Worst Decision ever - buying a Stuttgart Auto Macan

[Sp4wn]

Do give the toothpaste a try. Can't hurt any more than what SA have done to your arse, would it?

 

haha, later they say applying toothpaste voids warranty how? 

 

everytime i do something, i make sure to get their b&w confirmation. thats how paranoid they have made me after the first round. just imagine someone knows the problem but keeps telling you no problem, until one day their own manager outs them. 

 

if not, ill constantly be thinking the problem is me, when all they do is sweep it under the rug and make it seem like they did me a favour

You should have bought a lemon? Even the car has problems, as a luxury brand, they should have handle the problem better and resolve it. But it seems like they did not?

 

according to Stuttgart Auto

 

this car is not a lemon, it works perfectly and anytime it has problems, they have repaired as per factory instructions

 

(despite the fact that aircon has broken down for the third time last week - i sent them an email, their reply was " we are still studying how to resolve") and even with the coolant leak, when i drove in myself to tell them its a problem, they hoisted up and confirmed no problem. i was like what the hell when the car broke down a week later. might as well have saved myself the trouble and dont even visit them the first time ...

[Beehive3783]

Just make sure they don't smell the mint, if you bring it in again.

 

haha, later they say applying toothpaste voids warranty how? 

 

everytime i do something, i make sure to get their b&w confirmation. thats how paranoid they have made me after the first round. just imagine someone knows the problem but keeps telling you no problem, until one day their own manager outs them. 

 

if not, ill constantly be thinking the problem is me, when all they do is sweep it under the rug and make it seem like they did me a favour

 

[PSP415]

 

Hi all

 

Sorry haven't been as active as I used to be, what with selling the GTR (and embracing fatherhood wholeheartedly). While selling that GTR was one of the hardest decisions to make, the worst decision I ever made was buying a Macan from Stuttgart Auto (SA). This is going to be a very, very long post. But if you are considering buying a Macan from Stuttgart Auto, I'd highly advise you to read this post in its entirety (and come to your own conclusions). Everything here is extracted from emails / whatsapp correspondences and copies can be given to the mods to verify if what I say below is true.

 

So I got my 2L Macan in October 2016 and since then, it's hands down, the worst car I have ever owned in my life. A couple of you already know what SA has put me through, and how many problems have occurred (or keep re-occuring) with it, especially ones that concerned vehicle safety (and not to mention the sheer amount of time they have wasted in making me jump through hoops, or just by thinking they know better than the customer, always.)

 

My first problem started in early January 2017, about 3 months after collection (I was away for most of December - final holiday with the wife before the baby was due), and during heavy rainpours, I began to notice that my side view mirrors would completely fog up to the point of zero visibility. Having driven several cars (and in the states as well, in minus 30 degree weather no less), this was probably the first time in my life I ever noticed of both side view mirrors fogging so heavily, that nothing could be seen out of them, and at times, I felt I was driving blind because I could literally see nothing.

 

Photo 9-4-17, 2 19 25 PM.jpg

 

Photo 1-3-17, 8 29 31 AM (1).jpg

 

(according to SA, this is considered normal behavior, despite it occurring many, many times)

 

On January 23rd, I informed my SE, who told me to just buy some rainX and apply it myself. Alright fine, for a new car, I thought, maybe just suay or the rain must have been one-off super heavy kind, so let me try my luck. I bought rainX and of course, a few days later during heavy rain, it didn't work. So I went back to my SE and she asked me to try another brand. Ok lah, chin chye, give and take, maybe rainX isnt what it used to be. I go on amazon, find the highest rated hydrophobic solution and buy it. All in all, I spent $40 or $50 on these solutions, hoping one of them would just solve the damn problem, so that I could move on with my life (wife was due soon, and I was ferrying her everywhere, and its damn stressful when your wife is 8 months pregnant and the stupid car poses a danger in rain)

 

February 3rd - during a massive thunderstorm (in Tiong Bahru), both mirrors fog up completely. By this time, I'm livid. I've sent SA several photos documenting the issue and because of the rainy season, the mirrors constantly fog up. I am told they will "investigate".

 

On February 9th, one of SA's staff asks me for all the pictures so he can forward them "to the factory" for advice. Fair enough, here's a couple of pictures for you to forward (during different times no less) showing the issue.

 

February 14th & 21st - I ask for updates, and get the run around. Seems I need to be patient for the "factory" to reply. (on a brighter note, baby arrives safe and sound)

 

February 24th - I am instructed to leave the car with SA for them to check the electrical work in the mirror, to make sure the heating element works. Sounds simple enough, hopefully thats the culprit and we can all move on with life.

 

February 27th - I am told that the diagnostics detected no issues and my car is working as God and Porsche intended, and SA has taken zero steps to rectify my problem (despite providing, up to this point, 20-30 photos and some videos). I assume they need more evidence. My focus is on the baby so I decide to take the car back first since SA cant do anything, anyway.

 

March 1st - I send in even more photos of not being able to see out of the side view mirrors. A friend, who was in the same location, at the same time, drives his car and takes photos of his subaru's side view mirror. Guess what .. mine are completely fogged up as usual, his are crystal clear (we both used iphones -> this part is important) I send in this set of photos for comparison. I am told SA has finally agreed to do me a big favour" to change just the mirrors themselves, as there is nothing wrong with the side view mirror housing or electricals. OK, perhaps the mirrors themselves have issue. But not sure why I had to beg for 2 months. I guess SA didnt take my safty aspect seriously? (first car is mine, of course)

 

my car.jpg

 

friends car.jpg

 

March 7th - new mirrors installed. However, by this time, the rain isn't as heavy as we are not able to test them out. By this time, the car has spent more than a few days at SA for their testing / diagnostics etc

 

April 9th - massive downpour. I send SA more photos of the mirrors completely fogging up. By this time, I have about 50-60 photos. I inform SA. They told me to make sure the defogger / demister is running and to monitor. OK sure.

 

April 16th - Problem is still just as bad and its impossible to see. Droplets are not even rolling off the mirrors for crying out loud. I press SA for an answer, to which they say they will file a warranty claim and let me know if it gets approved. But thats the extent of what they can assist me with.

 

In the interim, I borrow another Macan and manage to drive it out during a heavy thunderstorm. It shows no signs of fogging / beading at all. I send them some photos (they reply 2 days later as below)

 

second macan.jpg

 

April 20th - SA suggests they will apply their own hydrophobic solution that they have. I suggest a deadline to get this issue fixed, but SA ignores my request. I bring in the car, sit around wasting my time for an hour / hour and a half while they applying their own magic sauce to the mirrors.

 

April 21st - heavy rain, same problem. I send about 5 more pictures of the mirrors fogged up and get a "thumbs up" reply.

 

April 26th - the car is sent in for "repairs" again. Though I'm not sure what they did ...

 

May 12th - foggy mirrors yet again. So even though by now, the car has spent between 1-2 weeks at SA with no results to show for it. SA says they will check with "their warranty guy" again. at this junction, this has dragged on for 4 months with very little in terms of solutions. I guess its time for them to keep the car and figure out whats going on since there's been heavy downpours. Not much else I can do at this junction.

 

May 18th - Car swop time. I leave my macan behind while SA keeps it for testing. They give me a pretty old Cayenne. The Cayenne exhibits zero problems in the heavy rain. I take several pictures of their cayenne showing how clear the mirror is in the rain. For an almost decade old Cayenne, it shows zero fogging issues.

 

second cayenne loaner.jpg

 

May 26th - I am informed by SA my macan has no issues. However, they tell me that the heating element in the mirror only kicks in at 21 degrees celcius (really guys? when has SG ever dropped to 21 degrees?) I ask if they can be recoded to something higher, like .. 25 or 26 degrees for when it rains. I am told this is highly unlikely. But that SA will continue to check with Porsche. He says he drives with the aircon at 19 degrees and when he drives it is clear, but he is unsure if the rain is actually heavy. I tell him I've never really slept in a room or drive a car with the aircon set so low, and other people with macans are not required to drive at 19 degrees aircon .. so that cant possibly be a solution...

 

May 27th - SA's loaner Cayenne begins massively leaking. There's water everywhere and it seems the car hasn't been serviced. I am not surprised at this junction they didnt even bother to service their own loaner cars by this junction (see pictures). The leaks are so bad, my shoes were soaked through the first day their car sprung a leak. I kick up a fuss. I mean, if they cant even be bothered to fix their own cars, how can I entrust them with mine? I am told the aircon choked when I return it .. but its not as if aircon chokes occur overnight. There's literally a sloshing sound in the car whenever I turn left or right. But at least the side view mirrors work in this loaner, so I have that going for me ...

 

cayenne leak 1.png

cayenne leak 2.png

 

May 30th - SA agrees to take back the shitty cayenne and replace it with a newer one "as a favour". Up to this point, My Macan has spent at least 2 weeks with them, in addition to the one and a half weeks that they already held on to it. As this point (remember the part about the iphone?), SA claims that the mirrors are fine and its because I used an iphone, thats why the photos appear foggy! Im surprised, my eyes must be really shitty then as well. SA basically insinuates there is no problem with the car (this part is very important). I am quite taken back by this. At this junction there was 104 pictures and 4 videos but now I am highly skeptical they will try to fix the problem. It seems I am being told to bugger off, and that most likely I am the problem, but the car works perfectly. My optometrist deserves to be shot for telling me I have 20/20 vision

 

album.jpg

 

June 2nd - SA says they will hold on to my macan for more testing. The new cayenne also doesnt show any signs of fogging in heavy rain. I document this (with an iphone, of course) and send them some photos and videos ... the rain is heavy enough that you can hear it loudly in the video hitting the roof, but again, zero fogging / beading By now, the car has spent a month with SA.

 

June 6th - After 3 weeks total, SA said they simply changed the mirrors again. Thats it. No changing of electrical or side view mirror housing. HOWEVER, at this point, their workshop service manager (it was escalated to him by the workshop manager) tells me verbally, that actually, this fogging issue is a known Porsche issue but only affects a very small amount of cars in south east asia, with no known fix at this time. While I am dumbfounded, I carry on the conversation. When I leave, I whatsapp SA's workshop service manager again to confirm what he said, that my car is one of the handful of cars that exhibit this issue. He confirms the same via whatsapp. I am at a loss for words at this time, because SA has allowed me to drive around in this car, while knowing my main reason for getting this car was for ferrying the baby around, and now claim to have known the entire time certain cars were affected by this issue. I even ask him if he would like to add on anything, to which he replies there is none. Meaning I have literally wasted 5 months of my time, including more than 1 month of repairs.

 

conv porsche.jpg

 

I go back to work angry. I write an email to someone higher up in SA and highlight what I've just found out.

 

June 7th - The "higher up" from SA says the workshop service manager is wrong, and my car is experiencing some "weather phenomenon" aka humidity. According to him, I should give rainX another shot. According to this higher up, my mistake was using an iPhone, as it doesnt know how to focus, causing the side view mirror to appear blurry (and here's the kicker, they send me photos of the side view mirrors using a samsung galaxy phone and then telling me that while I cant use an iphone to document the issue, they are fine to use their own samsung galaxy phone to document their claim that there is no problems ... talk about double standards... they literally said .."digital pictures do not assist us in this concern" ..meaning what .. I need to carry a 35mm camera, pull over in the rain, point and shoot?) and when I called them out on the double standards, of course, they claim I have misunderstood their point as there are "a high number of variables for matters of vision and said pictures cannot be relied upon at all".

 

All this hard work for their senior guy to try and make it my fault, after his own staff gave me a b&w confirmation my car has an issue. Do I believe the guy working in the workshop, or the suit?

 

Eventually however, SA finally agrees to change the side view mirror after I wave their staff's confirmation. They change the entire housing and guess what ... problem is mostly gone. But it took 6 months, and of that, 5 months wasted, and making sure I kept thinking it was my fault, when they knew or suspected otherwise.

 

And the problems keep getting better ...

 

In August 2018 - as I am driving to work, (I use cruise control alot in the KPE tunnel), my car experiences a rapid deceleration and an error 'ACC fault'. I figure this must be a one off, but I was quite shocked. Good thing nobody was behind me when the car decelerated (my foots always on the brake when using CC, i thought heck, maybe i stepped on it slightly). My mistake was thinking this was a one off, since over the next week, the issue occurs randomly, 3 more times. I inform SA and I am told to keep monitoring. Problem keeps coming back more frequently. They say to send in the car for repair, which I do, since the ESP warning also comes on. When the issue occurs, it constantly flashes a yellow warning triangle...so i figure this is an issue that definitely needs looking at. SA keeps the car for a week, and then I am told nothing is done, since they couldn't replicate the problem, despite me sending them at least 2-3 pictures of the issue occurring at different instances. I guess I have have been bulls**tting both those times, since the pictures arent good enough for SA ... or maybe its my 'depth of vision" problem at work ...

 

For 3 weeks, the car works fine. I'm finally hopefully all the problems are gone. But as you can see from the length of this post, we are only halfway through! Problem crops right back up, with the warning causing the car to flash the warning and disengaging from CC. (At this junction, the aircon also has issues, as there is a strange smell coming through everyday now). I inform SA, especially since the issue keeps occurring more frequently. Unfortunately, SA has no spare car and tells me I need to wait for a replacement car. (or, I can send in the car, and take a cab everywhere at my own expense). I forgo using cruise control for the moment, but the warning light remains. Everytime I start the car, it reminds me that ESP/ABS has malfunctioned and I should get a dealer to look at it, but alas SA cant do much for me. Finally, a friend tells me to just call the towing hotline and they will come tow, and then only they will release a loaner. I'm dumbfounded by this roundabout method but give it a shot. it works. SA has let me drive around with a car with safety issues for the second time running, with no concern about my safety. Im not really surprised at this company any more.

 

acc.jpg

 

By october, the aircon is still having issues and now the entire aircon system needs to be replaced. car spends another 1-2 weeks for them to rip out the dashboard and replace part of the aircon system. Luckily during this period, the loaner car is a BMW and works fantastic. They do offer me the option of taking a porsche loaner as soon as it becomes available, but i decline.

 

(also, the ECU issue was solved by replacing one of the engine solenoids, repairing the active cruise control and replacing the lane departure camera, as they claimed that function was causing the car to decelerate out of the norm)

By this time, its already mid-november. In 2 years, the car has spent approximately 3mths under repair.

 

March 2019 - passenger side window refuses to go up. After a few tries, something inside the door "cracks" and then the window is able to go up. but now everytime the window goes up and down, there's a cracking sound. I inform SA. As usual, I am told to "bring in the car for repairs". I'm beginning to feel this is a euphemism for something ... the repair requires 3 days at the very least, so I told SA I have no choice but to wait till the next servicing, and just not use the bloody window till then.

 

April 2019 - I park the car for a short while and come back to it. The min I start it, the car says its overheating (I've driven it like literally, just out of my house carpark), and the car warns me to pull over immediately. I do that. looks to me like a coolant leak. I inform SA, who then tell me to drive the car in, since I am abt 10 min away from them. By the time I reach SA, due to the lack of coolant, the engine warning light is red on the dashboard.

 

They hoist the car up and examine the under carriage and open the bonnet. "Looks like no problem to us .. we will just top up your coolant and send you on your merry way". I ask them if they are sure, and yup, its ok, so i bugger off. i mean, what do I know about cars? obviously telling them there's a coolant leak meant jack shit, since they obviously feel the customer is a moron who doesn't know what he is talking about ...

 

Not even 1 week later, the car breaks down at work. I open up the bonnet. Every single drop of coolant is gone. I inform SA. Unfortunately, its 630pm on a weekday, so they cant help me. Eventually the car needs to be towed. Yet another case of SA simply thinking their customer is an idiot and not believing the customer. (at this junction, they take another week and a half to repair the passenger window and coolant tank, which incidentally, was cracked)

 

coolant leak.jpg

 

At this junction, I email the MD of SA because this is bulls**t. After much back and forth, as a "one off goodwill gesture", Porsche/SA have agreed to extend my macan's warranty to 7 years after all I've been through. I tell myself, well, this beats going the legal route, I hope ... They also ask me whether I'd like to trade in the current macan for a facelifted one. So, after going through all these problems, I guess when the old one is broken, just buy a new one?

 

Mid July 2019 - aircon problem is back. Yay. I inform SA. They said they will check. Havent heard from them since then (as of 24/7/2019)

 

19th July 2019 ... yup its not over! Driver side window breaks down. it cant be wound up fully. It needs several presses just to get to the top. Yay. Just like star wars, the windows have found a way to balance themselves since its the driver's side turn now. (incidentally, this has been reported on friday 22nd july, so now there are 2 more repairs and based on previous experience, the car is going to need another 1-2 weeks of downtime. )

 

So in summary, the car has been repaired 6 times. It is pending 2 more repairs. One of the issues has now occurred for the third time. And as with everything in life, a couple of members here have seen the actual correspondences / whatsapp screenshots but have done me the courtesy of not forwarding them around for the time being.

 

However, SA firmly believes they have done right by me and said everything has been fixed as per it should be. According to them, this car, is most definitely, not a lemon. And hence, too bad, so sad for me.

Its a long post alright. Very glad u overtook me here. Thank you.

 

2 things came to mind after reading :

 

1. U may have a lemon car

2. The guys working on your ride either inexperienced or not happy with you.

 

Side mirrors fogging can be easily solved with heating element similar to those at our rear windows. Somewhere, either the original unit's element NOT replaced with a brand new set but repaired. Did u see the old wing mirrors changed out?

 

Or wiring is not correctly linked to get them to work for both side mirrors.

 

Frankly this a small issue that i am surprised they have dragged their feet over. Unless, its really tough tracing the wiring.

 

Safety issues, aircon, coolant etc are really badly handled. Even can't be bothered to let u have a decent courtesy car.

 

They dun seem to mind losing u as a customer. I felt thus.

 

I hope you plan to sue them. It is very iresponsible to not resolve issues from your ride especially those on safety concerns. And u have 2 more repair jobs your ride needs to go for.

 

This is bad. Hope its resolved amicably. They do well to be more professional and not let this slide into toxic zone. A bad reputation for themselves and brand name.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Safe ride

Cheers

[UncleAtas]

WTF. Buy a quarter mill car but can't fix their side mirror issue? Still need to apply RAINX?

 

Your money & safety is worth at other cars my friend.

 

Please consider going back to Black edition.

[Othello]

one whole side mirror assembly should very expensive, wait till last minute bo bian then lan lan replace for you. 

 

In short, you have a lemon. No 2 ways about it. Several un-connected problems surface less than 3 years. 

 

Anyway, are you gonna sell it off ? 

[Sp4wn]

Its a long post alright. Very glad u overtook me here. Thank you.

 

2 things came to mind after reading :

 

1. U may have a lemon car

2. The guys working on your ride either inexperienced or not happy with you.

 

Side mirrors fogging can be easily solved with heating element similar to those at our rear windows. Somewhere, either the original unit's element NOT replaced with a brand new set but repaired. Did u see the old wing mirrors changed out?

 

Or wiring is not correctly linked to get them to work for both side mirrors.

 

Frankly this a small issue that i am surprised they have dragged their feet over. Unless, its really tough tracing the wiring.

 

Safety issues, aircon, coolant etc are really badly handled. Even can't be bothered to let u have a decent courtesy car.

 

They dun seem to mind losing u as a customer. I felt thus.

 

I hope you plan to sue them. It is very iresponsible to not resolve issues from your ride especially those on safety concerns. And u have 2 more repair jobs your ride needs to go for.

 

This is bad. Hope its resolved amicably. They do well to be more professional and not let this slide into toxic zone. A bad reputation for themselves and brand name.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Safe ride

Cheers

 

even though their workshop manager timestamp is 2017, i still gave them 2 more years to resolve. only when aircon again the exact same problem (not a new problem) surface again for the third time, i lost it. i told them this is bulls**t ... you all think im so free, everytime just send in for repair?? but as usual, their attitude is that the problem is the driver, not the car!

WTF. Buy a quarter mill car but can't fix their side mirror issue? Still need to apply RAINX?

 

Your money & safety is worth at other cars my friend.

 

Please consider going back to Black edition.

 

haiz. no sports car for another decade lah bro. family planning and such. 2 door cars not practical. need a big boot for pram, diaper bag, our dog carrier ... lol

one whole side mirror assembly should very expensive, wait till last minute bo bian then lan lan replace for you. 

 

In short, you have a lemon. No 2 ways about it. Several un-connected problems surface less than 3 years. 

 

Anyway, are you gonna sell it off ? 

 

well, since they claim no problem, drive lo. this thread will be my 7 year review of stuttgart auto and their car and service. 

[Thaiyotakamli]

thats my biggest worry.

 

 

ya well, they've decided they rather have me as a customer for 7 years

 

 

still weighing all the options!

Did u join the macan group chat? Maybe u can share with them and who knows there are other owners have similar prob and has solved it

[Galantspeedz]

my concern is, with this post, will driving your car render any insurance claim invalid in the even of an accident

 

also, i think if it is only heating element issue, likely those audio accessories shop can solve it, depending on parts issue or wiring issue

[Sp4wn]

my concern is, with this post, will driving your car render any insurance claim invalid in the even of an accident

 

also, i think if it is only heating element issue, likely those audio accessories shop can solve it, depending on parts issue or wiring issue

 

how can they? i've sent it back to the authorized agent who confirms they have done everything correctly (in writing, no less)

also, this one was one of my favourite replies from them (free science lesson for everyone)

 

and i quote fully:

 

"Generally, we would like to highlight again, that the phenomenon you experience is not related to the product

but rather a result of environmental circumstances. Condensation occurs when vapour is cooled and/or

compressed to its saturation limit when the molecular density in the gas phase reaches its maximal threshold.

 

It is possible that mist occurs on any mirror, not only limited to your car, especially in the extreme tropical whether

conditions we have in Singapore, e.g. due to sudden temperature changes, level of humidity, etc. This is unfortunately

out of our control as a manufacturer.

 

The technical evaluation of the above mentioned side mirrors of your Porsche Macan shows, that a certain degree

of condensation does not affect their functionality and is therefore not a warrantable issue.  However, if heavy misting

should occur under certain conditions, it is the driver's responsibility to adjust the speed accordingly and/or to clean

the mirrors manually in order to ensure sufficient safety."

 

the underlined part was especially the best ... next time driving just wind down the window and wipe .. they are right ... cant be difficult in thunderstorms ... not sure how LTA would feel about this particular feedback, esp if one is driving on a highway and needs to pull over every 2 min ... because its the manufacturer's recommendation ...

Did u join the macan group chat? Maybe u can share with them and who knows there are other owners have similar prob and has solved it

 

nope didnt even know one existed .. but even the manager himself said only a handful of cars have exhibited this problem

[awhtc]

The QC is not there.

 

My guess on the fogging part on the rear view side mirrors and windows is due to the impurities embedded on the glass surface, which promotes condensation and water clinging.  Other parts seem to be electronics issue for continental cars.

 

My recommendation is next time please buy a Vios and enjoy the joy of driving.  The QC is there even for this humble entry-level Toyota 

[Ichibawa]

Wow.... long read... You must be a good writer as normally I would have lost interest in the first 5 minutes. 

 

For the safety of your wife and the baby, I think you should just dump this lemon and get yourself a BMW. 

 

Maybe burning the car in SA's yard will serve a good publicity for the company. 

[RogerNg_185295]

Suing them is very taxing and draining on your resources, and I am not talking about money. The time, effort invested....Is it worth it?

 

Or simply move on and sell the lemon?

Its a long post alright. Very glad u overtook me here. Thank you.

2 things came to mind after reading :

1. U may have a lemon car
2. The guys working on your ride either inexperienced or not happy with you.

Side mirrors fogging can be easily solved with heating element similar to those at our rear windows. Somewhere, either the original unit's element NOT replaced with a brand new set but repaired. Did u see the old wing mirrors changed out?

Or wiring is not correctly linked to get them to work for both side mirrors.

Frankly this a small issue that i am surprised they have dragged their feet over. Unless, its really tough tracing the wiring.

Safety issues, aircon, coolant etc are really badly handled. Even can't be bothered to let u have a decent courtesy car.

They dun seem to mind losing u as a customer. I felt thus.

I hope you plan to sue them. It is very iresponsible to not resolve issues from your ride especially those on safety concerns. And u have 2 more repair jobs your ride needs to go for.

This is bad. Hope its resolved amicably. They do well to be more professional and not let this slide into toxic zone. A bad reputation for themselves and brand name.

Thanks for sharing.

Safe ride
Cheers

 

Which BMW you recommend?

Wow.... long read... You must be a good writer as normally I would have lost interest in the first 5 minutes. 

 

For the safety of your wife and the baby, I think you should just dump this lemon and get yourself a BMW. 

 

Maybe burning the car in SA's yard will serve a good publicity for the company. 

 

[Strat]

 

Hi all

 

Sorry haven't been as active as I used to be, what with selling the GTR (and embracing fatherhood wholeheartedly). While selling that GTR was one of the hardest decisions to make, the worst decision I ever made was buying a Macan from Stuttgart Auto (SA).  This is going to be a very, very long post. But if you are considering buying a Macan from Stuttgart Auto, I'd highly advise you to read this post in its entirety (and come to your own conclusions). Everything here is extracted from emails / whatsapp correspondences and copies can be given to the mods to verify if what I say below is true.

 

So I got my 2L Macan in October 2016 and since then, it's hands down, the worst car I have ever owned in my life. A couple of you already know what SA has put me through, and how many problems have occurred (or keep re-occuring) with it, especially ones that concerned vehicle safety (and not to mention the sheer amount of time they have wasted in making me jump through hoops, or just by thinking they know better than the customer, always.)

 

My first problem started in early January 2017, about 3 months after collection (I was away for most of December - final holiday with the wife before the baby was due), and during heavy rainpours, I began to notice that my side view mirrors would completely fog up to the point of zero visibility. Having driven several cars (and in the states as well, in minus 30 degree weather no less), this was probably the first time in my life I ever noticed of both side view mirrors fogging so heavily, that nothing could be seen out of them, and at times, I felt I was driving blind because I could literally see nothing. 

 

Photo 9-4-17, 2 19 25 PM.jpg

 

Photo 1-3-17, 8 29 31 AM (1).jpg

 

(according to SA, this is considered normal behavior, despite it occurring many, many times)

 

On January 23rd, I informed my SE, who told me to just buy some rainX and apply it myself. Alright fine, for a new car, I thought, maybe just suay or the rain must have been one-off super heavy kind, so let me try my luck. I bought rainX and of course, a few days later during heavy rain, it didn't work. So I went back to my SE and she asked me to try another brand. Ok lah, chin chye, give and take, maybe rainX isnt what it used to be. I go on amazon, find the highest rated hydrophobic solution and buy it. All in all, I spent $40 or $50 on these solutions, hoping one of them would just solve the damn problem, so that I could move on with my life (wife was due soon, and I was ferrying her everywhere, and its damn stressful when your wife is 8 months pregnant and the stupid car poses a danger in rain)

 

February 3rd - during a massive thunderstorm (in Tiong Bahru), both mirrors fog up completely. By this time, I'm livid. I've sent SA several photos documenting the issue and because of the rainy season, the mirrors constantly fog up. I am told they will "investigate".

 

On February 9th, one of SA's staff asks me for all the pictures so he can forward them "to the factory" for advice. Fair enough, here's a couple of pictures for you to forward (during different times no less) showing the issue. 

 

February 14th & 21st - I ask for updates, and get the run around. Seems I need to be patient for the "factory" to reply. (on a brighter note, baby arrives safe and sound)

 

February 24th - I am instructed to leave the car with SA for them to check the electrical work in the mirror, to make sure the heating element works. Sounds simple enough, hopefully thats the culprit and we can all move on with life.

 

February 27th - I am told that the diagnostics detected no issues and my car is working as God and Porsche intended, and SA has taken zero steps to rectify my problem (despite providing, up to this point, 20-30 photos and some videos). I assume they need more evidence. My focus is on the baby so I decide to take the car back first since SA cant do anything, anyway.

 

March 1st - I send in even more photos of not being able to see out of the side view mirrors. A friend, who was in the same location, at the same time, drives his car and takes photos of his subaru's side view mirror. Guess what .. mine are completely fogged up as usual, his are crystal clear (we both used iphones -> this part is important) I send in this set of photos for comparison. I am told SA has finally agreed to do me a big favour" to change just the mirrors themselves, as there is nothing wrong with the side view mirror housing or electricals. OK, perhaps the mirrors themselves have issue. But not sure why I had to beg for 2 months. I guess SA didnt take my safty aspect seriously? (first car is mine, of course)

 

my car.jpg

 

friends car.jpg

 

March 7th - new mirrors installed. However, by this time, the rain isn't as heavy as we are not able to test them out. By this time, the car has spent more than a few days at SA for their testing / diagnostics etc

 

April 9th - massive downpour. I send SA more photos of the mirrors completely fogging up. By this time, I have about 50-60 photos. I inform SA. They told me to make sure the defogger / demister is running and to monitor. OK sure.

 

April 16th - Problem is still just as bad and its impossible to see. Droplets are not even rolling off the mirrors for crying out loud. I press SA for an answer, to which they say they will file a warranty claim and let me know if it gets approved. But thats the extent of what they can assist me with.

 

In the interim, I borrow another Macan and manage to drive it out during a heavy thunderstorm. It shows no signs of fogging / beading at all. I send them some photos (they reply 2 days later as below)

 

second macan.jpg

 

April 20th - SA suggests they will apply their own hydrophobic solution that they have. I suggest a deadline to get this issue fixed, but SA ignores my request. I bring in the car, sit around wasting my time for an hour / hour and a half while they applying their own magic sauce to the mirrors.

 

April 21st - heavy rain, same problem. I send about 5 more pictures of the mirrors fogged up and get a "thumbs up" reply.

 

April 26th - the car is sent in for "repairs" again. Though I'm not sure what they did ...

 

May 12th - foggy mirrors yet again. So even though by now, the car has spent between 1-2 weeks at SA with no results to show for it. SA says they will check with "their warranty guy" again. at this junction, this has dragged on for 4 months with very little in terms of solutions. I guess its time for them to keep the car and figure out whats going on since there's been heavy downpours. Not much else I can do at this junction.

 

May 18th - Car swop time. I leave my macan behind while SA keeps it for testing. They give me a pretty old Cayenne. The Cayenne exhibits zero problems in the heavy rain. I take several pictures of their cayenne showing how clear the mirror is in the rain. For an almost decade old Cayenne, it shows zero fogging issues.

 

second cayenne loaner.jpg

 

May 26th - I am informed by SA my macan has no issues. However, they tell me that the heating element in the mirror only kicks in at 21 degrees celcius (really guys? when has SG ever dropped to 21 degrees?) I ask if they can be recoded to something higher, like .. 25 or 26 degrees for when it rains. I am told this is highly unlikely. But that SA will continue to check with Porsche. He says he drives with the aircon at 19 degrees and when he drives it is clear, but he is unsure if the rain is actually heavy. I tell him I've never really slept in a room or drive a car with the aircon set so low, and other people with macans are not required to drive at 19 degrees aircon .. so that cant possibly be a solution...

 

May 27th - SA's loaner Cayenne begins massively leaking. There's water everywhere and it seems the car hasn't been serviced. I am not surprised at this junction they didnt even bother to service their own loaner cars by this junction (see pictures). The leaks are so bad, my shoes were soaked through the first day their car sprung a leak. I kick up a fuss. I mean, if they cant even be bothered to fix their own cars, how can I entrust them with mine? I am told the aircon choked when I return it .. but its not as if aircon chokes occur overnight. There's literally a sloshing sound in the car whenever I turn left or right. But at least the side view mirrors work in this loaner, so I have that going for me ...

 

cayenne leak 1.png

cayenne leak 2.png

 

May 30th - SA agrees to take back the shitty cayenne and replace it with a newer one "as a favour". Up to this point, My Macan has spent at least 2 weeks with them, in addition to the one and a half weeks that they already held on to it. As this point (remember the part about the iphone?), SA claims that the mirrors are fine and its because I used an iphone, thats why the photos appear foggy! Im surprised, my eyes must be really shitty then as well. SA basically insinuates there is no problem with the car (this part is very important). I am quite taken back by this. At this junction there was 104 pictures and 4 videos but now I am highly skeptical they will try to fix the problem. It seems I am being told to bugger off, and that most likely I am the problem, but the car works perfectly. My optometrist deserves to be shot for telling me I have 20/20 vision 

 

album.jpg

 

June 2nd - SA says they will hold on to my macan for more testing. The new cayenne also doesnt show any signs of fogging in heavy rain. I document this (with an iphone, of course) and send them some photos and videos ... the rain is heavy enough that you can hear it loudly in the video hitting the roof, but again, zero fogging / beading  By now, the car has spent a month with SA.

 

June 6th - After 3 weeks total, SA said they simply changed the mirrors again. Thats it. No changing of electrical or side view mirror housing. HOWEVER, at this point, their workshop service manager (it was escalated to him by the workshop manager) tells me verbally, that actually, this fogging issue is a known Porsche issue but only affects a very small amount of cars in south east asia, with no known fix at this time. While I am dumbfounded, I carry on the conversation. When I leave, I whatsapp SA's workshop service manager again to confirm what he said, that my car is one of the handful of cars that exhibit this issue. He confirms the same via whatsapp. I am at a loss for words at this time, because SA has allowed me to drive around in this car, while knowing my main reason for getting this car was for ferrying the baby around, and now claim to have known the entire time certain cars were affected by this issue. I even ask him if he would like to add on anything, to which he replies there is none. Meaning I have literally wasted 5 months of my time, including  more than 1 month of repairs.

 

conv porsche.jpg

 

I go back to work angry. I write an email to someone higher up in SA and highlight what I've just found out.

 

June 7th - The "higher up" from SA says the workshop service manager is wrong, and my car is experiencing some "weather phenomenon" aka humidity. According to him, I should give rainX another shot. According to this higher up, my mistake was using an iPhone, as it doesnt know how to focus, causing the side view mirror to appear blurry (and here's the kicker, they send me photos of the side view mirrors using a samsung galaxy phone and then telling me that while I cant use an iphone to document the issue, they are fine to use their own samsung galaxy phone to document their claim that there is no problems ... talk about double standards... they literally said .."digital pictures do not assist us in this concern" ..meaning what .. I need to carry a 35mm camera, pull over in the rain, point and shoot?) and when I called them out on the double standards, of course, they claim I have misunderstood their point as there are "a high number of variables for matters of vision and said pictures cannot be relied upon at all". 

 

All this hard work for their senior guy to try and make it my fault, after his own staff gave me a b&w confirmation my car has an issue. Do I believe the guy working in the workshop, or the suit?

 

Eventually however, SA finally agrees to change the side view mirror after I wave their staff's confirmation. They change the entire housing and guess what ... problem is mostly gone. But it took 6 months, and of that, 5 months wasted, and making sure I kept thinking it was my fault, when they knew or suspected otherwise.

 

And the problems keep getting better ...

 

In August 2018 - as I am driving to work, (I use cruise control alot in the KPE tunnel), my car experiences a rapid deceleration and an error 'ACC fault'. I figure this must be a one off, but I was quite shocked. Good thing nobody was behind me when the car decelerated (my foots always on the brake when using CC, i thought heck, maybe i stepped on it slightly). My mistake was thinking this was a one off, since over the next week, the issue occurs randomly, 3 more times. I inform SA and I am told to keep monitoring. Problem keeps coming back more frequently. They say to send in the car for repair, which I do, since the ESP warning also comes on. When the issue occurs, it constantly flashes a yellow warning triangle...so i figure this is an issue that definitely needs looking at. SA keeps the car for a week, and then I am told nothing is done, since they couldn't replicate the problem, despite me sending them at least 2-3 pictures of the issue occurring at different instances. I guess I have have been bulls**tting both those times, since the pictures arent good enough for SA ... or maybe its my 'depth of vision" problem at work ...

 

For 3 weeks, the car works fine. I'm finally hopefully all the problems are gone. But as you can see from the length of this post, we are only halfway through! Problem crops right back up, with the warning causing the car to flash the warning and disengaging from CC. (At this junction, the aircon also has issues, as there is a strange smell coming through everyday now). I inform SA, especially since the issue keeps occurring more frequently. Unfortunately, SA has no spare car and tells me I need to wait for a replacement car. (or, I can send in the car, and take a cab everywhere at my own expense). I forgo using cruise control for the moment, but the warning light remains.  Everytime I start the car, it reminds me that ESP/ABS has malfunctioned and I should get a dealer to look at it, but alas SA cant do much for me. Finally, a friend tells me to just call the towing hotline and they will come tow, and then only they will release a loaner. I'm dumbfounded by this roundabout method but give it a shot. it works. SA has let me drive around with a car with safety issues for the second time running, with no concern about my safety. Im not really surprised at this company any more. 

 

acc.jpg

 

By october, the aircon is still having issues and now the entire aircon system needs to be replaced. car spends another 1-2 weeks for them to rip out the dashboard and replace part of the aircon system. Luckily during this period, the loaner car is a BMW and works fantastic. They do offer me the option of taking a porsche loaner as soon as it becomes available, but i decline.

 

(also, the ECU issue was solved by replacing one of the engine solenoids, repairing the active cruise control and replacing the lane departure camera, as they claimed that function was causing the car to decelerate out of the norm)

By this time, its already mid-november. In 2 years, the car has spent approximately 3mths under repair.

 

March 2019 - passenger side window refuses to go up. After a few tries, something inside the door "cracks" and then the window is able to go up. but now everytime the window goes up and down, there's a cracking sound. I inform SA. As usual, I am told to "bring in the car for repairs". I'm beginning to feel this is a euphemism for something ... the repair requires 3 days at the very least, so I told SA I have no choice but to wait till the next servicing, and just not use the bloody window till then.

 

April 2019 - I park the car for a short while and come back to it. The min I start it, the car says its overheating (I've driven it like literally, just out of my house carpark), and the car warns me to pull over immediately. I do that. looks to me like a coolant leak. I inform SA, who then tell me to drive the car in, since I am abt 10 min away from them. By the time I reach SA, due to the lack of coolant, the engine warning light is red on the dashboard.

 

They hoist the car up and examine the under carriage and open the bonnet. "Looks like no problem to us .. we will just top up your coolant and send you on your merry way". I ask them if they are sure, and yup, its ok, so i bugger off. i mean, what do I know about cars? obviously telling them there's a coolant leak meant jack shit, since they obviously feel the customer is a moron who doesn't know what he is talking about ...

 

Not even 1 week later, the car breaks down at work. I open up the bonnet. Every single drop of coolant is gone. I inform SA. Unfortunately, its 630pm on a weekday, so they cant help me. Eventually the car needs to be towed. Yet another case of SA simply thinking their customer is an idiot and not believing the customer. (at this junction, they take another week and a half to repair the passenger window and coolant tank, which incidentally, was cracked) 

 

coolant leak.jpg

 

At this junction, I email the MD of SA because this is bulls**t. After much back and forth, as a "one off goodwill gesture", Porsche/SA have agreed to extend my macan's warranty to 7 years after all I've been through. I tell myself, well, this beats going the legal route, I hope ... They also ask me whether I'd like to trade in the current macan for a facelifted one. So, after going through all these problems, I guess when the old one is broken, just buy a new one? 

 

Mid July 2019 - aircon problem is back. Yay. I inform SA. They said they will check. Havent heard from them since then (as of 24/7/2019)

 

19th July 2019 ... yup its not over! Driver side window breaks down. it cant be wound up fully. It needs several presses just to get to the top. Yay. Just like star wars, the windows have found a way to balance themselves since its the driver's side turn now. (incidentally, this has been reported on friday 22nd july, so now there are 2 more repairs and based on previous experience, the car is going to need another 1-2 weeks of downtime. )

 

So in summary, the car has been repaired 6 times. It is pending 2 more repairs. One of the issues has now occurred for the third time. And as with everything in life, a couple of members here have seen the actual correspondences / whatsapp screenshots but have done me the courtesy of not forwarding them around for the time being. 

 

However, SA firmly believes they have done right by me and said everything has been fixed as per it should be. According to them, this car, is most definitely, not a lemon. And hence, too bad, so sad for me. 

 

 

 

this is really bad for a branded marque like Porsche.

They should really look into their technical competency .

[Jon_cclau]

"... next time driving just wind down the window and wipe .."

 

Bro, can't wind down leh…. later cannot wind up how?

[Beehive3783]

Send this quoted text to Porsche Germany. I think no point dealing with SA any longer.

 

how can they? i've sent it back to the authorized agent who confirms they have done everything correctly (in writing, no less)

also, this one was one of my favourite replies from them (free science lesson for everyone)

 

and i quote fully:

 

"Generally, we would like to highlight again, that the phenomenon you experience is not related to the product

but rather a result of environmental circumstances. Condensation occurs when vapour is cooled and/or

compressed to its saturation limit when the molecular density in the gas phase reaches its maximal threshold.

 

It is possible that mist occurs on any mirror, not only limited to your car, especially in the extreme tropical whether

conditions we have in Singapore, e.g. due to sudden temperature changes, level of humidity, etc. This is unfortunately

out of our control as a manufacturer.

 

The technical evaluation of the above mentioned side mirrors of your Porsche Macan shows, that a certain degree

of condensation does not affect their functionality and is therefore not a warrantable issue.  However, if heavy misting

should occur under certain conditions, it is the driver's responsibility to adjust the speed accordingly and/or to clean

the mirrors manually in order to ensure sufficient safety."

 

the underlined part was especially the best ... next time driving just wind down the window and wipe .. they are right ... cant be difficult in thunderstorms ... not sure how LTA would feel about this particular feedback, esp if one is driving on a highway and needs to pull over every 2 min ... because its the manufacturer's recommendation ...

 

nope didnt even know one existed .. but even the manager himself said only a handful of cars have exhibited this problem

 

[Ichibawa]

Which BMW you recommend?

 

Not recommending anything leh... Sp4wn did mention that he had a BMW as a replacement car and he is happy with it as it did not give him any issues. If its an SUV I personally prefer M class though but I not have the capability to own one lah.... 

[Lala81]

U're quite a patient guy.

I would have just sold off the car already, accepted the loss     and just badmouth SA all day on forums 

[Sp4wn]

Wow.... long read... You must be a good writer as normally I would have lost interest in the first 5 minutes. 

 

For the safety of your wife and the baby, I think you should just dump this lemon and get yourself a BMW. 

 

Maybe burning the car in SA's yard will serve a good publicity for the company. 

 lol sorry lah

 

just like the gtr, i keep good records and try to do everything in b&w .. safer for me lol

"... next time driving just wind down the window and wipe .."

 

Bro, can't wind down leh…. later cannot wind up how?

 

thats a good point, both windows got problem, wind down, got problem winding back up.

maybe they think they sold me a yacht ..

Not recommending anything leh... Sp4wn did mention that he had a BMW as a replacement car and he is happy with it as it did not give him any issues. If its an SUV I personally prefer M class though but I not have the capability to own one lah.... 

 

they gave me a 520, good car. didnt give any problems for the 2 weeks + i had it.