I’ve had my 2020 Carrera 4S for around four months now. About a month after delivery, I got a warning on the dash saying: “Reduced engine power – driving permitted – visit workshop.”
I took it to my local OPC. While it was there they discovered an oil leak from the sump, which was unrelated to the warning but became a bit of a saga in itself. As the engine warning didn’t return, that issue wasn’t investigated any further at the time.
I was then back at the dealer to have an Aerokit fitted, which all went smoothly. A couple of weeks later, however, the reduced engine power warning came back. I returned to the OPC and, following diagnostics, they told me it needed an injector replacing. The earliest they could book it in with a courtesy car was around six weeks later, as they wanted the car for a few days.
The appointment eventually came around and I dropped the car off. By the end of that week, however, the parts still hadn’t arrived, which I found a little strange considering the booking had been made several weeks in advance.
I was going abroad for a week, so I returned the courtesy car and agreed to collect my 911 when I got back, once the work had been completed. I picked the car up yesterday. I drove around 30 miles down the A19, spent a couple of hours visiting a business, then set off home. When I got back into the car there was a noticeable smell of petrol, but as I was in a public car park I couldn’t be certain it was coming from my car.
A few miles into the journey home, the reduced engine power warning appeared again. This time there was a significant loss of power, although the car did manage to get me home. I called the OPC while I was driving back. They had no courtesy cars available and suggested I contact Porsche Assistance.
Once I parked the car, I noticed fuel leaking from underneath it. Porsche Assistance contacted the fire brigade, who attended to make sure there was no immediate risk of ignition. I then had around a three-hour wait for the recovery truck. When the car was started again to get it onto the truck, fuel was effectively spurting out underneath and the engine sounded extremely rough.
Porsche Assistance said they had no vehicles available themselves, so Enterprise contacted me instead. Their solution was for me to somehow make my own way to Newcastle Airport, around 30 minutes away, to collect a rental car. I told them that simply wasn’t a realistic solution. One of the reasons I took the Porsche Extended Warranty was the reassurance of having Porsche Assistance and, as I understood it, being kept mobile in an appropriate replacement brand vehicle if something like this happened.
The car is now in storage and is being transported back to the OPC today, where they will obviously need to investigate what has happened and repair it.
At this point I’m trying to decide how firmly I should handle this with Porsche and the OPC. I’ve now had the same engine warning on three separate occasions, the car has recently been returned to me following an injector repair, and within around 30 miles it developed a major fuel leak serious enough for the fire brigade to attend.
I’m also currently without a replacement vehicle, despite having Porsche Assistance, and I’ve now got fuel all over the road outside my property, which understandably hasn’t gone down particularly well with the neighbours.
I’m not expecting special treatment, but equally I don’t think being offered a basic Enterprise rental, or being expected to find my own way to Newcastle Airport to collect one, is really in keeping with the level of breakdown support I believed I was paying for with the Porsche warranty.
I’d be interested to hear how others would handle this and what they would reasonably expect Porsche or the OPC to do from here.
I took it to my local OPC. While it was there they discovered an oil leak from the sump, which was unrelated to the warning but became a bit of a saga in itself. As the engine warning didn’t return, that issue wasn’t investigated any further at the time.
I was then back at the dealer to have an Aerokit fitted, which all went smoothly. A couple of weeks later, however, the reduced engine power warning came back. I returned to the OPC and, following diagnostics, they told me it needed an injector replacing. The earliest they could book it in with a courtesy car was around six weeks later, as they wanted the car for a few days.
The appointment eventually came around and I dropped the car off. By the end of that week, however, the parts still hadn’t arrived, which I found a little strange considering the booking had been made several weeks in advance.
I was going abroad for a week, so I returned the courtesy car and agreed to collect my 911 when I got back, once the work had been completed. I picked the car up yesterday. I drove around 30 miles down the A19, spent a couple of hours visiting a business, then set off home. When I got back into the car there was a noticeable smell of petrol, but as I was in a public car park I couldn’t be certain it was coming from my car.
A few miles into the journey home, the reduced engine power warning appeared again. This time there was a significant loss of power, although the car did manage to get me home. I called the OPC while I was driving back. They had no courtesy cars available and suggested I contact Porsche Assistance.
Once I parked the car, I noticed fuel leaking from underneath it. Porsche Assistance contacted the fire brigade, who attended to make sure there was no immediate risk of ignition. I then had around a three-hour wait for the recovery truck. When the car was started again to get it onto the truck, fuel was effectively spurting out underneath and the engine sounded extremely rough.
Porsche Assistance said they had no vehicles available themselves, so Enterprise contacted me instead. Their solution was for me to somehow make my own way to Newcastle Airport, around 30 minutes away, to collect a rental car. I told them that simply wasn’t a realistic solution. One of the reasons I took the Porsche Extended Warranty was the reassurance of having Porsche Assistance and, as I understood it, being kept mobile in an appropriate replacement brand vehicle if something like this happened.
The car is now in storage and is being transported back to the OPC today, where they will obviously need to investigate what has happened and repair it.
At this point I’m trying to decide how firmly I should handle this with Porsche and the OPC. I’ve now had the same engine warning on three separate occasions, the car has recently been returned to me following an injector repair, and within around 30 miles it developed a major fuel leak serious enough for the fire brigade to attend.
I’m also currently without a replacement vehicle, despite having Porsche Assistance, and I’ve now got fuel all over the road outside my property, which understandably hasn’t gone down particularly well with the neighbours.
I’m not expecting special treatment, but equally I don’t think being offered a basic Enterprise rental, or being expected to find my own way to Newcastle Airport to collect one, is really in keeping with the level of breakdown support I believed I was paying for with the Porsche warranty.
I’d be interested to hear how others would handle this and what they would reasonably expect Porsche or the OPC to do from here.
