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Problems with Porsche Warranty Claims

PorscheBFG

New member
Recently I have had what can only be described (positively) as a challenging customer experience since purchasing my 991.1 C2S cab in Sept 2019. While there have been numerous issues the latest issue I have is a warranty claim issue which is turning into a terrible customer experience.

After paying for a health check (111 point inspection at a Porsche dealership) on the car following a failed MOT for worn out front suspension (and at the time of the health check they replaced a recalled heat shield in the engine bay), 4 weeks later one of my rear tail lights falls out while driving and was only hanging on by the wires. There was no accident and upon inspection by a different Porsche Centre when I was getting my 8 year major service completed 2 weeks later, I was told that the plastic tab that a screw secures the light fixture in place had cracked and fully broken on the light assembly that fell out of the car and the one on the other side was also cracked and ready to fail.

And this is where it gets frustrating...

I was told that the broken tail lights would not be covered under warranty because it was not a manufacturing defect even though this part and tab that broke is inaccessible to the consumer. They suggested that I contact the first Porsche dealer that replaced the heat shield as they should pay for it. They said if that didn't work that I should contact Porsche UK and try and escalate it and get them to pay for it. But all this sounds ridiculous because what good is a Porsche warranty and buying a car from a Porsche Centre when you get this kind of terrible customer service? It is outrageous in my opinion and I've had a much better experience when buying from Ford and Kia in the past than what I have experience thus far in the last 11 months of owning this car as there have been multiple issues with the car as well as multiple customer service problems (including not receiving an MOT when I purchased the car).

The fundamental issue is that there was no accident and I was simply driving down the road when my tail light assembly fell out of the car and even with the second tail light also showing clear cracks and signs of failing, the Porsche Centre I've gone to is telling me that it is not covered under warranty.

Has anyone else had challenging (terrible) warranty experiences like this through Porsche?

Any sharing of experiences or advice is much appreciated.
nUVeIJV

 
Sorry cannot really help except have you checked whether the light had to be removed when the heat shield was installed? If so maybe the OPC overtightened the screws on the flimsy plastic.

My OPC haven't called me in for the heat shield mod but as only they look after my car I am not too worried about the fire risk but I would be quite hacked off if they damaged the lights.

Cheers
Michael


 
First of all, the warranty is there for the benefit of the seller of the car, not the buyer. This is because if something is wrong with the car, they are liable for the cost of fixing it, but with a warranty, they move that responsibility onto the warranty company.

So, even if the warranty won't cover what's happened, this does not mean the your dealership can wash their hands of it. On a car of this value, it is reasonable to expect that the lights don't fall out! As such, they should fix it. The amount of time that has elapsed may go against you though.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,
Bryan
 
"I was told that the broken tail lights would not be covered under warranty because it was not a manufacturing defect even though this part and tab that broke is inaccessible to the consumer."

I know they gamble on more money coming in from people buying warranty than they have to pay out and will try and wiggle out of claims to an extent but I'd say this verges on a legal issue if they spun you the above line. Define the difference between a manufacturing defect on something that broke and something that isn't a manufacturing defect? The rear light supporting system broke and the light fell out as the system manufactured to hold it place broke i.e. defective.

Unfortunately I found this is not uncommon with other manufacturers after last year picking up a brand new Seat and reported the passenger handle was sticking after 300 miles (from factory, not 300 miles from my ownership) and the dealership told me it wans't covered as should have been picked up under PDI. Luckily another dealership sorted it out.
 
The lamp unit has a locating latch at one end and a tab for just one securing screw at the other. You could have a friendly word with your Centre's service or warranty manager, to see if he can help you with a replacement, but it's an 8 year old car with no knowing how or when the casing became damaged, so don't expect miracles.

It should be possible to repair or replace the securing tab on the unit by using little ingenuity and initiative, or re-fix it with tape or sealer. But, you could also take a deep breath and order a replacement. They aren't mega-bucks in the general scheme of all things Porsche and life's too short to let it spoil your overall driving enjoyment.

Regards,

Clive
 
Did they remove the rear lights to fit the heatshield then ?
I have just had this heatshield done on my GTS which I wasn't overly fussed about having TBH
Not sure what they removed though

Rear lights seem a bit temperamental on the 991 from reading this forum are you sure there linked ?




 
Lancerlot said:
They aren't mega-bucks in the general scheme of all things Porsche and life's too short to let it spoil your overall driving enjoyment.

Regards,

Clive


I disagree. It shouldn't be right that a vendor can abdicate its responsibilities, just because it's easy for the consumer to give in.
 
Of course you should follow it through to see if there's any help available.

But my point is, from a pragmatic standpoint, it's not really worth all the aggravation of making a big fuss over. You only upset yourself and spoil the enjoyment from the car. It may also prejudice a sympathetic hearing should something major and significant happen further down the line.

Having been a Porsche customer since 1978. I do have a little experience in such matters.

Regards,

Clive
 
seems like you also got hoodwinked into expecting a premium service from a premium brand where you paid a premium price.....
 
That's my point exactly as I've had better customer support and experience from a Ford dealerships and covering warranties!

There is no way this was caused by corrosion (which isn't covered) or influenced by the myself as the customer. I have a horn that stopped working that is being covered under warranty and I see no difference from the taillight falling out while the car is being driven coupled with the second tail light showing the same crack and signs of failing.


 
Clive, I really appreciate yours and the others responses to this frustrating matter.

I would disagree as £1200 is a sizable amount of money to part with especially for something so fundamental that should not occur on any vehicle let alone a premium sports car that is covered by Porsche's own warranty which is how they justify the high price paid at the dealership (even with pre-owned). I cannot accept that the Porsche warranty is only really valid for large engine or transmission failures and that this would be held against me if there is a larger claim in the future.

Beyond the cost of the repair, this goes against the very core of Porsche's reputation and calls into question their commitment to their loyal customers (followers) as well as their legal requirement to honor their warranty. The fact that the cracks and failings are showing on both rear tail lights is clear signs of a manufacturing or a design defect with both being covered under the current terms of the warranty.

However it is interesting to see the diverse opinions and perspectives on what is clearly an emotive topic amongst the Porsche community.

Thanks again,
Ben
 
Ben … in comparison, my previous Cayman S had a faulty (internal crack / breakage) coolant cap - replaced under extended warranty, no question.

Hope that you get similarly sorted.
 
Ben,
At £600 a side, I now understand your concern! I assumed (clearly wrongly!) they would be about £150, which with Club discount, would hardly have been worth all the fuss and heartache.

However the point I was making is, the car is 8 years old and will have been serviced 4 times plus the original PDI. This means the bumper has been removed at least 5 times in the car's history and light clusters with it. Someone has damaged them during refitting, but I'm not sure you can lay this at the door of Porsche themselves as a manufacturing defect.

It is human error and the responsibility of the Centre carrying out that servicing. The problem will be finding someone prepared to own up! :rolleyes:

Regards,

Clive


 
Although not a 991 owner myself, I do recall seeing someone posting on the forum with an identical broken rear light problem. Probably posted in the last 18 months or so, and I think a 991 although I may be mistaken. It might be worth using the search facility to try and find the post and outcome, if you haven't already. I do agree with Clive though, if my experience of a main dealer is anything to go by then it is more than likely some careless employee tightened the screws up too much.
 
I was thinking the same as Steve as I remembered seeing something very similar on the forum some time ago.

I have been able to locate the relevant thread here (it’s on about Page 7 of the 991 part of the forum):

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1040076#msg1043134

It looks like a similar experience to the one originally cited in this post but one that (eventually) had a happy-ish ending in that Porsche Nottingham were able to persuade Porsche that it was a Warranty issue so hopefully you may be able to quote this experience and get a better result from your perspective.

Cheers,
Keith

Edited to insert a direct forum link
 
Keith and Steve,

Thank you kindly for directing my attention to the previous post where it is clear the exact same issue and same poor customer service occurred other than in my case unfortunately it is both rear light clusters! My issue has yet to be resolved, but this additional historical data point and successful outcome is definitely helpful!

I'll keep you all posted regarding the outcome (and the journey to get there!).






 
PorscheBFG said:
Keith and Steve,

Thank you kindly for directing my attention to the previous post where it is clear the exact same issue and same poor customer service occurred other than in my case unfortunately it is both rear light clusters! My issue has yet to be resolved, but this additional historical data point and successful outcome is definitely helpful!

I'll keep you all posted regarding the outcome (and the journey to get there!).
Seems these 991 tail lights are of sub standard quality, the amount of posts regarding these lamps with broken tabs and delamination is unbelievable, I just replaced mine due to delamination, warranty was not interested but got a small goodwill gesture from Porsche, but as per the previous post there not the cheapest of lamps.
If its of any use to you I have a pair of 991 lamps, no cracks or damage just slight delamination on the bottom edges to sell from a 2013 C4S.

 
The lights come out for any rear end work. The bolts are then over-torqued and that causes the plastic tab to fail. I had both rear lights fail a month apart and they were replaced by the dealer. This is absolutely a dealer or warranty issue.
 
I doubt it would happen, but it would be nice to think that Porsche would be getting feedback about high incidence of rear lens breakage and issue a statement to service centres with advice on correct torque settings.
 

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