4S CT ownership didn't get off to a good start

[Archimedes]

If you hit something hard enough to take a chunk of metal out of the wheel, you had a serious impact. The fact that the tire didnt deflate doesn’t mean much because the rim edge probably took the brunt of the impact, not the tire. I’d just let insurance handle it.

Porsche’s probably sensitive to this due to the impact related strut tower failures on the Caymans, which can be serious safety issue.

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[12ACD]

Ignoring the insurance aspect...what would happen presenting a damaged wheel at a Porsche dealer?
Wheel replaced, no checks for other damage?
Wheel replaced, checks for other damage?
Wheel replaced, checks for other damage plus replace everything required by Porsche Warranty including items that can't be checked for integrity?
Redirected to Porsche Approved Repairer?

Anecdotally, there's evidence of all of the above.

That's the oddity about this entre situation.

What do I actually feel has happened? I feel the car has been taken to a repairer that has gouged every possible extra on the bill and when getting called out on it now can't back down through fear of losing face.

One of the 14 vetted and approved Porsche manufacturer repairers in the UK.

It's left me with a new car that is being dismantled and rebuilt that I now no longer want.

That's the top and bottom of it.

I've linked this thread to my dealership and they can't quite believe what they are reading, they completely understand why we'd want out of these cars and I'm just waiting on their buyer to come back with some numbers.

What I don't know is if this is nromal or the expereince we're having with both our Taycan's is an anomally. Neither of us have owned a Porsche before (so we have nothing to compare to) and it's unlikely we will again sadly.

 

[12ACD]

If you hit something hard enough to take a chunk of metal out of the wheel, you had a serious impact. The fact that the tire didnt deflate doesn’t mean much because the rim edge probably took the brunt of the impact, not the tire. I’d just let insurance handle it.

Porsche’s probably sensitive to this due to the impact related strut tower failures on the Caymans, which can be serious safety issue.

And there's the anomaly. In hindsight had I taken ot to the dealer, they would have replaced the wheel and tyre, done a visual inspection and alignment check, at which point seeing no damage likely sent me on my way to get the bodywork tidied up.

It's actually why I asked for this happen - it was blocked by the Approved Repairer.

 

[batteredhaddock]

And there's the anomaly. In hindsight had I taken ot to the dealer, they would have replaced the wheel and tyre, done a visual inspection and alignment check, at which point seeing no damage likely sent me on my way to get the bodywork tidied up.

It's actually why I asked for this happen - it was blocked by the Approved Repairer.

Seems to me that the Approved Repairer should be audited and if found to have inflated work for their own gain, lose their certification and potentially be sued for bringing the Porsche brand into disrepute. Then said action be used in Porsche standards of business conduct training for the remaining repairers. Hope your dealer passes this onto corporate. Gutted for your experience.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

I'd guess that hard impact with kerb isn't a rare scenario. The consequences of Approved Repairers being incapable of properly establishing the extent of the damage and Porsche then insisting on replacement just in case, aren't just financial (to insurers and to future premiums)- there's a risk that owners will avoid getting a thorough check following such incidents (which is then a risk to subsequent owners and then to Porsche themselves if that triggers a Used Approved warranty claim).

 

[12ACD]

Seems to me that the Approved Repairer should be audited and if found to have inflated work for their own gain, lose their certification and potentially be sued for bringing the Porsche brand into disrepute. Then said action be used in Porsche standards of business conduct training for the remaining repairers. Hope your dealer passes this onto corporate. Gutted for your experience.

I'm going to make enquiries to this end. At least ask the questions.

 

[SHM]

Demand to get the used parts at least.

 

[TaycanHero]

I took delivery of this lovely looking car in early February and was absolutely delighted with it.

10 Days and less than 300 miles later it was being recovered to a Porsche Approved Repair specialist after I damaged a wheel.

Doesn't look too bad does it? Those two images above have lead to a close to £20,000 insurance claim.

So life with the Taycan 4S CT hasn’t gone as smooth as we were hoping.

...

Sorry to hear this and I can only imagine your frustration and disappointment. That is also not a nice feeling where you worry about driving something for the financial Sword of Damocles that's hanging over your head, even if it can be expensed.

Understand why you would want to sell and I too have had thoughts that my future GTS ST purchase will mean I turn the car into a garage queen for fear of damaging it.

Do you know what you hit? It looks like you drove over a brick or something.

I'm considering alloy insurance where I'm expecting potholes or tight parking spaces mean I eventually damage those lovely alloys. If even road debris is a hazard with low profile tyes combined with 2+ tonnes of weight, then I'm beginning to have second thoughts.

It's not worth the stress of driving at that point.

I'm half thinking I should wait for the electric Clio and then I absolutely wouldn't care ?

 

[KarlFreund]

Were you always planning on getting insurance to cover the damage - Is that why you went via the Porsche recovery route? Complete hindsight talking here, but did you consider taking it in to a high end repair shop and getting it priced to do yourself? I guess it depends on your insurance excess amounts too?

Anyway, total nightmare for you (and your insurer), sorry it's worked out like that.

Great point. I dinged my lovely CT a bit. The first estimate was over $5000 to repair the dent. I took it elsewhere, and they said they could do a paintless repair. Total bill was $1000.

 

[12ACD]

Sorry to hear this and I can only imagine your frustration and disappointment. That is also not a nice feeling where you worry about driving something for the financial Sword of Damocles that's hanging over your head, even if it can be expensed.

Understand why you would want to sell and I too have had thoughts that my future GTS ST purchase will mean I turn the car into a garage queen for fear of damaging it.

Do you know what you hit? It looks like you drove over a brick or something.

I'm considering alloy insurance where I'm expecting potholes or tight parking spaces mean I eventually damage those lovely alloys. If even road debris is a hazard with low profile tyes combined with 2+ tonnes of weight, then I'm beginning to have second thoughts.

It's not worth the stress of driving at that point.

I'm half thinking I should wait for the electric Clio and then I absolutely wouldn't care ?

I hit some hardcore, so a partial brick and some stones. It looked like it caught on the very edge of the rim and flicked up and just slightly caught the bodywork.

We also have electric Mazdas we leased as daily runarounds. Owning them has been the deciding factor (same thought process you mention above). They do everything so well, we can drive them where we want, how want with no fear of damage or where we're leaving them or if the angle of the slope to the car park is too steep. We simply can't do that with the Taycan's.

A quick conversation today with the buyer from our OPC made the decision on what to do much easier. The opening bid for both cars was pretty much list price to return both. (overs on the CT slightly under on the saloon we own). So having the option to get out of them both without taking a financial bath seems like the sensible thing to do.

Neither of us are simply comfortable driving the cars through fear of damage in normal every day situations. So what's the point of owning them - it's just unecessary stress.

Lovely cars, it just turns out they aren't for us, we're lucky that current market circumstance gives us a get of jail free card.

 

[12ACD]

Great point. I dinged my lovely CT a bit. The first estimate was over $5000 to repair the dent. I took it elsewhere, and they said they could do a paintless repair. Total bill was $1000.

Initially I didn't intend to claim but once I added up the cost of the parts and the small amount of paintwork it made sense to claim. I was assuming they replace the wheels and tyres and tidy up the bodywork.

Because of what the car is my insurer insisted it went to a Porsche Approved bodyshop, there are 14 in the UK, it turns out my insurer doesn't have arrengments with all of them - but it was taken to the one they did. At that point I'm not worried, what could go wrong? They repair the paint put new wheels and tyres and on and I get the car back right?

Then I got the phone call listing what needed doing. I thought about it for 24 hrs then rang the insurers and objected on the grounds it was completely uneccesary. Of course the insurers sniff money saving so they are all for an inspection. We had two inspections done, one by the insurer and one by and independent.

There was no evidence of damage to any of the components mentioned in post one, but in both cases the engineers were provided with documention by the garage from Porsche showing the repair requirements in cases where a wheel has sustained enough damage to require replacement (no matter what the nature of the damage). If the work is not carried out the warranty on the car is void and will be reported back to Porsche by the repairer.

At this point I simply said "give me my car back I'll get a second opinion elsewhere", they refused on the grounds it's not roadworthy (it wouldn't pass an MOT with the tyre gouge). Ok so trailer it to another bodyshop - they refused on the grounds once it's removed from their premises the report will go into Porsche anyhow and that the car was removed against their advice.

So you're stuck, you have to let them get on with it. It was at that point I simply no longer wanted the car.

The situation is being created either by an overzealous repair centre or a ridiculous repair/replace policy by Porsche or a combination of the two. Or simply a repairer taking manufacturer guidelines to the extreme. Whatever it is, I just no longer want to own a vehicle that is this much of a headache when it comes to what should be a simple repair.

The whole sitatuion is completely uneccesary to a degree that i really have no interest in owning anything else from this brand.

Fortunately world circumstance allows us to get out of the cars without taking a huge financial bath. Given where we are we'd be daft not to take that opportunity now.

Having spoken with my OPC this morning they can't quite beleive what has happened. So I've pointed them to this thread and provided them with details of the official approve repairer and suggested they take this up with Porsche GB. As a result of the repairers actions they now have two customers that have no further interest in Porsche products.

 

[TaycanHero]

I hit some hardcore, so a partial brick and some stones. It look like it caught ont he very edge of the rim and flicked up and just slightly caught the bodywork.

We also have electric Mazdas we leased as dail runarounds. Owning them has been the deciding factor (same thought process you mention above). They do everything so well, we can drive them where we want, how want with no fear of damage or where we're leaving them or if the angle of the slope to the car park is too steep. We simply can't do that with the Taycan's.

A quick conversation today with the buyer from our OPC made the decision on what to do much easier. The opening bid for both cars was pretty much list price to return both. (overs on the CT slightly under on the saloon we own). So having the option to get out of them both without taking a financial bath seems like the sensible thing to do.

Neither of us are simply comfortable driving the cars through fear of damage in normal every day situations. So what's the point of owning them - it's just unecessary stress.

Lovely cars, it just turns out they aren't for us, we're luck that current market circumstance gives us a get of jail free card.

That is fortunate and glad you can get out without a huge outlay. Easier accounting and less BIK to pay as well ?

I liken it to an expensive bicycle. So precious about it until that first scratch... Then you no longer care.

I wonder if on a bigger and significantly more expensive scale that same process has happened to you with the Taycan. I know it would quickly suck a lot of the enjoyment out of ownership for me. That new car now feels used and second rate.

I'm buying my Taycan GTS through my company, but I already know I'm going to be velvet cushioning it while driving it.

On the flip side, I'm currently in South Africa and have hired the most basic Toyota saloon that has no parking sensors, cameras, power steering. I can't even connect my phone to play music.

But I just don't care about it. It's the biggest pile of sh*t I've ever driven. But it's wonderful for that reason ?

With your mentioning the Mazda, and if I'm waiting two years for my GTS + a 10% price hike by that time, I do wonder if the head should overrule the heart on this.

 

[12ACD]

That is fortunate and glad you can get out without a huge outlay. Easier accounting and less BIK to pay as well ?

I liken it to an expensive bicycle. So precious about it until that first scratch... Then you no longer care.

I wonder if on a bigger and significantly more expensive scale that same process has happened to you with the Taycan. I know it would quickly suck a lot of the enjoyment out of ownership for me. That new car now feels used and second rate.

I'm buying my Taycan GTS through my company, but I already know I'm going to be velvet cushioning it while driving it.

On the flip side, I'm currently in South Africa and have hired the most basic Toyota saloon that has no parking sensors, cameras, power steering. I can't even connect my phone to play music.

But I just don't care about it. It's the biggest pile of sh*t I've ever driven. But it's wonderful for that reason ?

With your mentioning the Mazda, and if I'm waiting two years for my GTS + a 10% price hike by that time, I do wonder if the head should overrule the heart on this.

We bought both of ours through our business also, the tax sitation was just too appealing.

It's been compunded by the fact I had the car 10 days when this happened, it was collected a month ago and I still don't know when it's coming back for sure.

There is one technician in each Approved Repairer that can work on the Taycans due to the electrical system. It's a very expensive factory course apparently, which is why they only pay for one person to go on it. So your car goes in a queue for parts, then in a queue for the taycan trained engineer then it makes it's way to get the work done.

I'd kind of be OK with all this on a delicate weekend toy, something Italian and Exotic, you'd actually kind of expect it as part of the deal of taking on something like that.

These cars aren't weekend toys though, they are family daily drivers, saloons or estates. That's where it goes wrong.

 

[12ACD]

It'll be two months next week since this incident occurred. Still don't have the car back.

No parts delay, it appears only one tech at each Porsche Approved Repairer is trained/qualified to work on Taycans. So you go in a queue. Let's hope he doesn't get covid.

 

[TaycanHero]

It'll be two months next week since this incident occurred. Still don't have the car back.

No parts delay, it appears only one tech at each Porsche Approved Repairer is trained/qualified to work on Taycans. So you go in a queue. Let's hope he doesn't get covid.

Unless he's a geriatric he'll barely even notice it. I'd be more concerned about something happening to him on his drive into work.

You'll get your car back soon, but I get your frustration.

If you're desperate for a car that's friendly with the taxman when it comes to BIK, consider monthly rentals via ONTO, which specialises in long term electric car rentals, hence why they are so cheap.

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