Three Years Since Purchasing Our Boxster

The other day, we received a postcard from the Porsche dealer about the Boxster GTS’s upcoming vehicle inspection. Oh wow… we bought the Boxster new in November 2015, so it’s already been three years—time flies.

Then, shortly after, another letter arrived from Porsche Japan. Inside was information about the “Porsche Approved Warranty.”

P-Porsche Approved Warranty? (-_-)

Apparently, the “Porsche Approved Warranty” is a coverage program available for new and used Porsche vehicles that meet certain conditions. The warranty period can be renewed every one or two years. Since our Boxster’s original new car warranty expires after three years, this notice was sent at just the right time.

The annual cost for the “Porsche Approved Warranty” is 100,400 yen per year for Boxster and Cayman models (for Panamera, it’s 130,680 yen per year, the highest among all models). Porsche covers all repair costs for components during the warranty period. Here’s an overview:

・Valid worldwide
・Applicable at all authorized Porsche dealerships
・Warranty extension available for 12 or 24 months
・Porsche covers all repair costs for all components (including parts and labor)
・No cost burden to the customer
・Unlimited mileage
・Warranty continues even if the vehicle is sold privately or through an authorized Porsche dealer

However, vehicles eligible for the Porsche Approved Warranty must meet the following conditions:

・Porsche vehicles registered less than 10 years ago
(Only vehicles registered less than 8 years ago can choose the 24-month warranty)
・Porsche vehicles with less than 200,000 km mileage
・Vehicles must be unmodified and use only genuine Porsche parts

The warranty applies only to vehicles that have undergone specified periodic inspections and maintenance, meeting Porsche Approved standards.

Wear and Consumable Parts Are Not Covered

While reading the information, I said to my husband, “This sounds amazing! So if something breaks or malfunctions, they’ll replace it, right?”
He replied,

But they won’t cover replacement of worn or consumable parts. Oil and tires are excluded.

Wait, really (ﾟдﾟ)!?

Reading carefully, ① Visual and acoustic defects (However, visual display defects in the information area of the display, horn, instrument cluster, and speaker acoustic defects are covered), ② incidental costs (such as towing, replacement vehicle, lodging expenses, etc.), and ③ replacement of parts subject to aging or wear and tear are excluded.

Vehicles naturally experience aging changes over time, such as exterior deterioration or increased noise, even if functionality remains unaffected. (Like leather cracking) Some parts inevitably degrade or wear out with time. Since aging-related changes in appearance or noise and consumable part wear are not malfunctions, they are not covered by the Porsche Approved Warranty.

Specifically,

・Wiper blades
・Tires
・Brake pads and brake discs
・Shock absorbers, rubber parts, and push rods
・Spark plugs
・Battery
・PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) reservoir
・Refrigerant
・Drive belts (including deflection and tension rollers)
・All bulbs (except xenon and LED lights)
・All filters, fluids, oils, and greases
・Clutch plates and clutch pressure plates

must be replaced or repaired at your own expense. I see—so maybe it’s not necessary to enroll after all.

Will My Husband Enroll or Not?

My husband seems undecided and said,

Regarding our current Boxster, unless we win the Speedster lottery, we’ll probably keep it for a while. If the engine breaks down, repairs could easily exceed one million yen, so considering that, paying about 100,000 yen per year for warranty coverage might not be a bad idea. It’s less than 10,000 yen a month anyway—I’ll ask our contact, Mr. H, about it.

By the way, for vehicles whose new or used car warranty or extended warranty has expired, or for used cars not certified by Porsche, there is a separate “Standalone” warranty. Its annual cost is slightly higher than the Porsche Approved Warranty: 143,100 yen per year for Boxster and Cayman, and 173,340 yen per year for Panamera.

I wonder what everyone else is doing? Some might say, “I’m enrolled!” while others might say, “I’m not enrolled but haven’t had any issues.” I’d love to hear your experiences!