1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER Recalls, Complaints & Safety

MISFIRES DURING WARM UP, AFTER WARM UP THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTH WITH HIGH RPM OF 1200 TO 1300. I HAVE TO TAP THE ACCELERATOR PAD TO LOWER THE RPM,AFTER COUPLE OF SECONDS THE RPM GOES BACK UP. WHEN IT REACHES 190 DEGREES RPM GOES HIGHER TO ALMOST 1500, TEMPERATURE GOES TO 210 DEGREES FAN TURNS ON FROM THE RADIATOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE BUT NOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, FAN ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SOMETIMES TURNS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT . THEN THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING AT 210 DEGREES, START UP BUT WON'T RUN. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP DOWN TO 160 DEGREES, SOMETIMES ALL THE WAY DOWN. START IT UP THEN THE ENGINE RUNS. *TR

THIS LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT FREEWAY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS CRUISING ON LEVEL FREEWAY WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THE ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE FACILITY. AFTER COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT REBUILD-ABLE DUE TO A SLIPPED CYLINDER SLEEVE WHICH RESULTED IN PISTON, CYLINDER HEAD AND BLOCK DAMAGE. DETAILED PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE PROBLEM IS IN A SENSOR IN THE SEATBELT. EACH TIME IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND PORSCHE WANTS ME TO SPEND $550 TO REPLACE THE UNIT WITH THE FOURTH SENSOR. I HAVE DECLINED TO DO THIS AS THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE NEW UNIT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT IN THIS CAR ACCORDING TO SERVICEMEN AND THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE. I HAVE CALLED AND WRITTEN TO PORSCHE WITHOUT RESPONSE. *LN

PORSCHE BOXTER AIRBAG ( SRS) MALFUNCTION. SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. MONDAY, OCT.11 2010 APPROX. 2:00. VEHICLE HAD BEEN UNUSED FOR 4 WEEKS. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEH. BATTERY WAS ALMOST DEAD. NO ACTION FROM STARTER. VEH ALARM SOUNDED. ALARM REMAINED BLARING UNLESS KEY WAS IN #1 POSITION. I WENT INTO MY HOUSE ( TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. ) I HEARD A LOUD " BANG " . UPON RETURNING TO MY CAR I SAW THAT THE LEFT (DRIVERS) AIR BAG HAD DEPLOYED. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE ODOR FROM THE AIRBAG WAS NOT PLEASANT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THE CONTACT HAD MASSIVE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND THE CRANK SHAFT BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT VALID AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON IN 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND RECURRING PROBLEM WITH PORSCHE BOXSTERS. IT WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A SEAT BUCKLE PROBLEM. THEY INDICATED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE ISSUE IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COME ON. PORSCHE SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM IN ORDER CLEAR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT EARLY PRODUCTION PORSCHE BOXSTERS HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ENGINE FAILURES DUE TO CRACKED OR SLIPPED CYLINDER LINERS. THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL BUT PORSCHE DID REPLACE FAILED ENGINES UNDER WARRANTY. PORSCHE HAS NOT DIVULGED EXACTLY HOW MANY ENGINES THIS ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN OTHER THAN A BROAD RANGE OF 2.5 ENGINES IN LATE 1998-EARLY 1999. NOR HAVE THEY RELEASED ANY ENGINE NUMBERS THAT HAVE HAD SLEEVES INSTALLED. I PURCHASED MY CAR 2 WEEKS AGO FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 69K MILES AND FULL MAIN DEALER SERVICE HISTORY. THE ENGINE HAS NOW FAILED DUE TO A SLIPPED CYLINDER LINER. THE ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN RACED OR OVER-REVVED. I'M LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE $8 - $13K REPAIR BILL FOR A REPLACEMENT/REBUILT ENGINE. FORTUNATELY THE ENGINE SEIZED WHILST IN A CAR PARK. HAD IT DONE SO WHILST DRIVING ON THE BUSY INTERSTATE, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BOXSTER, PORSCHE TEAMED UP WITH KOLBENSCHMIDT TO MANUFACTURE THEIR NEW WATER-COOLED ENGINE. THE CASES EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ISSUES STARTING WITH THEIR POROSITY. IN 1998 KOLBENSCHMIDT'S CASTING MACHINE WAS DAMAGED. THIS LEAD TO LINER FAILURES IN LATE 1998 TO EARLY 1999. THIS WOULD TRANSLATE INTO ONLY THE 1999 MODEL YEAR DUE TO PRODUCTION DATES. THE TIME REQUIRED TO REPAIR THE MACHINE COULD HAVE SLOWED BOXSTER PRODUCTION DOWN SEVERELY UNLESS A FIX WAS FOUND. THE SOLUTION WAS TO RELINE SOME NOT-QUITE-PERFECT BLOCKS THAT WERE ON HAND. MOST OF THESE BLOCKS HAD A CASTING DEFECT OR A POROSITY PROBLEM IN AT LEAST ONE CYLINDER. KOLBENSCHMIDT BEGAN THE PROCESS OF THE REPAIRS UNTIL THE CASTING MACHINE WAS FIXED. THIS PROCESS STARTED BY BORING OUT THE FAILED CYLINDER TO ALLOW FOR THE INSERTION OF THE LINER. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LAMP STAYING ON DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED SENSOR SYSTEM THAT RELIES ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND GROUNDING SYSTEM ELECTRICAL RESISTANCES BEING INCREDIBLY STABLE OVER TIME. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY REDESIGNED SEAT BELT RECEPTACLES AND REPLACING WIRES. IF YOU DON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO CLEAR THIS LAMP INDICATION, YOU MUST SHELL OUT $500 TO $1500 TO DO SO. HOW DOES PORSCHE HAVE THE NERVE TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR PART WHICH LEADS TO AN AIRBAG WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF NOT CORRECTED. MY INCIDENT IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED ONE. I'VE CHECKED OUT OTHER COMPLAINTS VIA THE INTERNET. *JB

I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT TO A STORE. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR LATER IT WOULD NOT START. IT WAS DETERMINED BY BOTH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND A PORSCHE DEALER THAT THE CAR HAD SUSTAINED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF AN UNKNOWN ORIGIN. (THEY WERE NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE. I DID NOT ASK THEM TO DO THIS.). I REPLACED THE ENGINE. *NM

I OWN A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE SEAT BELTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THERE IS A FAILURE IN THE CIRCUITRY BETWEEN THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ON THIS DEFECT. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL FOR THIS AS IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON, KNOWN DEFECT WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON THE CAR ? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. ON THE FIRST INCIDENT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD COME UNLOCKED WHEN THE CHILD TUGGED ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELT AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. ON 2-01-06 THE SEAT BELTS WOULDN'T RETRACT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY AGAIN. NOW THE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE.

I HAVE A 1999 BOXSTER. AT 9500 MILES THE ENGINE BLEW UP. IRA MOTORS IN DANVERS REPLACED IT WITH A REBUILT ENGINE. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE THEN BUT IT HAS BEEN UNDER WARRANTY. MY CAR IS ALWAYS GARAGED IN WINTER AND HAS ONLY 25,000 MILES ON THE NEW MOTOR. IN MID OCT. OF THIS YEAR MY CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH WHEN STARTED IN THE MORNING. IT WAS DUE FOR IT'S 30,000 MI CHECK UP SOON SO I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. I SPENT $1000 FOR THE CHECK UP AND TWO DAYS LATER PICKED IT UP AND IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN. COUGHING, CHOKING AND STALLING OUT. I LEFT THE CAR THERE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND WHEN THE WEATHER GOT COLDER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES. THE LAST TIME THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT THEY HAD SEVERAL CARS UP TO 2005 MODELS DOING THE SAME THING. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A WINTER FUEL ADDITIVE IN THE NORTHEAST THAT DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH PORSCHE BOXSTERS. MY OTHER CARS RUN FINE ON THE SAME FUEL. MEANWHILE WHAT AM I TO DO WITH A CAR THAT WON'T START IN THE WINTER. I CANNOT SELL IT THIS WAY AND IRA PORSCHE OF DANVERS, MA SAID THEY CANNOT FIX IT. I HAVE BEEN ON LINE AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HOW CAN YOU HELP ME? SHOULD I ONLY DRIVE THE CAR IN SUMMER IN CALIFORNIA? PATRICIA COHEN. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER THAT HAD NO PROBLEMS CONCERNING SAFETY, AIRBAG OR THE SEAT BELTS OF THE CAR UNTIL THE AIR BAG LIGHT MYSTERIOUSLY TURNED ON. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DECODED THE CODE TO FIND THE PROBLEM IS A SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT THAT IS FAULTY, BUT THE AIR BAG WAS STILL WORKING PROPERLY. THE DEALER (RUSNAK PORSCHE OF PASADENA) ADMITTED THIS WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THE PROBLEM IS COMMON, BUT WAS NOT COVERED SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS VERY PREVALENT IN PORSCHES, AS IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED MANY TIMES ON A MAIN PORSCHE MESSAGE BOARD (WWW.PPBB.COM). ALSO, THE PROBLEM HAS ITS OWN WEBSITE WITH HOW TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THE PART EVEN THOUGH IT IS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. HTTP://WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/ESKLUT/AIRBAG.HTML IF NECESSARY I WILL COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR A SET AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM COVERED BY WARRANTY OR NOT. BILL WOJDAK. *JB

LEAKING COOLANT TANK. THE COOLANT TANK ON THIS VEHICLE HAS FAILED IN NUMEROUS CARS RESULTING IN EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. MANY OWNERS I HAVE CONTACTED HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TANK FAILURE. I BELIEVE PORSCHE SHOULD FIX THESE CARS UNDER A RECALL. THIS IS CLEAR CASE OF A DESIGN DEFICENCY WHICH WILL LEAD TO OVERHEATING AND FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. IF THIS HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC, THE OPERATER COULD BE INJURED OR KILLED. THE TANK MUST BE REPLACED WITH AN UPDATED PART FROM PORSCHE THAT HAS HAD THE MATERIAL CHANGED.*AK

WHILE AT THE CAR WASH THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF THE FACILITY AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM

I HAVE HAD A REOCCURING AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON, THE DEALER HAS HAD IT ON 5 OCCASIONS, AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD IT TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS ONS 4 OCCASIONS. I THOUGHT THAT THE DEALER HAD IT REPAIRED IN JANUARY OF 2003, THEN IT CAME BACK ON AGAIN IN JAN OF 2004. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE REPAIR IS THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THEM 3 TIMES, I DONT KNOW WHAT THE PREVOIUS REPAIRS WERE PRIOR TO MY OWNING THE VEHICLE. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR, IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND I WAS GIVEN A GOODWILL BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR 50% OF THE REPAIR BILL. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN A YEAR WHEN THIS COMES ON AGAIN? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE OF THIS? THE THING THAT STIKES ME THE MOST IS THAT THE DEALER HAS HAD THE PARTS IN STOCK EVERY TIME AND THEY HAVE STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, SHOULD THERE NT BE A SAFETY RECALL IF THIS IS THE CASE?*AK

I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 S IN MIAMI. THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE, THEN I FELT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GIVE OUT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE TIRE. THE TREAD PORTION OF THE TIRE ON THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM THE BEAD AROUND THE RIM. THE TIRE IS A KUMHO ECSTA 712, SIZE 205/50ZR17 89W ,DOT YOLJ YAN (2101). *AK

VEHICLE SERVICED BECAUSE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND TRIED ON 8 DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS TO SERVICE PROBLEM . HOWEVER, HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.*AK *JG

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE, THE ENGINE SIEZED. *MJS

FUEL/EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE CAR WITH ENGINE COLD, RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER. MJS

CATASROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC RESULTING IN LOSS OF BREAKS AND VERY HEAVY STEERING. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREE WAY THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. FURTHER MORE MANY OTHER PORSCHE BOXSTER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ENGINE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

ENGINE LOST POWER AND FAILED. DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT #3 CYLINDER "BLEW OUT." DEALER REPLACED FAILED ENGINE WITH REMANUFACTURED ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

IN THE REVERSE POSITION BRAKES LOCK UP AND CAUSE THE REVERSE TO IDLE LOW. THEN THE IDLE RETURNS TO NORMAL. ALSO, COMING AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE SEEMS IT SEEMS AS IF VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND SHAKE, BUT DOES NOT ACTUALLY STALL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ENGINE EXPERIENCING HESITATION. *YC

DIAGNOSED PROBLEM WAS A SLIPPED CYLINDER SLEEVE. HEAT EXCHANGE BETWEEN ALLOY BLOCK AND STEEL SLEEVE HAS BEEN PREVALENT IN FAR TO MANY OF THESE CARS. CHECK OUT WWW.986BOARD.COM AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

VEHICLE IDLES TOO LOW ON STOP WITH AIR CONDITIONER ON AND CLUTCH IN CAUSING CAR TO SHAKE AND ALMOST STALL. NLM

WHEN COMING TO A STOP WHILE AIR CINDITIONING IS ON, VEHICLE SHUTTERS. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHENEVER DRIVEN, THE VEHICLE ALMOST STALLS, THE DISTRICT MANAGER STATED THAT ALL OF THE 97-99 BOXTERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHICH CAN NOT BE FIXED. *SLC

POTENTIAL FATALITY / SEVERE INJURY - ROLL BAR IS LOCATED TOO FAR FORWARD AND DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE PADDING FOR DRIVERS OVER 5' 10" TALL. A RELATIVELY MINOR ACCIDENT CAN EASILY BECOME A FATALITY AS A TALLER DRIVER'S HEAD WILL IMPACT THE ROLL BAR INSTEAD OF THE HEADREST. A RETROFIT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL PADDING IS NECESSARY. *AK

Crash 1 injured