Every time something on my 996 goes wrong, I read about 2015 WRXes

"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
05/20/2018 at 20:37 • Filed to: None

It’s a natural desire I think, they both have about 260 horsepower, weigh about 3250 pounds, and have AWD. But my 996 is a 17 year old luxury German car and the WRX would be a 3-4 year old Japanese car with about 30-40k miles.

What went wrong? Today I took the family out with the top down and the rear driver’s side window regulator went bonkers. The window will go down but not up and I can’t even pull it up by hand as I push on the button, sooooo, I can’t really drive it much until I get it fixed and apparently the regulators are awful to change out and pretty expensive.

So, I read reviews and watched videos about this when I was cooking dinner:

DISCUSSION (19)

Ash78, voting early and often > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 20:56

A 17-y-o German car with window regulator issues? What is this world coming to?!

//know that feel

LOREM IPSUM > Ash78, voting early and often
05/20/2018 at 20:58

Every German car I’ve owned has had at least 1 rear window regulator go out, also the heater blower fan, but that’s another matter.

LOREM IPSUM > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 21:16

Also

Porsche > Subaru, specs be damned.

...at least until the bill for service comes in, anyway. But that sadness is usually quickly forgiven, because driving Porsche is better than not driving Porsche.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 21:17

I own a 2014 WRX hatch. It’s a ton of fun to drive. But it is loud - not exhaust, just general wind noise. The reputation for having rattles is well-founded. I’ve been working my way through eliminating them, but there is one in the dash I can’t get to without taking it apart. Perhaps I will one day, but I’ll probably sell it first.

wafflesnfalafel > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 21:41

My wrx is super fun, but it’s no 911. I spent good money to make it louder so can’t really complain it’s too loud.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Ash78, voting early and often
05/20/2018 at 22:04

The struggle is real.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > LOREM IPSUM
05/20/2018 at 22:09

Yeah; I don’t think I’d ever actually make the change. I am lucky to own the 996 even if it’s got more quirks than features at times.

However, I truly love the 2015 WRX sedan shape and I would get a STI wing cause somewhere inside of me I’m mostly controlled by a 8 year old.

LOREM IPSUM > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 22:10

Also, pro tip, especially for German vehicle owners but applicable to all sedans. Try to cycle the rear windows frequently. If you can remember, once a day.

Half the time, the rear windows become problematic because they’re so infrequently used. They end up sticking, and the force required to unstick them ends up putting more strain on the regulator/motor setup than it can handle.

That said, Neil, if you have any inkling to diy this I’d look at the switches responsible for controlling that window and be sure one of the two isn’t sticking a bit in the down position before r&r’ing the regulator. It would suck to swap it out only to find it wasn’t actually the cause, though I’m just speaking from a perspective of caution and not Porsche specific experience.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > TheRealBicycleBuck
05/20/2018 at 22:11

I’ve heard the 2015 is a bit more civilized both for better and worse. I think hatch>2015 sedan in the looks department but I’d want the newer engine.

Braniff747SP > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 22:13

Oddly enough, the window regulator in our ‘15 WRX started acting up a few days ago...

The first (and, knock on wood, only) problem we’ve had with it.

LOREM IPSUM > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 22:13

On the bright side, 2015 gets farther away every day. Soon enough you can own both, without having to live in one of them.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > wafflesnfalafel
05/20/2018 at 22:13

My 911 is pretty stinking loud(manifold to cat to 8 inches of pipe to single dual in/out muffler to 8 inches to exit); also remember my 911 has got a Boxster S engine so it’s a litttle hampered in the speed department comparatively. I love it but there is something to be said about reliability, simplicity, and predictability.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > LOREM IPSUM
05/20/2018 at 22:19

I am pretty sure it’s not a switch issue because of the way it was acting when the top was put down(all windows go all the way down, or are supposed to, and then go all the way back up,or are supposed to) as part of the cycle for putting the top up and down. But I will double check the switches.

I’ll have to try to remember to run them more often.

I’ll definitely be the one fixing it when I get the money and time(I’ve already found some owners have used a regulator repair place for $150 versus the normal cost of $600). So i should be able to try sooner rather than later.

Dr_Watson > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/20/2018 at 23:52

Meanwhile... Still happy I bought an almost new MQB TTS rather than gamble on the equivalent decade old 911. Best of luck 996... Get well soon.

Future Heap Owner > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/21/2018 at 00:13

Funnily enough, I just drove a manual for the first time and it was on my co-worker’s 2015 or 2016 WRX. It was pretty nice!

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Future Heap Owner
05/21/2018 at 00:34

That’s a nice car for learning stick!

Future Heap Owner > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/21/2018 at 01:15

I know! I honestly had no idea it was a WRX when I asked him if I could learn on it, and if I did I might not have even asked.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
05/21/2018 at 06:22

...sigh... Same, except with the current gen Mustang GT. Love my 996, but damn that Porsche tax is real and since getting IRS the Mustang is awfully appealing to me. Plus, I’ve got to think the Mustang wouldn’t get the rich guy attention the Porsche does that always makes me so uncomfortable despite being worth a lot more.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
05/21/2018 at 09:14

The rich guy attention thing is too true.

Some of the 996 parts are reasonable; some though... ouch. Thankfully I got the window up and put the hardtop on so I can keep driving it for the time being. My daughter was bummed when I told her the top was back on.