2015 911 complete PDK failure

[timmiann]

Hi - the PDK gearbox on my 40k miles 3yr 6month 911 has completely failed and needs replacing (£7k).
Anyone else had to replace a 911 gearbox on such a new car?

[EGTE]

I think it's a sealed, complete unit.

[timmiann]

Yes I think that's right - they want to send it back to Germany for inspection.
But they still want me to pay towards it - even though it seems to me there must have been a significant fault - luckily I had just come off the motorway when it stuck in 6 and then stuck in 2.

[boxsey]

Surely at that age you have the Porsche extended warranty and full Porsche service history?

[timmiann]

I've never brought an extended warranty in my life, but you are right full dealer service history for this one and the Cayman I had from new before ... but ...
Clearly a lesson for us all - buy an extend warranty for a Porsche that other marques have as a standard warranty for their cars for quarter of the price !!

[Durzel]

If you have a full Porsche service history and bought it from a franchised dealer I'd be surprised if there wasn't some goodwill available.

That being said - that's what warranties are for. It's not like you were deceived about the length of it when you bought the car. Many people run without the warranties, but maintain a slush fund for a rainy day. If you don't do either then that's just the risk you take I'm afraid. In this instance it didn't pay off.

[timmiann]

I don't disagree - just disappointed that in my 40 years of car ownership this is the first car where the gearbox has totally failed and within the first 3 years 6 months and I thought Porsche was a well designed well made marque - as I said lesson learnt - not looking for sympathy - just interested if any other 911 owner has had this problem.

[GT4P]

Many years ago my 13k miles 3.5 year old 986S had ims failure and needed a new engine but my warranty had expired but I was lucky enough to get a new engine from Porsche foc just had to pay for fluids and this was sorted pretty quickly by my opc.
Perhaps as the car is under 5 years old you could argue that the gearbox was not fit for purpose ! Hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction! But keep on good terms with your local opc as they maybe great in getting the best resolve.

[timmiann]

Thank you GT4P
That's helpful

[Demort]

Ask the OPC to put in a goodwill claim.

I've seen a few of these fail on 997 .. 2 in the last year... both the ones I saw looked like leaks from the bleeder screw .. left of the fill bung.

[rog007]

Not fit for purpose.

Forget warranty; you’re protected by law.

https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights

Read up on it and follow it through step by step.

Involve Porsche UK and Germany, SMMT and the Ombudsman.

Be professional, be sure what you want from it and stay the course.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Durzel]

rog007 said:

Not fit for purpose.

Forget warranty; you’re protected by law.

https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights

Read up on it and follow it through step by step.

Involve Porsche UK and Germany, SMMT and the Ombudsman.

Be professional, be sure what you want from it and stay the course.

Good luck and keep us posted.

This is an option, but i wouldn't go with that right now. You don't need to go nuclear with Porsche GB until you know where you stand.

As said already if you bought the car from a main dealer and had it serviced there I see no reason Porsche won't consider a goodwill claim.

Aim to keep it amicable at the moment, and evaluate your position when it comes to the crunch.

[EGTE]

Good advice.

[Taffy66]

Exactly the same happened to me five years ago, but with one difference..The gearbox failed on my five year old Massey Ferguson tractor which had full main dealer S/H, however well out of warranty.
I was polite yet firm when i expressed that i'd lost total confidence in the brand, and consequently intended switching to their main competitor for all future sales.
This resulted in a complete change of heart and as a gesture of goodwill, they were willing to waive the entire gearbox cost as long as i purchased a new Massey.
It ended amicably with both parties in the belief that they had the best deal..It pays to be calm yet convincing at the same time..

[DJMC]

I recall reading somewhere that the PDK is supposed to last the life of the car and has no "wear out" components as a standard dry clutch car would have. As it's such a reliable unit in general, researched evidence to this effect would surely assist if you did go legal and use "not of satisfactory quality" to sue PGB.

PGB initially rejected my in warranty claim for multiple hundred wheel stone chips but being firm and offering logical persistent argument they eventually relented. I often mentioned that a judge may find this or that if the matter went to court and this gentle threat seemed to help.

[timmiann]

Thanks again for the replies.
My suspicion that it is an IT issue not a mechanical issue in the gearbox.

The repair is being done now - so will see what the final damage is - so far they have agreed to pay some but not all of the £7k+

[norfolk and idea]

Demort said:

Ask the OPC to put in a goodwill claim.

I've seen a few of these fail on 997 .. 2 in the last year... both the ones I saw looked like leaks from the bleeder screw .. left of the fill bung.

I've got a late 997.2 turbo. I recently had my PDK readapted and oil in both transmission and clutch replaced as it all felt a bit wooly. Much better now though.

I thought PDK failures were quite rare? OP seems very unlucky

[timmiann]

Update
Repair completed and car back - while I don't know the actual cost - have been charged and paid £1000
Have been told verbally that a replacement is in the ball park area of £7k so I should be be pleased I am only being charged £1000

Have referred to Motor Trade Ombudsman

[Maxym]

norfolk and idea said:

I've got a late 997.2 turbo. I recently had my PDK readapted and oil in both transmission and clutch replaced as it all felt a bit wooly. Much better now though.

I thought PDK failures were quite rare? OP seems very unlucky

Sounds interesting. Was that a re-map/re-programme? Where did you have it done?

[Ape50]

Sounds like a result