusual to have stress cracks on front lights of Caymans but my OPC have never come across it despite others saying its not unusual

All in all I expected nothing else apart from a trip down the country lane and that's exactly what I got. I have family who work for a OPC and have 2 Porsches and this is the amount of trust and service I get from them so good luck to the rest of you

They say as I bought it in October 2018 and this was happened in July 2019 they suspect it was bumped. The car has done 800 miles at the time and not been out of the local road

End of rant and what a stitch up

 

[legin]

Im afraid its like I said above. Its either take them to court or roll over.

 

[imi]

How amazing that since raising with the OPC where I bought my car on 29/8 about my cracked headlights and in particular the driver side which is milky colour with glue on the inside sticking it together and having raised it with Porsche Customer Services they have both now concluded on 8th Oct that they don't know how this could have happened so its not covered under the extended warranty thus washing their hands of it.

After 7 calls with the OPC, THATS WHAT THEY CALL THEMSLEVES and not coming back to me as promised and saying they are not responsible and basically calling me a liar they are a disgrace and if I am allowed I will name them on here and wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them

As for Porsche Customer services who have been dealing with this since 20/9 and have now decided between their warranty and technical teams its nothing to do with them - Porsche Passion and Premium brand DO ME A FAVOUR.

The car in question apparently as its had its 111 point check is super duper despite the spray job and bumper removal and refit before and the fact its not unusual to have stress cracks on front lights of Caymans but my OPC have never come across it despite others saying its not unusual

All in all I expected nothing else apart from a trip down the country lane and that's exactly what I got. I have family who work for a OPC and have 2 Porsches and this is the amount of trust and service I get from them so good luck to the rest of you

They say as I bought it in October 2018 and this was happened in July 2019 they suspect it was bumped. The car has done 800 miles at the time and not been out of the local road

End of rant and what a stitch up

Hi James

Can you post a pic of your headlight so that we can see if it is the same issue.....

 

[imi]

Im afraid its like I said above. Its either take them to court or roll over.

Perhaps - it seems like the precedence has been set in the US to replace such lights - I dont understand why we in the UK are being given the run-around.

As most of you are aware I am going down the social media route first, if more owners feel mistreated by their OPC or Porsche GB then support me by retweeting the tweet in my signature.

 

[lessismore]

You will see from the picture of one of the lights its a stress crack caused either by a incorrect fitting of the bumper or the heat / combination

The lovely thing about this crack is the glue underneath the crack on the inside of the light which is the big give away that its a previous crack and amazingly the OPC have no idea how it happened, have never seen anything or heard of this before. ha ha ha

They say it could not possibly have been like this before as it has passed their 111 check and they would never do anything such as glueing a crack to make it invisible

Can I say where it is ?

The other cracks are finer but all in the same place on the lower inside area which is where you expect to see stress cracks on cayman lights

 

[Motorhead]

... it seems like the precedence has been set in the US to replace such lights - I don't understand why we in the UK are being given the run-around.

Americans are notoriously litigious and I'm afraid that manufacturers are less prepared to take on the US courts than they are the UK/European courts.

Jeff

 

[Spydermonkey1985]

I can also report that one of my headlights on my 981 Boxster S has the same hazing/stress fractures as the red 981 above.

I actually noticed it when collecting my BS from my OPC following its service and raised it there and then. OPC advised that it wasn't something that they had seen previously and that if they submitted it for a warranty claim it would most likely be rejected, on the grounds of "does the defect affect the operation of the item being claimed for"? In this case whilst the perspex is fractured, light will still pass through it i.e. it still works.

I queried it once again post the visit and was quoted £850ish for the part.

Whilst it bothers me i'm not going to let it ruin my experience of owning the vehicle and i'll trawl some breakers to see if i can find a replacement. Worst case scenario i'll just buy the new light.

James

 

[pfs]

James

Do you have the crazing problem on both headlamps? Mine is on both sides in the same place (where the dip beam is) which strongly suggests the damage is not random and is related to UV from the HID lights. My Red Boxster 981 has PDLS and the replacement cost is over £3k !

Paul