NHTSA Complaint #10273686 — 2003 PORSCHE BOXSTER S

ON SATURDAY, MAY 16TH THIS BOXSTER SUFFERED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT ~ 30 MPH. THE ENGINE FAILED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. THE INITIAL INDICATION WAS A LOUD AND DISTRACTING FLAPPING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING HAD BEEN PICKED UP ON THE CAR'S UNDERCARRIAGE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED WITHIN A MOMENT BY SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THIS ENGINE FAILED AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEED IN LIGHT TRAFFIC, SO THAT NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES OCCURRED. HAD THE FAILURE OCCURRED EARLIER IN THE DAY WHILE WE WERE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON CURVING ROADS, WE BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO LOSS OF THE ENGINE ITSELF - INSTALLATION OF A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE IS ESTIMATED AT $14,000 TO $15,000. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THIS PAST JANUARY FOR $20,000 SO THAT THIS ENGINE FAILURE REPRESENTS A NEAR TOTAL, UNINSURED LOSS. THE ENGINE FAILURE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS AN INTERMEDIATE ENGINE SHAFT (IMS) FAILURE BY A LOCAL MECHANIC SPECIALIZING IN PORSCHE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR (THE CLOSEST PORSCHE DEALERSHIP IS OVER 100 MILES AWAY). OUR SUBSEQUENT INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THAT IMS FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR PORSCHE AUTOMOBILES WITH THE M96 ENGINE, WITH SOME ESTIMATES THAT GREATER THAN 25% OF THESE VEHICLES WILL SUFFER ENGINE FAILURE PRIOR TO REACHING 100,000 MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRUE STATISTICS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS. PORSCHE HAS NOT ADMITTED THAT THIS FAILURE MODE RESULTS FROM A BEARING DESIGN FLAW, HOWEVER THAT IS THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED ROOT CAUSE. PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA DECLINES TO ASSIST WITH REPAIR. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FAILURE RATE AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE PORSCHE M96 ENGINE. WE FURTHER SUGGEST THAT IT IS LIKELY THAT FATAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING PORSCHES WITH THESE ENGINES HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY ASSIGNED TO DRIVER ERROR. WE BELIEVE THAT PORSCHE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR IMS FAILURES OF M96 ENGINES THROUGH A SAFETY RECALL. *TR