Questions before buying a used Taycan

[AhmedJ]

Hello! So I think I have finally decided to purchase a used Taycan Turbo 2021, and I will give the seller a call tomorrow so we can take it to the Porsche Center to do the 111-point inspection before I buy it.

I have spent HOURS watching YouTube videos, reviews, going through the forum here, to get as much information as possible before buying the car. When watching YouTube videos, there are people that "like" their Taycan, and there are people that "hate" their Taycan - and the latter say it is because of reliability issues (battery failure, brakes giving out for a few seconds after hitting a pothole, PCM system lagging - etc.

I have some questions and I am hoping your answers will give me more clarity.

1. Every summer, I travel for 3 months where my car will not be used. Our summers are HOT (50-55 Degrees Celsius). Will that kill my battery? Is it safe to keep my car under the shade for 3 months in the summer - and I am talking safety in terms of it being an electrical car and not theft or whatnot.

2. Have you experienced any major reliability issues with your Taycan, especially around electronic components or recalls?

3. How often do you need to take the car in for repairs or service?

4. I’ve read some issues about sudden braking or electronic faults in the Taycan (someone somewhere wrote of their experience where their Taycan just turned itself off on the highway...) Has anyone heard of such thing or faced a similar issue?

5. What are your typical annual maintenance costs for a 2021 Taycan Turbo, including regular servicing and any unexpected repairs?

6. How do you find the Taycan Turbo as a daily driver? Does the power feel excessive for everyday use, or is it manageable in city traffic?

Reading some of the reviews online made me feel like the car is a hazard and waiting to get me

Thank you in advance for any answers and insights that you may give!

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[4thPcar]

Ignore your fears! Buy the car. You won't regret it.

Just find out if the car - being used - has been in for repeated repairs. There are some "lemons" in every model series and you wouldn't want that one to be for sale for that reason.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Good questions. This is my take as an owner of a Turbo going on 11k miles. It would help if you post full spec sheet so we can provide feedback on the options that you might find helpful.

1. Storing for 3 months in a hot climate - It is known that it is not good on a battery to be in very high ambient temperatures for a long time, but there is a procedure to follow on what to do when storing for a long time. Therefore, I would follow the procedure, check your SoH (state of health) regularly, and know your region specific HV battery warranty thresholds to make a claim if needed. The data shows that the battery is very resilient in terms of degradation over time and will outlast the car. We can help you with all that with tons of info on the forum covering each of these topics when you are ready.

2. Have you experienced any major reliability issues with your Taycan, especially around electronic components or recalls? - I have not personally and my understanding that most of the members have not experienced any issues. Porsche has not been great with managing recalls when they hit at scale (heater anyone?), but they will get there eventually. Most current one that everyone is waiting on are front brake hoses, but I am not personally worried about it.

3. How often do you need to take the car in for repairs or service? - The idea of an EV is infrequent and low cost servicing, but that is not entirely true since dealerships are trying to make their money one way or another. Taycan's first service is at 2 years or 20k miles and involves multi-point inspection that is costly (jacked up per hour labor) and varies by market, brake fluid flush that should be free with the brake hose recall, and cabin filter change that you can do yourself in under 10 min, and wipers. This does not include the tires with wear greatly varies based on many factors, but the overall expectation is that tires will wear out quicker and cost more than on a regular gas car.

4. I’ve read some issues about sudden braking or electronic faults in the Taycan (someone somewhere wrote of their experience where their Taycan just turned itself off on the highway...) Has anyone heard of such thing or faced a similar issue? - I have not experienced this but yes, we have some members that have this and dealing with resolution.

5. What are your typical annual maintenance costs for a 2021 Taycan Turbo, including regular servicing and any unexpected repairs? - See my answer to your question #3. There is no difference in service for different trim levels.

6. How do you find the Taycan Turbo as a daily driver? - Exceptional and considered the best car most have had, based on many forum member experiences including mine.

7. Does the power feel excessive for everyday use, or is it manageable in city traffic? - Smooth as can be in daily use and a silent beast when you want it to be. However, there is no such thing as too much power, so now there is a tune (Redshift) to unlock max power, that several are considering. We can also help you with that if you find lack of power for yourself after you get addicted to the stock power and wanting more.

 

[Bryan]

I just bought a 2022 CT Turbo S for daily driving but have not received yet.

I also live in a hot country (not as hot as yours tho) so I fell that I am in the same exact boat as you, love everything about the car but the reliability/warranty...

Damn the european cars are always so fantastic as unreliable.

 

[W1NGE]

Hello! So I think I have finally decided to purchase a used Taycan Turbo 2021, and I will give the seller a call tomorrow so we can take it to the Porsche Center to do the 111-point inspection before I buy it.

I have spent HOURS watching YouTube videos, reviews, going through the forum here, to get as much information as possible before buying the car. When watching YouTube videos, there are people that "like" their Taycan, and there are people that "hate" their Taycan - and the latter say it is because of reliability issues (battery failure, brakes giving out for a few seconds after hitting a pothole, PCM system lagging - etc.

I have some questions and I am hoping your answers will give me more clarity.

1. Every summer, I travel for 3 months where my car will not be used. Our summers are HOT (50-55 Degrees Celsius). Will that kill my battery? Is it safe to keep my car under the shade for 3 months in the summer - and I am talking safety in terms of it being an electrical car and not theft or whatnot.

2. Have you experienced any major reliability issues with your Taycan, especially around electronic components or recalls?

3. How often do you need to take the car in for repairs or service?

4. I’ve read some issues about sudden braking or electronic faults in the Taycan (someone somewhere wrote of their experience where their Taycan just turned itself off on the highway...) Has anyone heard of such thing or faced a similar issue?

5. What are your typical annual maintenance costs for a 2021 Taycan Turbo, including regular servicing and any unexpected repairs?

6. How do you find the Taycan Turbo as a daily driver? Does the power feel excessive for everyday use, or is it manageable in city traffic?

Reading some of the reviews online made me feel like the car is a hazard and waiting to get me

Thank you in advance for any answers and insights that you may give!

1. Follow the storage guidelines and you'll be fine.

2. Nope and have had 2 Taycans from new. All potential issues addressed by the call programme. Dont purchase your car from anyone other than an official Porsche dealer.

,3. Every 2 years or 20k miles. Brake fluid mandatory each cycle.

4. Early cars in US had this issue but global recall and software update in 2022 addressed.

5. Zero. Two year cycle / 20k miles. £700.

6. Irrelevant really. Docile or a beast. Its an EV sports car.

 

[Uknown]

Use obd connection to look at battery

 

[AhmedJ]

Good questions. This is my take as an owner of a Turbo going on 11k miles. It would help if you post full spec sheet so we can provide feedback on the options that you might find helpful.

1. Storing for 3 months in a hot climate - It is known that it is not good on a battery to be in very high ambient temperatures for a long time, but there is a procedure to follow on what to do when storing for a long time. Therefore, I would follow the procedure, check your SoH (state of health) regularly, and know your region specific HV battery warranty thresholds to make a claim if needed. The data shows that the battery is very resilient in terms of degradation over time and will outlast the car. We can help you with all that with tons of info on the forum covering each of these topics when you are ready.

2. Have you experienced any major reliability issues with your Taycan, especially around electronic components or recalls? - I have not personally and my understanding that most of the members have not experienced any issues. Porsche has not been great with managing recalls when they hit at scale (heater anyone?), but they will get there eventually. Most current one that everyone is waiting on are front brake hoses, but I am not personally worried about it.

3. How often do you need to take the car in for repairs or service? - The idea of an EV is infrequent and low cost servicing, but that is not entirely true since dealerships are trying to make their money one way or another. Taycan's first service is at 2 years or 20k miles and involves multi-point inspection that is costly (jacked up per hour labor) and varies by market, brake fluid flush that should be free with the brake hose recall, and cabin filter change that you can do yourself in under 10 min, and wipers. This does not include the tires with wear greatly varies based on many factors, but the overall expectation is that tires will wear out quicker and cost more than on a regular gas car.

4. I’ve read some issues about sudden braking or electronic faults in the Taycan (someone somewhere wrote of their experience where their Taycan just turned itself off on the highway...) Has anyone heard of such thing or faced a similar issue? - I have not experienced this but yes, we have some members that have this and dealing with resolution.

5. What are your typical annual maintenance costs for a 2021 Taycan Turbo, including regular servicing and any unexpected repairs? - See my answer to your question #3. There is no difference in service for different trim levels.

6. How do you find the Taycan Turbo as a daily driver? - Exceptional and considered the best car most have had, based on many forum member experiences including mine.

7. Does the power feel excessive for everyday use, or is it manageable in city traffic? - Smooth as can be in daily use and a silent beast when you want it to be. However, there is no such thing as too much power, so now there is a tune (Redshift) to unlock max power, that several are considering. We can also help you with that if you find lack of power for yourself after you get addicted to the stock power and wanting more.

Thank you so much for these thorough answers! That was super helpful!!

I do not have the full spec sheet right now, I am buying the car from an individual seller and not Porsche pre-approved, which is why I want to get the 111-point inspection done at the Porsche Center before I buy the car. I think that inspection makes it as good as a Porsche pre-approved car right?

I know it has the recall on the front brake hoses, as well as something with the PSM recall. Will do that before I purchase as well.

 

[AhmedJ]

1. Follow the storage guidelines and you'll be fine.

2. Nope and have had 2 Taycans from new. All potential issues addressed by the call programme. Dont purchase your car from anyone other than an official Porsche dealer.

,3. Every 2 years or 20k miles. Brake fluid mandatory each cycle.

4. Early cars in US had this issue but global recall and software update in 2022 addressed.

5. Zero. Two year cycle / 20k miles. £700.

6. Irrelevant really. Docile or a beast. Its an EV sports car.

I am purchasing my car from an individual, but taking it to the Porsche dealer before I purchase it to do the 111-point inspection and also to check the chassis and all. That will make it as reliable as buying it from the Porsche pre-approved section right?

 

[tophamn]

I am purchasing my car from an individual, but taking it to the Porsche dealer before I purchase it to do the 111-point inspection and also to check the chassis and all. That will make it as reliable as buying it from the Porsche pre-approved section right?

If you're having the full Porsche 111-point check I'd seriously recommend you pay for a Porsche warranty (or get the seller to pay!) - which requires this check if the car isn't currently covered.

 

[AhmedJ]

If you're having the full Porsche 111-point check I'd seriously recommend you pay for a Porsche warranty (or get the seller to pay!) - which requires this check if the car isn't currently covered.

I called the Porsche Center to check about the warranty, and I will get the 3-year warranty on the car. But the thing is, I have to do the 111-point check before I purchase the car and before I get the 3-year warranty. Not sure how differently priced the warranty is at every Porsche Center, but they quoted me for 1,650 KWD for 3-year warranty (which equals around $5,400 total for 3-years). I won't drive the car without it being on warranty.

 

[Tooney]

Find out whether Porsche Connect online services are available in your location/country. If not, get information from the dealer about what functions/features depend on Porsche Connect.

 

[AhmedJ]

Find out whether Porsche Connect online services are available in your location/country. If not, get information from the dealer about what functions/features depend on Porsche Connect.

Porsche Connect is not available in my country sadly, could you please clarify what you mean about functions/features that depend on the Porsche connect?

 

[Tooney]

Porsche Connect is not available in my country sadly, could you please clarify what you mean about functions/features that depend on the Porsche connect?

In the US, the optional (1st 3 years included) Porsche Connect services are listed on this US link:
https://connect-store.porsche.com/us/en/p/bundle_connect_v1?model=taycan_2025
If someone does not subscribe to Porsche Connect, those online-based services are not available in the Taycan.

 

[Tooney]

Another item about buying used Taycan. The car requires users to be configured in the car to operate it. One of the steps in taking delivery of the car is to have your PorscheID linked to the car.

In US this normally requires the selling dealer to notify Porsche online support to link your PorscheID to the car. If you are buying from private seller, you should discuss with the dealer how to ensure the car gets transferred to your PorscheID.

It is best to ensure this happens prior to you taking delivery of the car. Otherwise it might take repeated follow-up and days to get the access enabled.

Good to have the dealer check that your car has working data communication systems for navigation and for access to Porsche network servers (example for emergency calls, etc. and/or registering your PorscheID.) Perhaps this is part of the 111 item check - not sure.

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