Other Restraint System Info: Restraint System: Passive
Plant City: Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
Plant Company Name: Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Trim: Carrera (2WD), Carrera 4S (4WD)
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
1999
SERVICE BRAKES
I WAS DRIVING ON A 16 LANE MAJOR HIGHWAY IN TORONTO IN THE EXPRESS LANES AT 70 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP SAFELY SINCE THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING WITH THE ENGINE STOPPED. IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND I WAS LUCKY TO CHANGE LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND PULL ONTO THE HARD SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I WAS STUCK SITTING IN THE EXPRESS LANES BY A GUARD RAIL UNTIL A TOW TRUCK CAME, WHICH TOOK AN HOUR. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE PORSCHE DEALER IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A IMS BEARING FAILURE THAT REQUIRED A NEW ENGINE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS BEARING IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1997 TO 2008 WATER COOLED 911 AND BOXSTER PORSCHES WITH A 10 PERCENT FAILURE RATE TO DATE, AND THAT THEY WILL ALL FAIL EVENTUALLY. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THERE IS A 3RD PARTY RETROFIT KIT THAT THE PORSCHE DEALERS ARE AWARE OF BUT DON'T USE BECAUSE IT WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, SO PORSCHE TURNED A BLIND EYE AND LET THE ENGINES FAIL. PORSCHE HAS MODIFIED THE BEARING DESIGN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ABANDONING THE DESIGN IN THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. ALL THESE MODELS ARE UNSAFE WHEN THEY WILL FAIL WITHOUT NOTICE AND PUT DRIVERS IN HARMS WAY. *TR
2005
ENGINE
I WAS DRIVING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 79 NORTHBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 3 BETWEEN MINK SHOALS AND ELKVIEW, WV. I HAD JUST PICKED UP A PIZZA AND I WAS HEADED HOME A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE. I WAS GOING UPHILL WHEN I HEARD A POP AND SAW A HUGE PLUME OF STEAM SHOOT OUT FROM BEHIND MY CAR. I THEN TAPPED THE BRAKES AND THE REAR RIGHT TIRE GOT A LITTLE LOOSE AS IT HAD ANTIFREEZE COOLANT SPRAYING DIRECTLY ON IT. I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR HOME AS IT WAS QUICKLY STARTING TO GET HOT AND CLOSE TO OVERHEATING AS THERE WAS NO COOLANT LEFT. I GOOGLED "PORSCHE 911 COOLANT LINE FAILURE" AND QUICKLY LEARNED THAT MY ISSUE HAD HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS.I LEARNED THAT FROM THE FACTORY PORSCHE GLUES/EPOXIES THE COOLANT FITTINGS INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OVER TIME AND MANY HEAT CYCLES LATER THE GLUE/EPOXY FAILS AND THE COOLANT SPRAYS EVERYWHERE AND MANY TIMES DIRECTLY ON THE REAR TIRES. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND ANYONE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. I PERFORMED A QUICK FIX ON MY CAR AND PINNED THE FITTING BACK INTO THE BLOCK. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE DROPPED AND EACH OF THE 6 COOLANT LINES NEEDED TO BE WELDED TOGETHER TO TRULY PREVENT THIS FROM BEING A HAZARD. I PAID SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE THE ENGINE DROPPED AND FIXED LIKE PORSCHE SHOULD HAVE DONE FROM THE FACTORY. THEY SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND OFFERED TO FIX THE FAILED COOLANT LINES UNDER A RECALL BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE. PORSCHE CLAIMS NO FAULT OF THEIRS. MANY PERFORMANCE DRIVING EVENTS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AND WON'T LET YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR AT THEIR EVENT UNLESS THE ISSUE HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY DROPPING THE ENGINE. WHEN YOU SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A CAR OR ANY MONEY FOR THAT MANNER YOU EXPECT THE CAR MANUFACTURE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS A HIGH PRIORITY. *TR