Merely buying a car doesn’t begin to cover the expenses you’ll have over the course of its lifespan. You also have to tend to the car’s needs and take care of maintenance – whether routine or unexpected.
Many car owners want to get a good idea of the cost of maintenance for their particular vehicle, and this is a wise thing to do so you can plan your finances. In this article, we’ll be looking at maintenance costs for the Porsche Boxster specifically.
On average, the cost to maintain a Porsche Boxster will be $950 each year. It’s important to remember that not all maintenance jobs are required annually, and some are required more than once a year, depending on how much you use your Porsche.
By looking at the costs of oil changes, brake pad replacement, tire rotation, gasket replacement, and other repair jobs, we’ll uncover what it really costs to keep a Porsche Boxster running.
Knowing the costs of maintenance jobs, as well as how they fluctuate in different locations is also key. We’ll cover these factors, as well as some ways to save money on maintenance over time.
How Expensive Is It to Keep a Porsche Boxster?
Proper vehicle maintenance ensures that you can keep your car operational and in good health for a longer period of time. It makes the difference between a car that lasts only 150,000 miles and a car that lasts 200,000 miles.
When it comes to the Porsche Boxster, we can understand maintenance costs by looking at some of the most common.
Further, we’ll dive into the long-term costs of maintenance by sharing details on how often each job is done. To learn what it could cost to maintain a Porsche Boxster, consider the following expenses.
What Are the Common Problems of a Porsche Boxster?
It’s important to consider not only regular vehicle maintenance costs but also the repair jobs that are common with your vehicle model. These are going to be repairs and/or replacements of parts that don’t necessarily occur very often.
A lot of times, when these problems are addressed and fixed, you won’t have to fix them again or more than once in the car’s lifetime. When we look at the Porsche Boxster, we find that some of the most common repairs needed include:
| Porsche Boxster Repair | One-Time Cost of Repair | Repair Frequency of Repair | Long-Term Cost (if the car lasts 250,000 miles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Filter Replacement | $260 | About every 60,000 | $1040 |
| Oil Pan Replacement | $1120 | Once or as-needed | $1120 |
| Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement | $610 | Once or as-needed | $610 |
| Crankshaft Position Sensor Replacement | $390 | Once or as-needed | $390-$780 |
| Fuel Injector Replacement | $1175 | About every 75,000 miles | $3525 |
| Valve Cover Gasket Replacement | $780 | As-needed | $780-$2340 |
| Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement | $570 | Once | $570 |
| Drive Belt Tensioner Replacement | $595 | Once or as-needed | $595 |
| Exhaust Manifold Gasket Replacement | $180 | As-needed | $180-$540 |
| HVAC Blend Door Actuator Replacement | $410 | As-needed | $410 |
| Power Steering Pump Replacement | $1295 | About every 100,000 miles | $2590 |
Although you may not need to get all of the above repairs completed while owning your Boxster, it’s likely that you’ll incur some of these costs over time.
You can expect the lifetime costs of incidental repairs like these to cost thousands of dollars.
Also, note that these costs represent both parts and labor costs combined. Therefore, if you do some of these jobs in a DIY fashion, you can still save money on expenses.
Regular Maintenance Jobs for a Porsche Boxster
Aside from incidental repairs and one-time repairs, like those mentioned above, your vehicle will also incur costs for regular maintenance. Regular maintenance jobs are those that your car needs at least once a year or every couple of years.
Maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotations, brake pad replacements, and others are considered in these costs. Read on to learn about the average costs of jobs like these.
Oil Change Cost ($540)
On average, the cost to change the oil (and/or filter) on a Porsche Boxster is around $540. Note that this estimate consists of labor costs ($55) and the cost of parts ($480).
Oil changes are a regular form of maintenance for any vehicle and one of the most important.
Depending on how frequently you drive your Boxster and how quickly you accrue mileage, your interval for oil changes will differ.
In general, though, every 3,000-5,000 miles is a good chance to change your vehicle’s oil. This means that the lifetime cost of this maintenance job for a Boxster is closer to $33,750.
Brake Pad Replacement Cost ($565)
This is one type of vehicle maintenance that you certainly don’t want to neglect. Your car’s brakes are some of the most crucial components related to your personal safety and your passengers’ safety.
On average, you will pay around $565 to replace brake pads on your Porsche Boxster. This estimate consists of the cost of labor ($170) and the cost of parts ($395).
In the lifespan of a car (around 250,000 miles), you will likely only have to replace brake pads every 50,000 miles or so.
However, note that the time frame could differ depending on how liberally you use your brakes when driving. Therefore, the average lifetime cost of brake pad replacement is closer to about $2825 for Porsche Boxsters.
Tire Rotation Cost ($55)
Tire rotation is a pretty common vehicle maintenance job that you can get done at any auto body shop. The good thing is that it’s pretty inexpensive too.
Rotating tires is important because it helps to even out the amount of wear on each tire. This maintenance can actually save you money in the long run since it extends the life of your tires.
On average, you’ll spend about $55 to rotate the tires on a Porsche Boxster (you don’t have to pay for any parts, just labor). You should rotate Porsche tires about every 6,000 miles or so. This means that lifetime costs are closer to $2290.
Engine Battery Replacement Cost ($320)
Batteries typically function well for several years before they need to be replaced. However, incidents such as leaving the battery on with the engine off or leaving a car door open at night, thus leaving a light on, can run down or even kill a battery.
It costs an average of $320 to replace a Porsche Boxster battery, where labor costs around $55 and parts cost around $265.
Car batteries typically last a good three years, depending on how often you use your vehicle. Factor this into costs since you’ll have to pay for a new one every so often.
Engine Spark Plug Replacement Cost ($340)
Spark plugs help keep your engine running well, and for a Porsche Boxster, you’ll spend an average of about $340 to replace one. Labor costs around $220, and parts cost around $120.
The good thing is that you usually only have to replace a plug every 100,000 miles or so. This means that lifetime costs only add up to about $680.
Cabin Air Filter Replacement Cost ($105)
On average, a cabin air filter replacement will cost about $105 for a Porsche Boxster. Parts typically cost around $65, while labor costs around $40.
It’s important to make sure you replace this filter when necessary since it protects you from inhaling vehicle fumes and exhaust.
You should replace this filter just under every 50,000 miles or so. This means that the lifetime costs of replacing this part are closer to about $525.
Coolant Change Cost ($80)
It costs around $80 to get the radiator coolant changed on a Porsche Boxster. You’ll likely need to get this fluid changed out every 30,000 miles or so. This means that over a car’s lifespan, you’ll likely spend around $665 on coolant changes.
How Does the Maintenance Cost of a Porsche Compare to Other Cars?
Compared to other car brands on the market, maintaining a Porsche is pretty expensive. It’s even more expensive when compared to the maintenance costs of other luxury brands.
For example, we can look at the difference in costs for one of the most common regular maintenance jobs – the oil change.
It costs an average of $540 for a Porsche Boxster oil change, while it costs only $445 on average for a BMW 328i oil change. Further, it only costs about $125 for a Toyota Corolla oil change.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Maintenance
The main factors that will cause maintenance costs to fluctuate among car owners include:
- Whether or not you replace/repair parts yourself or pay for professional labor
- Where you live (some states have higher auto labor rates)
- How frequently do you drive and put mileage on your car
- How regularly do you perform maintenance tasks (if you neglect regular maintenance, you’ll have to spend more on repairs over time)
Final Thoughts
Overall, the cost of maintenance each year for a Porsche Boxster is going to vary wildly depending on how you use your car.
The more you use your car, the more often you’ll have to pay for maintenance. On average, though, you’re likely looking at an annual expense of about $1,000.
Porsche maintenance tends to run higher than the cost of maintaining other vehicles, even when compared to other luxury car brands.
Be sure to pay attention to your Boxster’s service manual and get maintenance jobs done when they are required.