boxster engines bad? porsche, wake up!!
 

Hello everyone, I've been a member of boxa.net for some time, as I have just discovered this forum recently.

Anyways, here's my story that I'm sure most of you can relate to.

So I was driving to work today and after accelerating from a light, my 99 boxster started pulling back really hard, then it surged forward and repeated in this pattern for the next 20 seconds.. after that, the engine shut off by itself as i cruise to the side of the road... i end up getting it towed to my local (friendly) porsche mechanic, and after a day of disecting what went wrong, he calls me up to say the motor was shot. "what??!! with 45k miles??!!".... soo, since i still owe $17,000 on it, the idea to salvage it is not an option.. then my mechanic mentions dropping a Carerra 3.4L 911 motor in it- (i'd have to get a rental car for the next two months).. so it sounds like a great idea so i ask him the cost of everything, and the swap will come out to no more than $14,000. Since I have no other options, and I need a few months to gather $14k in cash, I'll be paying for a rental car ($700 a month) as well...

After reading a few Rennlist threads and Boxa.net threads, it seems that Porsche really srewed up (or went cheap) with the Boxster engine. It's just not right that so many people with Boxsters are having engine failure. How many people are really prepared to spend $14,000 right off the bat on an engine that Porsche really should have looked over. Maybe we should do something about it. I'm thinking if someone can make a webpage petition regarding failed Boxster engines, and every Boxster owner that has come across this could leave his/her mark, maybe the top suits at Porsche would pull their heads out of their ass and realize there's a major problem here. I really do believe that Porsche should have done a recall on every Boxster that came off the manufacture line with the slight hint of potential engine trouble. I have decided to write Porsche of North America a letter concerning my distrust in their company for overseeing such an obvious (and common) problem. Now, I am forced to spend over $14,000 on a 3.4L Carrera engine because I don't trust putting another pile of Boxster sh*t in my engine bay. I'm new to the world of Porsche, as I used to drive a (reliable) honda S2000.. I stupidly assumed my Porsche would last atleast 100,000 miles. Well. I was way off.

We really should not let this slide so easy

.

There is not that much difference between the Boxster motor and the 996 carrera motor.....you should read the 996 discussions on RMS failure.

Maybe you should fit the Honda motor....?

All water cooler boxer flat sixes have the same premature death syndrome.... except for the 964 derivative engines like the 996 TT, 996 GT3 and the GT2

Porsche is indeed playing ostrich. Coz most their new cars are sold to lease nowadays and the warranty takes care of it.. a second owner gets the short end of the stick. :banghead:

Good luck with your website

This is one of the reasons I ditched my Boxster S and returned to the land of the air cooled. If you own the new non-GT/TT Porsches under warranty, these things are annoyances. If you own them outside of warranty you might suddenly feel that they are lower quality then practically any other car made!

In its first 22k miles my Boxster S had its RMS repaired twice, then got a new engine, new transmission, and its power steering rack was replaced twice - luckily all under warranty.

Oh, and as mentioned previously, I'm not sure you are gaining much reliability by going to a 3.4 996 motor. It is basically the same thing as your Boxster motor.

First, where did you buy the car ?? Are you 2nd or 3rd owner?? Porsche has replaced engines, especially those '99s in the build time frame of 10/98 thru 3/99 (not precise, but these approx. dates)
Some of these motors were sleeved and some sleeves have slipped and failed......Go talk (respectfully) to a dealer, try to contact PCNA, this is a known defect.....they MAY work with you....IF you don't use language like POS and such....If you are 1st owner, I'm sure they will help..if not they still might..this could take work, but it is worth a shot....others have been helped.

You are not the first, and wont be the last, to show up here and rant about the engine as your first post. Occasional RMS leak = bad engine? This is not new, this is not original. I'm getting tired of it. I am not belittling whatever horror story you have, but, as a first time poster, I suggest you do a search first both here and in the 996 section of the board. That way you avoid mouthing off the same things that have been said over and over and over again.

I'm sorry, but this is getting tiresome.

My reply is that if you don't want it, don't buy it. If you didn't know about it before you bought, then you should have. I've been a long time poster in this board, and I've known about it. What do I think? I bought a 987S.

I'm sorry that this is my "welcome to the board message" to you" I'm being just as negative as your first and so far only post. Do a search, and if you can't say anything original, or positive, go away!

This will be my only post on this tired and dead horse topic of a thread.

85 Percent, I feel for you. I think dennis a is on to something, I recently purchased my '99 Boxster, which was manufactured in late '98, from someone who just had a new engine put in at 60k miles. He was the first owner, and for some reason Porsche paid for the replacement 2.5L engine, and he paid for the labor. If this is a known defect, maybe you can work something out with Porsche.

As an aside though, you are completely right to complain about the reliability of Boxsters. Irrespective of Palting's spiteful, irrelevent rant, you are absolutely right to be outraged that these things are so unreliable. My '95 Toyota Celica with 150k miles still runs like a charm. Never had a thing done to it. But Porsches with less than 50k are blowing motors, trannies, etc. This should be made known to all.

FYI, right after I got my Boxster the transmission just blew. No warning lights, no oil slicks in the garage, just stopped working one day. Took it to the dealer, and they said the transmission fluid pump failed, so all the oil was expelled, so the trannie ran hot and probably burnt up inside. They wanted $7,500 to replace it! Thankfully I knew a guy near LA who took the trannie out and repaired the insides, for $3,500, and gave me a warranty.

Do what I did/am doing after my motor blew with 29k miles...have your dealer replace it with a Porsche remanufactured motor and sell it. The motor install shouldn't cost you more than $9k and you'll have a car for sale "with warranty", where if you put in a 3.4 you take just as much of a chance as you did when you bought your Boxster. I understand the remanufactured motors are stronger anyways, less likely to give problems (if you want to keep your car).

I'm stopping short of ranting, because I was well aware of premature motor failures in the early Boxsters before I bought mine (I bought mine certified from a dealer and thought I would put on enough miles before my warranty ran out to be "clear" of this problem...I was wrong) but I do have to agree a complete motor failure at 30k miles is PATHETIC. Since I wasn't the first owner nor less than an year outside of warranty, I got no help from Porsche. Dynamically, the car is terrific. But this event has left a very sour taste in my mouth for new Pcars. Needless to say, I'll never buy another one until I can buy it brand new with full warranty. I'm going back to 911s...

thanks for your input everyone. So Palting, do you think I should be really happy that my engine failed at 45,000 miles? I know this has happened before, I HAVE done searches in the forums and read countless stories about Boxster engine failure. Just because it has happened before, doesn't mean nobody needs to say anything about it ever again. The point of Porsche needing to wake up is based on the fact that it's happened so many times..

Anyways, based on your responses, my best bet is to take a trip to a local Porsche dealer and see if they can swap my failed engine out for another 2.5.. if they can do this, you bet, i'm selling my boxster.. I'll update what happens. thanks again.

.

Just for another thought...you can get a remanufactured Boxster S motor for about the same amount as the 2.5. There will have to be changes to the intake to use it (so a little extra cost), but if you still like your car you'll have a warrantied motor with extra hp (it SHOULD be significantly less than the 3.4 motor swap). Depends on what you want to do...keep your car or cut your losses and sell. Obviously, I'm doing the later...

Good luck. I hope this experience hasn't completely ruined you on Porsches!

...once more this is a known problem for some '99s....RMS failure is NOT a sign you engine will go..I also have known of a small number of Intermediate shaft bearing failures in other years....I'msure te largest %ofengine failures is in that builf time 10/98 thru 3/99...that being said 3 of my neighbors and my son (4cars) all in that same builld time have had zero problems with their cars, no RMS failures, NO issues. 2 of those cars are tracked and AXed OFTEN.....I'm afraid in this new era of instant communucation..failers seem prevelant, but I doubt that it is as all pervasive as some poeple think......I know mechanical things do break...when it is yours, it is devestating...Getting an old 911 won't immune you from problems, necessarilly.

Dennis a, I think you're right, the Porsche I bought with the replacement engine installed was purchased in 10/98, a '99 model. The engine is under warranty now (so basically I bought this from someone like you who replaced the engine and sold with warranty). Hopefully the replacement engine will not suffer from the same defect, since it was installed in '04.

I do feel for you 85 percent, and there is no excuse for Porsche not addressing those engines that have blown (which tend to be 98-99 models). But in defensive of all the people who have no problems, its just seems that no engine is entirely error free. I had no problems with my 99', maybe it was luck that I got rid of it before it did have problems. As for my 02 "S" it impresses me every day on how I drive it(7k RPM every day) and I have 43k on the clock. It seems like any other car, reliability tends to be better with the later models(00-04), except RMS, which is entirely different from a blown engine.

spoke with a Porsche dealer briefly today. doesn't look like they're going to cover the cost of a replacement or anything. so I drove to my porsche mechanic, whom I really depend on advice from (he's a driver and mechanic for Tribue to Le Mans Porsches and won the race in '99), and his lead mechanic said that he very rarely sees mechanical problems with 996 3.4 engines, and is definitely aware of the boxster engine failure through the years you guys mentioned. so I guess I'm going to gather the $15k for the conversion and go ahead with it. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll have better luck with this 3.4L...

I've heard the best place to purchase a 3.4 is through the dealer directly.. would it be smarter to do this or would I be saving a good amount by going with something slightly used? my mechanic (Carlos) is going to be calling around for the next few weeks pricing different 3.4's and so forth. what do you guys think? btw, your input thus far has been very helpful. thank you.

As somebody that got 45,000 trouble-free hard (lots of track time)miles out of a '99 this topic is tiresome to me as well. Sure Porsche engines fail, but they also get driven like Porsches, not Corollas. I'm sorry that anybody ever has problems with their Porsche, but you don't know how the original owner treated it.
And while I'm ofending everybody- you air cooled guys seem to have forgotten about the 30 years it took Porsche to get your engine right. Have you forgotten about magnesium cases, bronze valve guides that lasted less than 30k miles, timing chain tensioners that must be updated, valve covers that leak, and engine case bolts that fail? That's just a few.
Porsche motors are light, compact high-strung, high-specific output engines that are an integral part of a design philosophy that results in fast, nimble cars. Yes they fail, and yes Porsche should do all it can to prevent that from happening.
There also is no doubt that the best solution to your problem is another 2.5, as it will be cheaper and there is no substantial difference (other than displacement/horsepower) between it and the 3.4.

hmmm.. more boxster engines biting the dust...


http://forums1.roadfly.org/porsche/f...6061307-1.html

some people are just stupid in saying that its normal for engines to fail at that low miles. IT IS NOT OK !!! We pay premium price for a premium car and we expect no less !! Don't be a sucker for the name. Porsche should do more to produce a better product and to protect that intangible prestige of the brand. Engine failed at 20K ? 30K ? Come on, a 70's alfa probably did better.

Sorry to hear about your Boxster. Hopefully the new engine will do you better.

I guess I'm kind of on the fence with this one. There are so many factors that can lead up to an engine failure, but at the same time it shouldn't happen as often as reported with a certain production span.

No offense AlpharettaRK, but personally I think most (not all) problems people have with any Porsche is they do drive it like a Corolla...that is, when they have it out of storage. These cars were made to be driven and driven hard, not sit around drying up. There was a question in the Tech section of Panorama a few months ago from someone worried about driving over 3K rpm on a regular basis...why in the world did they buy a Porsche?!! Jump over to the 928 forum and poke around and you'll find that most of the daily drivers, even though they're 20 years+ old, have far less problems than the ones with 2-5K miles/year. As for Porsche in general, I have less trouble with my 18 year old 928 than I do with my 8 year old Dodge and have never had a problem with the Boxster (but it was not built in the time frame you guys mentioned and I'm hoping/praying I don't end up with the same problem.)

Another thing is most Boxster owners are not that interested in the car itself, just want have the status symbol. They put their faith blindly into the dealer or a mechanic to do a good job and don't look at anything between services. Sadly, alot of the mechanics (even at dealers) know less about my Boxster than I do. I know these two things don't apply to most people on this forum, but in general could drive the numbers up.

As far as Porsche is concerned, if this problem is more prevelant than with their other models, they should take care of it and keep their good name clean. There is one thing I think Porsche dropped the ball on that may have made a difference for those with engine failures due to the RMS problem. Instead of putting so much emphasis on style and giving us a useless analog speedometer because it's symetrical in size, it sure would be nice to have the oil pressure guage back. Also, if they can have the computer shut the engine down or keep it from revving over 7K rpm, why can't it monitor the oil pressure and shut the engine down if it goes below the tolerated level?

Just my 2 cents.

yep. I agree. I think Porsche makes unbelievable machines, dont get me wrong. but it really puzzles me as to why there wasn't a recall, or how such a premium company would oversee such a large problem.

After reading the link I posted above, I noticed someone stated that there was a four month period (between 98 and 99) where Porsche made faulty Boxster engines. I'm 90% mine falls in this time frame so I think I'll go back to Porsche tomorrow.

How many other people have actually had Porsche replace their Boxster engine for free (besides labor)??

.

If any of you think this is "tiresome"...then dont read it. No one is forcing you to.

For those of us considering purchasing new Boxster S's (987s), we welcome these discussions and encourage them. Its all about knowing all sides of the coin.

Porsche has always punished wimpy drivers, drive it hard, it will treat you well. I've been beating the $hit out of Porsches since 1974 and I haven't blown one up yet.

I hear that the 2000 and newer Boxters are the ones to have. My experience with Porsches is that buying one is like a crap shoot, and I love the cars. A good one is well worth having. A bad one can usually be sorted, but it can be like going to Iraq. Just when you think youv'e won, the trouble starts. I'm not a ''Porsche uber allen'' kind of guy, and I'm not into making the engineers right. These are great cars, but if a guy or gal has trouble and can't bring it here, where should they go? The dealers are into making money , the factory is posting record profits, and private mechanics are frequently deficient in skill. Finding a mechanic you can trust is number one, and going with his reccomendation is prehaps not a bad thing. I would say that purchasing a factory rebuilt engine with warranty at least gives you some recourse if anything goes wrong. As an aside, the differential on my truck went out two weeks and 250 miles past warranty. I went to the top, and they would not fix it. I went to a competing brand after 20 years of loyalty and never looked back. Porsche doesn't seem to need credibility as long as they have the aura of German performance and the near fanatical backing of enthusiasts. Fixing a car out of warranty doesn't sell a new car today, But it might make you an owner for life. As for ''I don't want to hear it'', I only wish I'd heard it before I bought. But hey it's a Porsche right? What could go wrong?

This is a fun thread...

Actually I agree that you have a right to expect to have a reliable car - after all we do pay enough for them. However, I also accept that I want a tuned performance motor.
The key question is where do these overlap. I wouldn't forgive a Toyota for stopping after 200,000 miles but I understood when my 356 engine cooked after just a few hundred miles.

So at what stage is it acceptable for the boxster to have faults?

If you say never please move to the Toyota forum - you're a corolla driver !!!
If you say 40,000 miles please move to the "more money than sense forum"

But where is the middle ground?

Head on over to:

http://www.ppbb.com/board/986board.htm

For the record, I bought my car with 12k miles. I never tracked it or autoXd it. But I did "enjoy" it (ifyaknowhatimean) every day for two years straight, including winter driving. (It WAS my only car). Never any RMS issues. Clutch is still very good. (..which I think is an indication of smooth driving...ahem...)

For the most part, I've driven every other car I've owned the same way w/o problems. (OK, I didn't drive my 911s ALL winter...but on any decent day through winter.) I'm not trying to bash the brand or the car here, but terminal motor failure at 29k is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE for any car, much less a Porsche. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Period.

I agree with Paultine. I feel your pain and I think that you should take the problem to Porsche, but with a small amount of research on your own you could have figured this out.

Where were you on this board during all the time that you were enjoying this car? Could you imagine what kind of place this would be if each of us only chose to come here with our problems and complaints?

My second comment is that this should not be compaired to the RMS issues. This is a known issue that Porsche is working to fix (they are probably on their 5th seal design by now) and it is rarely terminal. By comparisons M96 engine failures are rare. 99's seem to be more prone to this problem, but again this is very rare.

Go on any "board" (yes Honda and Toyota too) and search under "Blown Engine" and you are going to get hits. It happens (and sometimes it is driver error) to all manufacturers.

Unfortunately, your car is out of warranty. Contact Porsche and see if they are willing to help (I think that they should due to the low mileage). I sincerely hope it works out for you.

If you're directing this at me, check out any of my 2000+ posts and I'm sure you'll find the bulk of them are speaking positive about the Boxster and other Pcars I've owned. In fact, I've been one of the first to jump on any newbie "looking at a Boxster and thinking to buy" to tellt hem how wonderful they are and how they're really quite reliable. (..boy do I feel stupid now..)

Again, I'm not here to bash the brand or the car...I still hope to own a brand new Boxster when I can afford one (which will be YEARS from now it looks like), I'm just here to agree with 85percent and show some support for another who was bitten by Porsche's "efficiencies".

:icon107:

Doug,

I was directing my comments to the first poster not you. I have enjoyed your posts on this board and PPBB. Sorry about your RMS woes, but you definately seem to have a good attitude about the problem.

No problem Ray. I know you've been right there with me on recommending Boxsters to others. And I certainly wouldn't discourage people from buying a Boxster. I guess now I'm just in the "get one w/a warranty" camp. :rolleyes:

My brother loves his '03...so it's fun to hear how much he's enjoying it. It's brought him into "the club" and now he's looking at other Pcars for future purchases.

FYI...I never had any RMS problems. Just the blown motor. I'm not sure where all the RMS talk started...like you said, they have (next to) nothing to do with the blown motors. I WILL say that adds to my frustration...I thought I had such a good car because I never had any RMS issues.

But no...

The thing is, I just found this forum. It's not that I didn't want to be a member until I had a problem. I was a member of Boxa.net for almost a year now because it was the only boxster forum I could find. When I purchased my S2k, I became a moderator of hondaswap.com. So I am a participator and enthusiast of the cars I drive- not a "where's the help only when I need it" type of guy.

Anyways, I spoke to 1-800-Porsche customer service today and the guy was very polite and empathetic about my situation but clearly informed me that Porsche would not take any part in helping me -- he stated that it was a 'good-will' gesture sometimes offered by dealerships (which is what most of you said)...

What I'm wondering is, would I need to go back to the dealership that I purchased from? Can I go to any Porsche dealer? What would I say?

.

Well, if you're paying for the fix, any dealership would be glad to help you. So just tell them that you've had a major motor failure and need to discuss options. Ask them to quote a replacement for the 2.5 with a Porsche remanufactured motor (don't let them sell you a "new" one, because they're $20k). Find out if they offer discounts to PCA members. (..if you're not, be one.) As an aside, ask them what a reman Boxster S motor would run and what it would take to put that one in. (I've heard some people say it's merely a matter of using your 2.5 motor's intake? There may be some others here who can help you out.) Just trying to give you an option to give you more hp w/o paying $15k.

Check out the PelicanParts.com chat boards. This one is more active for Boxster stuff, but they also have a great community over there. Plus, there was a guy who offered me a reman Boxster S motor for $6500. If you go through my posts, you may be able to locate him. (..or just post a thread asking for it?)

Good luck!

Exactly what went wrong with the engine, if you know. What month and year was it built.

thanks for the input doug.

toolpants. it's a 99.. not sure what month it was made. but basically the piston in #3 cylinder slipped and smashed up the spark plug. a different mechanic was saying that a valve must have been stuck open and self-detonated the combustion chamber...

.

The sticker in the doorsill will tell you month/year of manufacture. Mine was 03/99. :rolleyes:

i know. but my boxster is parked at the mechanic's, two cities away.. =)

doesnt the VIN number have it also?

BTW, doug I'm searching through your posts on PelicanParts.com, and after 26 pages of your threads, no luck finding the one about the engine. When did you post it?

.

I don't think the VIN will have the month, just the year. And that I'm not sure where to find.

Yeah, I took a quick look and couldn't find it either. Let me do some more searching...it could have been offered to me via PM, which I probably won't have anymore. Sorry...

ok, then I'll post a "testing the waters on prices" type of thread. thanks though. I'm going to call more Porsche dealerships right now to see what they say. I'll post what happens on behalf of anyone else in this forum experiencing this kind of disaster.

*update* spoke to Porsche service manager at a dealership. He said its a "case by case basis"...I explained to him what year I had (99), how many miles were on it (45k), and what the problem was. He said because my boxster has been out of warranty for 2 years, he highly doubts that Porsche will do anything for me...

*sigh*

Time to save up $15k for the 911 3.4L.... :banghead:

I also posted a thread asking for the guy selling the motor. Hopefully it's still for sale!

Do let us know what happens. :cheers:

cool. thank you!

by the way, if anyone happens to find a briefcase with $15k in cash, and they don't want it, PM me and I guess I'd be willing to take it off their hands.. :D

Doug,

is that Julie?

OK enough about the engine....lets concentrate on getting Julie's phone number. :)

...where...in my avatar? NO! :D That's Anne Hathaway. I love the picture because a) she's a beautiful curvy brunette and b) she's got a terrific happy expression. To me, there's nothing sexier than that!

Also, I figured it would be better than the "pie in Dilbert's face" avatar I had before. ..am I right? :p

:_otopic: Would love to see Anne Hathaway's pie... Whoops, sorry :roflmao:

Anyone remember that "Warrant" song, "She's my cherry pie?" :rockon:

Oh Yea, you tell me you were looking at the smile with that depth of cleevage on show !!!

I believe you...

:D :D :D

...truthfully, I can find cleavage anywhere. It's the whole look here...

...but yes, as my good friend Bruce Willis once said...

"ZOUNDS!!! WHAT MOUNDS!!!

:D :D :D

By the way...since we've totally hijacked this thread...

https://rennlist.com/forums/off-topic/193256-the-great-big-anne-hathaway-photo-thread.html

My favorite poster of the moment is on the exit of an underground car park in Heidelberg.

Just picture this - larger than life on the wall at a curve in a one car wide tunnel....

now you know why there are skid marks on the wall.....

...brilliant.

the girl on the right is asian. i can recognize asian butts real well. :)

:roflmao:

you wont miss that 2.5 once you have the 3.4l
 

the 3.4l transforms the cars

please explain (my boxster is in the shop waiting for a 3.4L transplant) :rockon:

and I thought the rear end on the new Cayman looked good! ;)

Those are about the only things that are Air Cooled around this forum.

Always amazes me how many hard core Porschephiles have their head up their ass.
Porsche are currently building junk in case you didn't notice.
Just look at the value of your used 996/986, it's not just volume either.
These kinds of failures are not normal in an under powered under stressed 6 cylinder engine.

yea i wouldn't think so either. but porsche won't do a thing about it. they are junk engines. period.

So why hasn't someone put out a Subaru WRXSTI conversion. Boxster engine, serious HP , reliability, and lots of after market support? I for one would be interested in a twin turbo set up. I know blasphemy.

did you say boxster engine and reliability in the same sentence?? :nono:

If they are such junk engines, why get another junk engine? Just sell it and get another brand of car.

I like my Porsche, I know some people have had grief, but I want to have a Porsche. If reliability was my priority then I'd buy a toyota. If,....If.....If.... I just want the driving experience of a Porsche which I can't find anywhere else. My head isn't up anywhere - I just know what I want.

If you have such a negative feeling why are you still here?

Porshce have revised the engine a couple of times and it is much more reliable. but this has now become a label, like the dual mass clutch in the 964, it doesn't matter now many cars don't have the problem the few who have suffered it will tell the rest of the world that Porsche is crap.

And I really don't want a Porsche with another engine bolted in....unless it was a Cayenne with a Honda diesel engine or hybrid motor, that would be worth doing

For the record, I got a "junk motor" and, as pissed as I am, I'm still here. Not only that, but I'd still recommend these cars to anyone. ...just with a fair warning of the possibilities.

When I first came to Porsche before 996/986 etc I did a lot of research about my future investment.
What I heard time and time again was "Bullet Proof" funny I do not see that same common denominator these days on what were the worlds best all round sports cars.
That was then, this is now.
If you are happy dumping big money in to a not very old car then fine, hey it's your money.
I just hope I don't catch you ranting about residuals a couple of years down the road, cause I'll roast ya :)

maybe i'm just venting about spending $15k on a 996 engine. in all honesty, i've had more fun in my boxster for the 9 months i've owned it, then i have in any car i've ever had.

all i'm saying is [based on reserch regarding several of the same engine failures from the same year porsche], i just wish it was as reliable as it is fun.

i do appreciate all of your input.

OK I've noticed one critical difference in attitude - I don't consider any modern car an investment.
Cars are a liability - even if my boxster has the best resale of value on the German market today, I still expect to pay for my pleasure. They are making loads more boxsters so the values will drop.

Yes the 996 is dropping fast too, but even the 1998 cars are getting back 50% of what they cost in 1998. Buy a large engined BMW and you'd be lucky to get 50% after 2 years.

I won't cry if I the resale value is lower than I want - I'll have had the fun.

However to quote J. Clarkson: "life without any risk isn't worth living"

Investment in relation to buying a car is guarding against how much you will lose, not if. :)

I am astounded that some are defending porsche on this issue. AlpharettaRK had taken the stance that cars are 'driven like a porsche' not a corolla, and therefore engine failure it to be expected. What a load of baloney. Go out today and buy a nissan 350Z. 'Drive it like a porsche' for the next 150K, and you know what will go wrong? Nothing. My father had purchase a Ford SHO Taurus(with a Yamaha engine in it) many years ago. He drove it HARD for 185K miles. When he sold it off, it ran better than the day he got it.

This is not really about reliability, it about a company standing behind their product and their customers. Even the vernerable Porsche company needs to understand that people have a LOT of other options. More to the point, I am one of those people. I have looked at a lot of options for a convertable, and even though I love my Pcars, I would not consider a boxster in million years. BMW, Audi, Nissian all offer solid options......why buy a disaster?

This REALLY gets me going, but cause its the same story that you see with Mercedes. A respected manufacturer sacrifices its principles in the name of appealing to a broader audience. I could have bought a MB 350 SUV, but ended up with a Lexus because HYUNDAI cars had a better JD powers rating than the mercedes.

I'll stick with my air cooled thank you.....

Thats a stretch...Why do I reply to these threads? :rolleyes:

Forgot to add...

None of these brands convertibles come even close to the mid-engine experience of the Boxster, go drive one.

Was Porsche really going bankrupt before the boxster came out? this makes me wonder if the company having no money has something to do with the first boxster engines being faulty, and well, sort of cheap.. hmmm :icon501:


"Bankruptcy beckoned before Porsche was saved by the Boxster"


http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...2a2021,00.html

Perspectives are great things - nearly as good as statistics - from my perspective I bought a boxster because it was a good deal after I sold the 964. I have found that the boxster is a much better car to drive - streets ahead of the 964 in terms of mechanical grip and responsiveness. (flame away....but its true).

The boxster tops the lists of fault free cars in the TUV tests, the boxster has the strongest residual values on the german market, but these were more post purchase observations rather than deciding factors.

I bought it because it seemed like a good deal at the time. So far, I've no regrets.

I agree fully that Porsche should stand over their products but even the best manufacturers have limits - what is acceptable? 6 years and 100k miles? -

I blew the motor in my 356 two years back and it had only done 60k km since 1962 should I have brought it back?

There is an RMS problem, this cannot be denied. Many motors have been fixed/replaced under guarantee. I agree Porsche should stand over these motors but I don't think it is every motor as I only know of one of the 40+ cars that regularly do the slaloms that has had an RMS problem. In the same time I know of two 964's that needed a rebuild (one at 40k km) so what should I believe?

85 percent - the Germans still remember NSU went bust replacing rotary engines in the RO 80 so I don't think Porsche would have deliberately released a dud. They also have a policy of transferring costs of fixes to the component suppliers if the components can be proved faulty so the parts suppliers are careful too.

82Targa - I'm not defending Porsche I'm defending my choices !! I sold my 89Tagra as I got fed up of wet carpets, leaky roofs, heavy steering, heavy clutch, lousy heating, etc., but I respect your choice...... :thumbsup:

"I got fed up of wet carpets, leaky roofs, heavy steering, heavy clutch, lousy heating"

LOL. Well....we were talking about reliability, not comfort :)

Perspective is a great thing. Please read the post on the new info concerning the failures. It's not due to engineering a cheap engine, trying to create a cheap car to get out of bankruptcy, etc. It was a bad decision when casting problem occured with a certain model.

After reading the article and the posts from those who have experienced the problem, I agree Porsche has handled it very poorly without considering how much more people talk when they have a bad experience.

It is, however, unfair to trash an entire model and company and pass around unfounded rumors.

I hope the article helps those of you who've had this problem with getting Porsche to acknowledge it and take care of it for you.