History lesson

I’ve just received an email from someone looking at buying a 2001 996 with just 26,000 miles on the clock. Sounds attractive, doesn’t it?

The only problem is the last service was done in 2004 at 17,000 miles. OK, that’s only 9000 miles ago and the service interval is 12,000 miles. Now, Porsche says that if the prescribed mileage isn’t reached, then the car should be serviced every two years, which this hasn’t.

However, I think two years is a long time for a high-performance car to go without a service, so I like to see a minor service done every year – and many caring owners will do this.

Just to rub salt into the wound, the seller of this car has just had it ‘serviced’ by a friend – oil, filters and plugs, apparently. While this is better than nothing, it’s not the full range of checks that Porsche recommends for a service.

More crucially, though, all this reflects badly on the car’s history. Porsche buyers want to see a complete service history – and for good reason, too. Not only does it mean the car has been looked after properly, it also shows that the owner has cared for the car.

It makes me wonder what else this seller has skimped on. Tyres, oil top-ups, brakes?

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