NHTSA Complaint #10196852 — 1998 PORSCHE BOXSTER

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE 1998 PORSCHE BOXSTER, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND HAVE DISCOVERED A LATENT DEFECT WHICH PCNA DESIGNATES A305, AND NTSB HAS ADDITIONAL RECALLS RELATING TO THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART ON THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR INVOLVING THE IGNITION SWITCH AND ATTACHED IGNITION ASSEMBLY. THE LATENT HAZARD IS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH IS DAMAGED WITHIN THE IGNITION ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL FAILURES AND RESULTANT FIRES. I HAVE DETERMINED THROUGH PCNA AND PORSCHE THAT THE ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY WAS REDESIGNED DUE TO INHERENT (DESIGN) DEFECT TO CORRECT THE FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH BUT THE NEWLY DESIGNED REPLACEMENT PART (REDESIGNED ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY WAS NOT REPLACED IN MY CAR OR OTHER NUMEROUS CARS. SEVERAL BOXSTER OWNERS HAVE PAID FOR THE NEW PART AND LABOR TOTALING IN EXCESS OF $400.00 BUT PCNA (PORSCHE) HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE EXISTING DEFECTIVE SWITCH'S AND ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A PART THAT REPEATEDLY FAILS AND REMAINS A SERIOUS LATENT DEFECT UNDRESSED BY PORSCHE. ON MY CAR THE ONLY THING CORRECTED WAS UNDER CAMPAIGN NO A305; THAT WAS DONE IN 2003 ACCORDING TO PCNA. THE REPAIR THEY DID DOES NOT ADDRESS THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH AND SWITCH ASSEMBLY. A 305 INVOLVES THE SAME ASSEMBLY BUT INVOLVED TIGHTENING A CABLE SO THE CAR DOES NOT RUN WHILE IN PARK AND THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILS TO INTERFACE WITH THE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. PLEASE INDICATE IF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED REGARDING MY CAR AND THE PROBLEM I HAVE EXPERIENCED. *JB