The GT3 was my dream car, and after just 26 days of ownership, that dream turned into a nightmare. Just as I was rounding a bend on the A170, just east of Helmsley.
It was Bank Holiday Monday. The weather was perfect and I had been enjoying an early morning drive. I went up through the Dales, before crossing to Stokesley and descending to Helmsley via Chop Gate.
I left Helmsley on the A170 and passed through Beadlam. Then, as I exited a corner, the backend just went. I completely lost control of the car, and it veered off into the opposite carriageway, before returning again to the left side of the road. It repeated that again, as I, and the car, fought to regain traction and control. I immediately stepped off the accelerator and tried to steer as best I could. The car eventually came to rest a little further down the road.
It was still quite early, so the road was quiet. And that particular stretch of the A170 is quite wide, so I managed to avoid hitting the kerb on either side. Had it been a narrower road, or there had been oncoming traffic, things would have been very messy. If it had been a tighter corner, or I had been travelling at greater speed, I might have had to post this through Doris Stokes, via Derek Acorah.
Thankfully there were no casualties, apart from my undercrackers. So after coming to a rest, I took a few moments to gather myself then got out and started to examine the car. Everything looked fine, then I got round to the rear passenger side wheel. There was clearly something broken. The wheel was angled inward, with metal filings and shavings littering the inside of the alloy. On closer inspection, there was also a mangled piece of metal sitting just behind the brake pad. My heart sank.
I made the dreaded phone call to Porsche Assistance and then sat for 90 minutes waiting for the AA to turn up. Luckily the weather was bob on, so I could at least top up on vitamin D.
To the AA's credit, when they did eventually show up, it was a flatbed truck. And the wait wasn't without it's lighter moments either.
A bloke passed me in a battered C2. He slowed, wound down his window and shouted 'You should have bought a Citroen mate', before pissing himself and driving off.
Then some old timer stopped, he was from a village just down the road. He asked me if I needed any help, and then offered to fetch me both food and drink. I politely declined, but he wasn't done. He spent the next twenty minutes regaling me with stories that mostly focused on how ineffective the local policing was.
And finally, some kindred spirit in a 991.2 GTS, with the reg plate 'GO II PUB', stopped to have a nosey. He tried to share my pain by telling me about the problems he'd had with a previous C4S. And he was positively nonplussed to hear my theory that the rear axle steering had gone, as that was an option on his GTS.
I eventually got home some six hours after the incident, and by that time I was thoroughly ***** off with the whole affair.
Tuesday morning came and sleep hadn't lightened my mood. I'd lost all confidence in the car, no matter what the problem turned out to be. So I sent an email to the OPC explaining as much, and rejecting the goods as not fit for purpose.
They came back to me quite swiftly, and apologised. By noon they had confirmed that a bolt had sheared off on the rear axle steering, resulting in a 'catastrophic failure'. They said it was the first time they had ever seen this happen on any car with rear axle steering.
There was no suggestion of a repair. They happily accepted full responsibility and confirmed they were making arrangements to refund me in full. They also agreed to refund me the costs of £712.28 incurred for tax, Insurance, private registration transfers and tracker subscription.
I also raised two further issues, one regarding the p/x part of the deal to buy the car and, given the nature of the failure, some form of compensation. The Head of Business at Leeds OPC, Simon Filer, was quite dismissive on both points.
To expand on the p/x issue, I agreed a lower p/x price on my Macan GTS as they agreed to lower the price on the GT3. But as I pointed out to Simon, I no longer have any benefit from a lower priced GT3. Therefore, the difference between what I wanted, and what I accepted on the Macan, is a cost.
The full cost of the car was refunded to me on 30th August. However, the further costs have not been refunded to date.
I have delayed posting this tale of woe, as I wanted to give Leeds OPC a chance to do the right thing. But alas, car dealers don't seem to be able to help themselves. So now I'm playing email tennis with Simon, in which he's very responsive, like Roger Federer on centre court. But his insistence that the payments are being made, is somewhat negated by my bank balance being £700 or so lighter than it should be.
In light of their service, I've also requested they return the £1,000 deposit on my 'pre-order' for a Taycan. This was also agreed, but again, there's no sign of that money either.
It's suffice to say, I won't be nominating Simon and the gang at Leeds OPC for an Auto Trader Retailer of the Year award, or referring anyone to them for a new or used Porsche. I've given them seven days to pay up, or it'll be down the County Court route.
In regards to the car itself, after the nature of the failure, I'll probably never buy a used GT car again. The craziness of the GT market gives me absolutely no confidence. In this instance the previous owner had a free car for 18 months. There was little or no incentive for him to look after the car. For all I know, it may have been tracked within an inch of its life. And the failure may have been a result of the stress caused by an owner who knew he could abuse it for 18 months, then hand it back without losing a penny.
And I've no doubt Leeds will simply replace the broken parts and happily sell the car on. So, if you're in the market for a Crayon 991.2 GT3, ask about the rear axle steering!
So, yes, I'm upset. But that engine noise will live with me for a long time. And if all I ever get is 26 days with one of these machines, then I suppose that's something. Even if it currently feels like nothing.
Here's some pics of our final few hours together...............
It was Bank Holiday Monday. The weather was perfect and I had been enjoying an early morning drive. I went up through the Dales, before crossing to Stokesley and descending to Helmsley via Chop Gate.
I left Helmsley on the A170 and passed through Beadlam. Then, as I exited a corner, the backend just went. I completely lost control of the car, and it veered off into the opposite carriageway, before returning again to the left side of the road. It repeated that again, as I, and the car, fought to regain traction and control. I immediately stepped off the accelerator and tried to steer as best I could. The car eventually came to rest a little further down the road.
It was still quite early, so the road was quiet. And that particular stretch of the A170 is quite wide, so I managed to avoid hitting the kerb on either side. Had it been a narrower road, or there had been oncoming traffic, things would have been very messy. If it had been a tighter corner, or I had been travelling at greater speed, I might have had to post this through Doris Stokes, via Derek Acorah.
Thankfully there were no casualties, apart from my undercrackers. So after coming to a rest, I took a few moments to gather myself then got out and started to examine the car. Everything looked fine, then I got round to the rear passenger side wheel. There was clearly something broken. The wheel was angled inward, with metal filings and shavings littering the inside of the alloy. On closer inspection, there was also a mangled piece of metal sitting just behind the brake pad. My heart sank.
I made the dreaded phone call to Porsche Assistance and then sat for 90 minutes waiting for the AA to turn up. Luckily the weather was bob on, so I could at least top up on vitamin D.
To the AA's credit, when they did eventually show up, it was a flatbed truck. And the wait wasn't without it's lighter moments either.
A bloke passed me in a battered C2. He slowed, wound down his window and shouted 'You should have bought a Citroen mate', before pissing himself and driving off.
Then some old timer stopped, he was from a village just down the road. He asked me if I needed any help, and then offered to fetch me both food and drink. I politely declined, but he wasn't done. He spent the next twenty minutes regaling me with stories that mostly focused on how ineffective the local policing was.
And finally, some kindred spirit in a 991.2 GTS, with the reg plate 'GO II PUB', stopped to have a nosey. He tried to share my pain by telling me about the problems he'd had with a previous C4S. And he was positively nonplussed to hear my theory that the rear axle steering had gone, as that was an option on his GTS.
I eventually got home some six hours after the incident, and by that time I was thoroughly ***** off with the whole affair.
Tuesday morning came and sleep hadn't lightened my mood. I'd lost all confidence in the car, no matter what the problem turned out to be. So I sent an email to the OPC explaining as much, and rejecting the goods as not fit for purpose.
They came back to me quite swiftly, and apologised. By noon they had confirmed that a bolt had sheared off on the rear axle steering, resulting in a 'catastrophic failure'. They said it was the first time they had ever seen this happen on any car with rear axle steering.
There was no suggestion of a repair. They happily accepted full responsibility and confirmed they were making arrangements to refund me in full. They also agreed to refund me the costs of £712.28 incurred for tax, Insurance, private registration transfers and tracker subscription.
I also raised two further issues, one regarding the p/x part of the deal to buy the car and, given the nature of the failure, some form of compensation. The Head of Business at Leeds OPC, Simon Filer, was quite dismissive on both points.
To expand on the p/x issue, I agreed a lower p/x price on my Macan GTS as they agreed to lower the price on the GT3. But as I pointed out to Simon, I no longer have any benefit from a lower priced GT3. Therefore, the difference between what I wanted, and what I accepted on the Macan, is a cost.
The full cost of the car was refunded to me on 30th August. However, the further costs have not been refunded to date.
I have delayed posting this tale of woe, as I wanted to give Leeds OPC a chance to do the right thing. But alas, car dealers don't seem to be able to help themselves. So now I'm playing email tennis with Simon, in which he's very responsive, like Roger Federer on centre court. But his insistence that the payments are being made, is somewhat negated by my bank balance being £700 or so lighter than it should be.
In light of their service, I've also requested they return the £1,000 deposit on my 'pre-order' for a Taycan. This was also agreed, but again, there's no sign of that money either.
It's suffice to say, I won't be nominating Simon and the gang at Leeds OPC for an Auto Trader Retailer of the Year award, or referring anyone to them for a new or used Porsche. I've given them seven days to pay up, or it'll be down the County Court route.
In regards to the car itself, after the nature of the failure, I'll probably never buy a used GT car again. The craziness of the GT market gives me absolutely no confidence. In this instance the previous owner had a free car for 18 months. There was little or no incentive for him to look after the car. For all I know, it may have been tracked within an inch of its life. And the failure may have been a result of the stress caused by an owner who knew he could abuse it for 18 months, then hand it back without losing a penny.
And I've no doubt Leeds will simply replace the broken parts and happily sell the car on. So, if you're in the market for a Crayon 991.2 GT3, ask about the rear axle steering!
So, yes, I'm upset. But that engine noise will live with me for a long time. And if all I ever get is 26 days with one of these machines, then I suppose that's something. Even if it currently feels like nothing.
Here's some pics of our final few hours together...............
