violinfather

I have been lurking on this forum and doing a great deal of research. It seems like most say buy the best P-car that you can afford. That being said there are all types of postings about engine failures. What are the percentage of engines that fail and must be replaced. I have owned many BMW's and Japanese imports and have never needed to replace an engine.

The Boxster that I am interested in is the anniversary edition from 2004 and it has 21K on it. The car is originally from the USA and is mint except for the lug nuts which are really rusted. Anyone know how much original replacements are?

Mark

Turboflyer

Give me a PM and I will give you my phone number. If the lug nuts are rusty on an 04 that should be a big red flag.

violinfather

PM sent. I did look under the car and could not see any rust. The Carfax says the car came from Texas. I just do not understand why the car looks great but the lug nuts don't. I thought maybe there was an issue with the manufacture of the lug nuts. They say GT on them.

aron in toronto

I have no answers for your big questions, but the lug nuts tend to rust quickly if harsh wheel cleaners are used. Check the condition of the exhaust system's fasteners and or suspension components for rust or corrosion to get a better sense of the environment the car lived in. These newer Porsches are pretty hardy when it comes to rust. The quick and cheap solution rusty lug nuts is to re-spray paint them silver. The finish will probably last longer than the factory finish.

violinfather

Also I plan on getting the car inspected by the local Porsche dealership or an Indy.

sjfehr

As the owner of an 04 Boxster S, I say GO FOR IT, it's an awesome car! Well, pending inspection and reasonable negotiations at least. It's a buyer's market right now; don't be afraid to walk away.

The IMS/RMS engine failures are, despite the hype, very uncommon, and even less common in later year Boxsters. Don't let them scare you.

dallison28

i have an 02 s and i love it

dennisafrompa

IMS engine failures may be uncommon, but no one knows what the actual percentage is.
I've had 2 IMS engine failures in 2 different Boxsters, one was the '04 Anniversary Edition. I put 62K miles on that car and loved it.....BUT I can no longer own one of these water cooled flat sixes because of my experienece and that of some other folks I know.

violinfather

Arghh!! The more I research the less comfortable I feel in buying the Boxster as what will essentially be my daily driver. Selling a one year old car with three years warranty left to buy a used Boxster with the engine issues noted on this forum seems ludicrous. Maybe I will just buy a far cheaper Boxster with more mileage and keep my other car. This of course goes against the advice usually on this forum which indicates to buy the best Porsche that you can afford. I would hate to get rid of my reliable car and then find out that I need to replace the engine in my new to me Boxster S. It is a tough call as the 04 Anniversary Edition is gorgeous and so much fun to drive.

The other option is to buy a certified Boxster at a higher cost from a Porsche dealer.

I will close this thread now as I realize that I have subjected everyone to the same discussion which has occurred many times on this forum. Sorry!

mborkow

In all seriousness, you don't want a Porsche. You want a Honda (or a Toyota). Go get a nice Honda S2K. You'll be very happy and never have to worry about maintenance.

sjfehr

No, I do believe he's serious and not trying to be an ***. It the threat of IMS/RMS on your daily driver really concerns you that much, there are other very fun high-performance roadsters out there that many other people actually prefer to the Boxster that don't have this issue. BMW Z4 and Honda S2000 being the two that first come to mind. Both great cars with different pros and cons. Obviously we all chose the Boxster here, and sounds like you have, too, but there are other cars out there.

Good luck with your purchase monday, and be sure to post back with pictures!!

vincer77

The first thing I thought of when I read "rusty lugnuts" is flood damage. Seeing as it came out of TX, hurricane flood damage is a possibility. So have it carefully checked out.

Charlie C

The guy does want a Boxster. He's just spooked by the IMS problems. I recently joined Dennis from PA with an Anniv. '04 model having an IMS failure. Mine was at 27K miles. I now have a replacement engine and still love the car but you can't blame the original poster for his concern. It is a shame that this IMS "thing" has become such a problem. Hopefully the new engines, which don't have any IMS, will be more trouble free.

lilredpo

+1, go for it!