LAS VEGAS -- A revamped vehicle loaner program will help Porsche dealers when it comes time for the automaker to make fixes on diesel-powered Cayennes in the hands of customers.
The program changes began April 1, Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, said Sunday after the brand’s make meeting here. In addition to helping with the Cayenne situation, Zellmer said the changes, which should increase the size of dealer loaner fleets by an unspecified amount, will also improve customer satisfaction overall.
“The loaner car program, when we look at customer satisfaction, is a very important aspect -- that customers who drive a Porsche get a Porsche replacement car,” Zellmer said. “Dissatisfaction, if you try to understand why it happens, often it goes back to a service incident or repair incident if we cannot provide a Porsche loaner car.”
Porsche has about 10,000 diesel-powered Cayennes in customer hands in the U.S. awaiting emissions-related repairs, Zellmer said. The situation stems from Volkswagen’s diesel-cheating scandal, and Porsche is awaiting regulatory approval of a repair solution before the work can begin.
To encourage dealers to add to their loaner fleets, Porsche will now reimburse dealers for loaner car expenses for non-warranty work in addition to warranty repairs. And when the cars come out of the loaner fleets, they’ll now be eligible for Porsche Financial Services leasing programs.
“We’re making the ability to [increase loaner fleet size] more attractive to our dealers,” said Joe Lawrence, COO of Porsche Cars North America.
