NHTSA Complaint #10344995 — 2003 PORSCHE BOXSTER S

MY ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A PART CALLED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CAR IS A 2003 PORSCHE, BOXSTER S WITH 47,000. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON LINE AND APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP I WENT TO, KNEW RIGHT AWAY ABOUT THE FAILURE AS THEY SEE AT LEAST 1 PER MONTH. WHEN THIS PART FAILS, THE REMEDY IS A NEW (OR USED ENGINE). THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW OF THIS FAILURE UNTIL IT HAPPENS. I REPLACED MY ENGINE AND IT COST $12,000. THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PORSCHE PROBLEM AND IT SHOWS SOME OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THEIR ENGINEER, HTTP://WWW.LNENGINEERING.COM/IMS.HTML. THEIR RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PORSCHE KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND THINKS IT HAS TO DO WITH PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER CARS (ONE OF WHICH IS MINE) AND FIXES IT WHEN IT HAPPENS DURING WARRANTY. I ASKED THEM TO HELP COVER THE COST AND THEY SAID NO, AS MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. IT IS MY OPINION THAT A CAR (PORSCHE OR NOT) SHOULD NOT FAIL LIKE THIS ESPECIALLY WITH NO WARNING. AS AN FYI, IT APPEARS PORSCHE FINALLY REDESIGNED THIS PART IN 2006. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME CAPTURE SOME OF MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE AS WELL AS MAKE OTHER USERS AWARE WITH A POSSIBLE RECALL. *TR